Milton resident Vernon Compton expressed support for utilizing LOST funding for land conservation
Santa Rosa County District 3 Commissioner Rhett Rowell today asked fellow commissioners to approve a plan to protect prime farmland in the northern end of the county, and the board also discussed whether or not to earmark a portion of local option sales tax (LOST) money for land conservation funding.
Santa Rosa voters on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot will be asked whether or not they support renewal of the half cent LOST. Rowell would like to see a portion of that tax, if renewed, allocated toward land conservation. The board did not take action on the matter during today’s meeting.
However, the board did move forward for a vote on Thursday’s regular agenda, to establish the Legacy Lands Protection Program, which would enable funding for permanent protection for agricultural, timber, ranch, and open-space lands through voluntary conservation easements that limit future development while keeping properties privately owned and actively managed for allowable uses (farming, ranching, timber, hunting, conservation).
Additionally, during today’s meeting, the Trust for Public Land made a presentation about a survey of county residents they recently conducted related to the upcoming LOST renewal vote.
Will Abberger, vice president of the Trust for Public Land’s national Conservation Finance Program, presented the nonprofit’s recommendations, resulting from feedback from that survey. Abberger revealed residents are concerned with development. Abberger didn’t publicly reveal the related data, but he did recommend: full disclosure of LOST spending, continuing annual LOST audits and leveraging the funding for state and federal funding.
Local watchdog Jerry Couey told the board he was one of those recently surveyed. “People are tired of sitting in traffic,” he said. “I think you would be far better served to run (LOST) as 100% for roads,” noting he does support farmland conservation using other funding sources. Couey also asked for and received a correction from Chairman Colten Wright, who recently publicly stated Couey had opposed LOST. Couey went on to say that if the board were to allocate 100% of LOST revenues toward road capacity improvements, he feels the measure would be approved by citizens. Currently around half of LOST money is used for roads.
Milton resident Vernon Compton told the board he supports using LOST funding for land conservation, stating, “Developer pressure is intensifying.” He cited statistics, pointing out that Florida is the fastest growing state in our country with 1,000 people per day moving to the state, which is losing 120 acres per day – up to ~40,000 acres per year. “Those lands are lost…We don’t have time to do nothing. We have to take those efforts now.”
Rowell said he believes the Legacy Lands Protection Programs will be “very popular,” noting he has been working with local, state and federal officials, including Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, who advised him that having such a plan with matching funding and support of specifit projects will help secure state funding for land preservation.
