Florida Native Plant Society has sent a formal letter of opposition to members of the Florida Senate regarding Section 6 of SB 290. This provision would direct the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to sell conservation lands, acquired through the Florida Forever Program, back into private ownership if deemed suitable for agricultural use. These lands are critical habitat for Florida's endangered native plants and the wildlife that depends on them. Allowing them to be converted to row crops or other intensive agricultural uses would be a devastating blow to the biodiversity we work so hard to protect. We urge our members to stay informed and engaged as this bill moves forward.

Florida Forever funding has declined dramatically since its peak in the early 2000s, dropping nearly to zero following the 2008 Great Recession and recovering only modestly after voters passed Amendment 1 in 2014. In recent years, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has absorbed a growing share of the state's land acquisition budget, a shift that underscores why protecting existing Florida Forever conservation lands from being sold back into private ownership is more critical than ever.