National Audubon Society

Florida Legislative Session and Policy Update

Welcome to the first Advocate newsletter of 2025! This week we bring you news on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a reminder about bear hunting, and an update on this week’s Florida legislative committee meetings. Elected officials met in their committees and with agency leads to focus on land acquisition, funding restoration, hurricane recovery, and invasive species management.

a beach with the Gulf of Mexico in the background

House Companion Filed to State Park Bill

In our previous Advocate, linked here, we discussed the new state park bill filed by Sen. Harrell (R-Stuart). This week, the House companion, HB 209, was filed by Rep. Snyder (R-Palm City).

Anastasia State Park.

Increase in Conservation Easements and Billions for Restoration

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Tiffany Esposito (R-Ft. Myers), met to discuss programs funded by their budget, the largest of which include Everglades, Water, Land Acquisition, Environmental Resource Management, Resiliency and Disaster Relief.

Highlights:

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson explained that the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program – which purchases development rights from farmers and puts those lands into permanent conservation – has tripled in size from 65,000 acres to 200,000 acres.

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Alexis Lambert presented to the committee on $6.5 billion dollars spent to date on Everglades and water restoration projects.

Storm Damage Top of Mind for House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee

The House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Botana (R-Bonita Springs), discussed hurricanes and storm damage with representatives from local communities across the state. Six major hurricanes have made landfall in our state in recent years, causing billions of dollars in damage.

Local government representatives talked about the problems they still faced, including:

- Debris removal
- Loss of revenue because of storm damage
- Need better accessibility in disaster relief programs offered by both state and federal agencies

Audubon advocates for a strategic approach to rebuilding our communities and natural landscapes. We need to use this opportunity to build greater resilience in our communities so we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Storm surge in Key West. Photo: Pixabay.

Water, Resilience, and Invasive Species on an Expansive Committee Agenda

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government (Chair, Sen. Brodeur (R-Sanford)) met this week to receive an overview of base budgets for state agencies under their appropriations policy silo.

Highlights:

- DEP Deputy Secretary Adam Blalock provided an update on the Indian River Lagoon. To date, over $582 million has been spent on water quality improvement projects in the Indian River Lagoon and we are beginning to see signs of some seagrass recovery in the northern end of the lagoon.

- The department’s resiliency planning program has provided more than $81 million to local governments to complete vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure with 97% of local governments on track to have completed these assessments.

- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chief Conservation Officer George Warthin discussed the agency’s efforts to manage invasive species in the state. Lionfish, pythons, and green iguanas are the top three species that have caused the most damage.

Little Blue Heron. Photo: Gary Robinette/Audubon Photography Awards.

There's Still Time to Use Your Voice: Should Florida Allow Black Bear Hunt?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking Floridians to share their thoughts on whether Florida should allow hunting of black bears. At a time when other environmental issues are threatening our way of life in the Sunshine State—including invasive species, loss of habitat, and plummeting wildlife populations— the FWC has many other pressing priorities.

We need your voice. Tell the FWC that you do not support a future bear hunt, especially when there are so many other, more important problems to address first.

Click here to use your voice and write a letter to the FWC.

Black bear.

No Drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Audubon Florida celebrates President Biden's declaration making permanent the ban on oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Drilling in the Eastern Gulf has always drawn bipartisan opposition, with a history of leadership from decision-makers like Rep. Kathy Castor, Rep. Vern Buchanan, Senators Rubio and Scott, and President Trump, who in 2020 extended the expiring moratorium until 2032 during his first term in the White House. Not only does this moratorium protect the region's sensitive and valuable coastal resources and economy, it preserves the ability of Florida's military bases to continue to train and serve our country's defense.

Gulf of Mexico

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© 2025 National Audubon Society, Inc.

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