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Money sought for Keys protections
Up to $20 million a year would be directed toward environmental projects in the Florida Keys, including the barrier reef, under a proposal filed Tuesday in the state House.
The proposal (HB 449) by Rep. Jim Mooney, R-Islamorada, would draw money from the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund, which receives real-estate tax dollars under a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at land and water conservation.
In recent years, the tax has generated about $900 million a year for the fund.
Mooney’s proposal could lead to money being used for protection and restoration of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay and nearshore marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, and to acquire land within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern.
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, R-Doral, has filed a similar proposal (SB 602) for the 2022 legislative session, which will start Jan. 11. State law already directs money from the trust fund for such things as Everglades restoration and springs protection.
