“If we meet in March, we'll be bringing our first round of approvals there,” Simpson said. “I believe we’ll have upwards of about $100 million that we believe, minimally, that we will bring to that Cabinet meeting and maybe more than that.”
After the proposal was rolled out, the governor’s office released a list of statements praising the spending plan. Among other things, it includes a second-term goal of spending $3.5 billion over four years on environmental projects such as restoring the Everglades and addressing water-quality problems.
Wraithmell was joined in a news release by representatives from Captains For Clean Water, The Everglades Trust and Conservation Florida. They touted funding to clean water and address environmental concerns. “I wish it were otherwise, but the governor's proposed budget looks like more of the same when it comes to water and land conservation funding,” said, executive director of Florida Conservation Voters. “His proposal would direct half of the Land Acquisition Trust fund intended by voters for water and land conservation to Everglades restoration alone.”