EcoAction Alert

We have submitted the following letter to Governor DeSantis. 

SUBJECT: Please Protect Citizen Engagement in Growth Mgmt - Veto CS/CS/SB 540

Dear Governor DeSantis:

On behalf of the 6,000 members of the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS), we ask that you veto SB 540, which would end the ability of individual citizens, and organizations like FNPS, to challenge flawed growth management decisions. If allowed to become law, it would impose prohibitive financial burdens on Floridians who challenge comprehensive plan amendments and preclude their participation in important decisions that threaten local natural resources and other
quality-of-life issues.

The comprehensive planning process was designed to be inclusive. SB 540 would effectively end any remaining inclusivity. If the intent of the law is to end frivolous lawsuits or improper challenges, existing rules already provide judges with the discretion to award attorney’s fees in such cases. Sometimes local governments make bad growth management decisions; SB 540 would take away our ability to challenge even the most egregious decisions. The vast majority of Floridians, and non-profit organizations like FNPS, simply cannot afford the potential financial risk of having to pay the legal fees of wealthy developers and local governments.

Please do not deny Floridians the right to have their day in court by limiting comprehensive plan challenges to the affluent. We all have a stake in protecting the environment and the livability of our local communities. We respectfully ask you to veto SB 540.

Sincerely,

Mark Kateli, President
Florida Native Plant Society