06-17-2008, 11:10 AM
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) unanimously passed a resolution Thursday, expressing support for proposed Constitutional Amendment 4.
<br>The amendment, to appear on the general election ballot in November, would create incentives for landowners to set aside land for conservation easements or practice proactive conservation to benefit wildlife. If 60 percent of voters approve the amendment, it will become part of the Florida State Constitution.<br>
<br>The resolution notes that Florida's population may double to 36 million people within the next 50 years. It says development will claim millions of acres of wilderness and erode the state's rich legacy of outdoor recreation if officials fail to address growth projections with wise and creative solutions.<br>
<br>""¦It is beyond the means of the government of the Great State of Florida to purchase all the natural lands that stand to be lost to development in the years to come," the resolution reads. "(Amendment 4)"¦would offer a meaningful solution to this issue."
<br>The amendment, to appear on the general election ballot in November, would create incentives for landowners to set aside land for conservation easements or practice proactive conservation to benefit wildlife. If 60 percent of voters approve the amendment, it will become part of the Florida State Constitution.<br>
<br>The resolution notes that Florida's population may double to 36 million people within the next 50 years. It says development will claim millions of acres of wilderness and erode the state's rich legacy of outdoor recreation if officials fail to address growth projections with wise and creative solutions.<br>
<br>""¦It is beyond the means of the government of the Great State of Florida to purchase all the natural lands that stand to be lost to development in the years to come," the resolution reads. "(Amendment 4)"¦would offer a meaningful solution to this issue."