05/29/2026
Today the Florida legislature passed the 2026-2027 budget with NO new dollars for Florida Forever. Sarah Gledhill, FWF President and CEO shares this:
“Florida loses hundreds of thousands of acres to development every decade. The lands and waters that remain are where the Florida panther hangs on, where we escape to hike true wilderness, where we cast our lines, and where we pass a love of the outdoors to the next generation of Floridians. These wild spaces aren't just beautiful. They're irreplaceable.
Florida Forever was built on this understanding. Yet today, the Legislature budgeted no new dollars for it, despite various claims of adequate funding for land conservation.
And to make matters worse, swept existing Florida Forever funds into another program entirely.
Let's be clear: FWF supports the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). Florida's working farms and ranches deserve protection. RFLPP protects working Florida, while Florida Forever protects wild Florida. One cannot substitute for the other, and every Floridian who depends on healthy habitat and clean water pays the price when we pretend otherwise.
Raiding Florida Forever to fund it isn't balance. It's a false choice.
These programs were never meant to compete. They were designed to work together, but somewhere along the way that understanding got lost.
For 90 years, FWF has stood for Florida's wild spaces alongside every Floridian who believes this state's future is worth fighting for. We've seen political headwinds before. But abandoning Florida Forever while turning conservation allies into budget rivals isn't fiscal responsibility. This is a betrayal of the bipartisan conservation legacy Floridians have united behind and voted for, time and again.
We're not done. We'll be where we've always been: advocating alongside our partners, our supporters, and every Floridian who refuses to give up on wild Florida. Thank you for not giving up.”
