EcoAction Alert

ATTENTION: Polk County Members of FNPS

Please support land conservation in Polk County by voting YES on Referendum 1, the “ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LANDS BOND REFERENDUM”.

The Florida Native Plant Society has long recognized that the most effective strategy for conserving our native plants and native plant communities is to conserve the natural areas where they occur! However, the rapid pace of land development in Florida means we are locked in an ongoing race against the bulldozers. Voters in Polk County now have a special opportunity to support the continuation of their successful Polk County Environmental Lands Program by voting “yes” on Referendum 1 when they go to the polls on November 8.

If approved by voters, the referendum would authorize the County to levy a property tax assessment of 0.2 mills annually for a period of 20 years to support land conservation in the Green Swamp, the Upper Kissimmee Basin, and on the Peace River and Lake Wales Ridge. It is estimated to cost the average homeowner in Polk County approximately $30 per year, or $2.50/month.

Additional information about the program and the referendum is available at https://polkforever.com/ . Please vote “yes” in support of the referendum whether you are voting via mail, early voting, or voting on election day – November 8. Early voting in Polk County runs from October 24-November 5, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Information on early voting locations is available at https://www.polkelections.com/Events/2022-November-General-Election. The ballot is long, and local referenda are placed at the very end, so please do not overlook it!

Thanks for everything you do to support native plant conservation in Florida!