One of the greater pleasures of my service on the Florida Cabinet has been casting votes to approve the state’s acquisition of pristine conservation land. During the last two years more than 300,000 acres of these lands have been preserved through Cabinet action. Vast areas of unspoiled Florida may be the greatest legacy we can leave to future generations, from the Florida Panhandle to America’s Everglades.

The most recent example came during this past week, when I joined Governor Bush and the Cabinet — meeting in Pensacola as part of the “Capital for a Day” program — in creating one of the largest conservation areas in the eastern United States. Working with the Department of Environmental Protection, we approved the acquisition of 37,358 acres within Tate’s Hell in Northwest Florida, a vital part of the Florida Forever project. This latest acquisition will be added to three other existing conservation areas, including the Apalachicola National Forest, to create a natural area of almost 200,000 acres.

Thanks to our acquisition of this parcel, which some have likened to “the hole in the donut,” the state’s largest population of Florida black bears, along with other wildlife, will be able to roam freely through their natural habitat. In addition, uncontaminated marsh land will filter water flowing into Apalachicola Bay, one of the richest shellfish harvesting areas in the world and a significant component of the local economy.

This was just our latest action to protect Florida’s natural areas. For example, in 2001 we approved the purchase of Pinhook Swamp, completing a crucial link between the Osceola National Forest to the south and the Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, to the north. By acquiring almost 58,000 acres, the largest wildlife corridor east of the Mississippi River was created, covering an area approximately the size of Rhode Island.

In addition, most of the land required to be purchased for federally approved Everglades restoration projects has already been acquired, as well as Florida Panther habitat in south central Florida.

As important as these and other conservation projects are, there is a level of frustration at the sometimes huge price tags. Governor Bush and the entire Cabinet share that frustration where the state sometimes must pay more for these lands than we would prefer. This is not because staff is careless about negotiating – just the opposite – but because there is competition with potential developers who are free to pay above appraised value for the same properties. That is why we question every transaction to make sure it is the best possible deal for the people of Florida.

In the end, we simply cannot afford to let these opportunities pass us by. Raised in St. Petersburg near pristine Suncoast beaches, I treasure the natural resources that make Florida such a special place. That’s why I consider it a duty to protect and preserve those resources. And it’s why I am so pleased to have the opportunity to safeguard these areas forever.



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