Last night Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam was presented with the 2017 US Water Prize in acknowledgement of his leadership on water issues in Florida. The prize was award by the US Water Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the nation about the true value of water and advancing policies and programs that manage water resources to advance a better quality of life for everyone.
The US Water Alliance honored three organizations and, for the first time, two individuals for advancing innovative solutions to the nation’s water challenges. The seventh annual awards ceremony took place during the 2017 One Water Summit in New Orleans on Tuesday, June 27.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in Florida. With a growing demand on our limited water resources, we could be California right now. But with strong, conservative leadership here in Florida, we’ve taken proactive measures to meet the needs of our state by growing our water supply and improving the health of our lakes, springs and rivers. However, there’s more work to do.
“We must protect our water quality and quantity in order to accommodate our explosive population growth, to promote prosperity, and to preserve the invaluable natural resources that make Florida so unique.
“Florida’s population is projected to reach 35 million by 2070. With additional stresses on our water supply, it’s imperative that we remain focused on comprehensive and long-term solutions to our water challenges.”
Commissioner Adam H. Putnam has long-prioritized addressing the state’s water challenges. Over the course of his career, he has:
- Helped secure funding for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan;
- Worked with the Legislature to establish long-term, comprehensive and science-based water policy that prioritizes projects that can yield the greatest measurable improvements in the areas that needed them most;
- Supported the Central Florida Water Initiative, which focuses on the area surrounding Orlando; and
- Focused on environmentally sensitive lands through his advocacy of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which has protected nearly 37,000 acres from development – a 900-percent increase in acres preserved by the program since 2011.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com
