Former Congressman Steve Southerland, Chair of Stand Up North Florida, today made the following statement regarding Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature on SB 7068: [Read more…] about Southerland Applauds Governor’s Signature on SB 7068
Stand Up North Florida
North Florida Coalition Applauds Storm Protection Bill
Stand Up North Florida Chair Steve Southerland urges Governor
DeSantis to sign SB 796, which will improve Florida’s power grid.
Former Congressman Steve Southerland, Chair of Stand Up North Florida, today made the following statement regarding SB 796: [Read more…] about North Florida Coalition Applauds Storm Protection Bill
North Florida Leaders Call for Water Project Funding
As water quality issues in Northeast Florida continue to grow, Stand Up
North Florida says state dollars are needed to find effective solutions.
As algae blooms in the St. Johns River continue to grow, Stand Up North Florida (SUNF) Chair former Congressman Steve Southerland and members of the SUNF Leadership Committee today called on the Florida Legislature to reserve funds for North Florida waterways. [Read more…] about North Florida Leaders Call for Water Project Funding
Stand Up North Florida Releases TV Ad
Ad highlights significance of North Florida’s water
and threat posed by Negron-Bradley land buy
Today, Stand Up North Florida released an ad that aims to educate North Floridians about the significance of North Florida’s water and the threat of the South Florida land buy, proposed by Senators Joe Negron and Rob Bradley, to the limited conservation funding resources available to the North Florida region. The ad encourages citizens to contact their legislators about this important issue.
“North Florida has precious water resources – lakes, rivers, springs and beaches – that desperately need protecting. There are limited funds available and it is imperative we receive our fair share. Yet South Florida received more than 90 percent of the Amendment 1 funding for water projects last year. This is a fact most North Floridians likely don’t know,” commented former Congressman Steve Southerland, Stand Up North Florida’s Chairman.
Southerland continued, “The Negron-Bradley proposal will dedicate billions more of Amendment 1 dollars to South Florida, and Senator Negron has made clear he is determined to push this land buy through regardless of the impact on the rest of the state. Unfortunately the currently proposed amendment still does not solve the State’s problems, sends even more money to South Florida, and creates decades worth of debt. This is neither conservative or responsible.
Stand Up North Florida is dedicated to making sure the voters are aware of this multi-billion dollar proposal and the negative impact it will have on North Florida’s ability to receive funding for our needs for decades to come.”
View the ad online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Stand Up North Florida is a grassroots coalition of Floridians from North and Central Florida that believe the vital water resources of our region must be protected. Water plays an important role for our region – directly impacting economics through tourism, agriculture and fishing, while directly impacting our daily life and survival. With more than 70 percent of Florida’s river water sheds and nearly all of the state’s springs, North and Central Florida impact statewide water issues as well and provide nearly all of the recharge to the Floridan Aquifer, the state’s largest drinking water source.
In 2014, Florida voters passed Amendment 1, creating the Land Acquisition Trust Fund and a dedicated pot of funds for conservation projects for 20 years. In order to protect the waters of North and Central Florida, these and other dollars should be equitably shared across the state, rather than having a majority of funds dedicated to one region or area.
The Negron-Bradley Plan Will Hurt North Florida
SB 10 will jeopardize more state conservation dollars by sending them to South Florida
TThe Florida Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation met today and passed SB 10, a proposal sponsored by Senator Rob Bradley and on behalf of Senate President Joe Negron that aims to spend billions of state dollars to buy farm land in South Florida to build a reservoir.
Former Congressman Steve Southerland, the Chairman of Stand Up North Florida, released the following statement after today’s meeting:
“Today’s committee meeting made clear that the interests of North and Central Florida are being ignored. There is no way that the Negron-Bradley Plan outlined in SB 10 does not negatively impact North and Central Florida, as it sets up for billions of dollars to be spent in South Florida on a single project while leaving North and Central Florida’s taxpayers holding the bag.
Being from North Florida, Senator Bradley should have first hand knowledge of the needs we have for important restoration of our lakes, rivers, springs and beaches that will be hampered by sending even more of our limited conservation funds South.
The fact is South Florida received more than 94 percent of the Land Acquisition Trust Funds that were allocated for water projects last year. South Florida is already receiving the lions share of these conservation funds, and the Negron-Bradley Plan will send even more of these funds South, further putting important restoration projects in the rest of the state in jeopardy.”
Stand Up North Florida is a grassroots coalition of Floridians from North and Central Florida that believe the vital water resources of our region must be protected. Water plays an important role for our region – directly impacting economics through tourism, agriculture and fishing, while directly impacting our daily life and survival. With more than 70 percent of Florida’s river water sheds and nearly all of the state’s springs, North and Central Florida impact statewide water issues as well and provide nearly all of the recharge to the Floridan Aquifer, the state’s largest drinking water source.
In 2014, Florida voters passed Amendment 1, creating the Land Acquisition Trust Fund and a dedicated pot of funds for conservation projects for 20 years. In order to protect the waters of North and Central Florida, these and other dollars should be equitably shared across the state, rather than having a majority of funds dedicated to one region or area.
