Protecting and conserving Florida’s water is an economic as well as environmental issue.
With the red tide outbreak in 2018, there was a dramatic loss in revenue and a decline in water quality and quantity in Florida’s springs, rivers, and lakes. Due to this, the Florida Conservation Coalition, a coalition of over 80 conservation-minded groups, released “A Water Policy for Florida.” This policy statement provides an overview of many of the existing threats to our waters and a pathway for their successful conservation, restoration, and protection statewide.
Throughout the policy, the Florida Conservation Coalition describes five steps that must be carried out by our policymakers to safeguard our waters: prevent pollution at its source, aggressively reduce existing sources of pollution, protect land to protect water, secure Florida’s future water supply, and provide adequate funding for Florida’s comprehensive water policy.
As the 2019 Legislative Session begins, Florida can’t afford another year of the environmental and economic disasters that have become commonplace across the state. Floridians can take action themselves and contact their local state senator and state representative and tell them about the rivers, lakes, springs, beaches, and estuaries in your community, and why statewide water protections matter to you.
