Florida House passes bill to add more transparency around conservation land decisions

The measure was filed in response to a controversial proposal to trade away 600 acres of wilderness preserve near St. Augustine

The Florida House unanimously passed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would shed more light on state conservation decisions after a series of recent public lands controversies gave little room for public input.

The measure, House Bill 441, would require a month’s notice when the state considers selling or trading conservation land. The bill also requires officials to explain why the land is no longer needed for conservation.

“What this bill does is make sure that Floridians do have adequate time to be able to know about the issues that are threatening the lands in their communities, and give them actual time to work on it,” said Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat from Tallahassee who co-sponsored the bill.

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