Region

Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) filed legislation today to protect the St. Johns River and the lakes of the Keystone Heights region for future generations. Senate Bill 234 requires the state to spend a minimum of $35 million annually from Amendment One funds on projects that preserve or provide public access to the River and the Keystone lakes.
“I grew up on the banks of the St. Johns River and visited the lakes of Keystone Heights as a child, and my family enjoys these incredible gifts from God today,” said Senator Bradley. “This is very personal for me. These natural resources define the character of the northeast Florida region of our state.”
In 2014, Floridians overwhelmingly adopted Amendment One, a constitutional amendment mandating that the Legislature spend one-third of documentary stamp tax revenues on environmental preservation efforts. The bill directs a portion of those dollars to the River and Lake Region.
“As a conservative, I believe in absolute fidelity to the State Constitution,” Bradley continued. “The Constitution requires us to protect these natural resources, as we should, and this bill helps fulfill that constitutional obligation to the people of the northeast Florida.”
Senate President Joe Negron recently appointed Senator Bradley as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources. “President Negron and I share a passion for implementing real solutions to the environmental challenges facing our state in the 21st century, from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades to our springs to the St. Johns River. Not only do we need to insure that our water is clean, but we need to insure the public has reasonable access to these wonderful natural assets for all time.”