Lee County conservation program could face the chopping block

SANIBEL, Fla. (WINK) — Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program has helped protect thousands of acres of green space for more than two decades, but environmental advocates warn its future could be at risk if Florida voters approve a proposed change to the state’s homestead property tax system this November.

The referendum, known as Amendment 3, could reduce revenue available to local governments. Critics say that could put additional pressure on programs such as Conservation 20/20, which is already facing budget uncertainty.

“Conservation 20/20 is the conservation land acquisition program for Lee County,” said Matt DePaolis, environmental policy director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. “This is a program that's been very successful for years now.”

The program received overwhelming support when Lee County voters last approved the referendum, with 86% voting in favor.

But DePaolis said the program was not fully funded last year as Lee County faced significant costs associated with hurricane restoration.

“Conservation 2020 is a program that we're already seeing falling by the wayside in these budgetary discussions,” DePaolis said. “This is a program that wasn't fully funded last year, despite regulations requiring that program to be funded every year. This was done because the county was saying that it didn't have enough money to fund the program after hurricane restoration efforts.”

If Amendment 3 further limits the county’s available revenue, DePaolis worries conservation programs could face even greater challenges.

“We get a lot of benefit from letting lands do what they naturally want to do, whether that is wildlife habitat, storm attenuation, water filtration,” he said.

In a June 25 episode of the Talk of Southwest Florida podcast, hosted by Ed Ryan and Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers, Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass warned that programs and services could face major cuts if the amendment passes.

“Here in Lee County, you would see the 20/20 program go away, literally go away,” Pendergrass said. “You would see parks close.”

Pendergrass pointed to the program’s long history of protecting open space in Lee County.

“20/20 is a great program that's been in place for 27 years, and we preserve thousands and thousands of acres here in Lee County to preserve our green space,” he said. “And we're constantly buying property, preserving our green space to keep it from being overdeveloped, and that would go away.”

WINK News reached out to Lee County about the future of Conservation 20/20. A county spokesperson said, “Nothing has been decided yet,” adding that the county’s budget process is still ongoing.

For DePaolis, however, the uncertainty surrounding both the county budget and Amendment 3 is concerning.

“In a situation where we're already seeing maneuvering to try to remove this program, having that final budgetary restriction implemented could very likely severely hinder this program in the future,” DePaolis said.

Florida voters will decide the future of Amendment 3 when they head to the polls in November.