Osceola conservation ballot measure would leave a legacy
(Oct 24) Orlando Sentinel editorial by Guest Columnist Paul Owens
On the Nov. 5 ballot, voters in Osceola County will have the opportunity to renew the environmental lands conservation program that county voters first authorized 20 years ago. Their approval next month will reload local funding for the program, presenting their very best chance to protect critical natural lands and safeguard water quality amid Osceola’s rapid growth and extreme development pressure. That’s why 1000 Friends of Florida, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to planning for environmentally and fiscally sustainable development, is enthusiastically supporting the effort to renew Osceola’s environmental lands conservation program.
Buying ecologically valuable land, or its development rights, helps protect drinking water sources and surface waterways. It preserves green space for wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation and absorbing stormwater to reduce flooding. Conserving rural land also helps steer more of our state’s relentless growth and development toward urban areas with the infrastructure in place to support it. This smarter approach not only reduces the impact of development on vulnerable land, water and wildlife; it also cushions the blow to taxpayers, who don’t get stuck with the bill for stretching public services to distant rural areas.
Some Osceola residents are understandably upset that their county leaders traded away a portion of conservation land in the Split Oak Forest. But denying funding for the community’s only local land conservation program — and passing up so many benefits — based on that one decision would be self-defeating. Our energy as conservation advocates would be more productively directed toward improving the program with measures to perpetuate the protection for conservation lands. The longer the wait to protect ecologically valuable land, the more of it that will be lost forever.
In recent years, Florida lawmakers have dedicated more than $2 billion to land conservation, creating a huge source of matching funds for local governments with their own programs. Much of that funding has been earmarked to preserve land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the 18-million-acre network of connected natural and agricultural lands whose protection is critical not only for endangered and threatened species, but also for water quality and resilience to storms and sea level rise. With the highest percentage of unprotected Corridor land of all 67 counties, Osceola is well positioned to attract matching state and federal dollars if voters again greenlight local conservation funding.
When it comes to investments for taxpayers, ecologically valuable land is among the best. The funding proposed for voter approval on the Osceola County ballot, $70 million in local bonds, will not create a new tax but instead continue an existing program. This effort will continue to cost the average Osceola homeowner, with a house valued at $202,117, a maximum of $3.33 per month. This is a small price to pay to protect drinking water sources and the lakes, rivers, creeks and natural areas throughout this special place. Transparency and accountability are assured by annual independent audits and full public disclosure of all project spending. More information is available at RenewOsceola.com
When we think about the things of lasting value that we can provide as a legacy to our children, grandchildren and future generations, healthy water and natural lands are among the most important. Given so many benefits, protecting land is a win-win-win for Florida’s environment, economy and quality of life. If you are an Osceola County voter, 1000 Friends of Florida urges you to Vote “Yes, For Bonds” on the county referendum that appears near the bottom of your Nov. 5 ballot.
Paul Owens is president of 1000 Friends of Florida.