Anti-environment bills a dangerous ruse

Granted, the seven groups composing the Florida Forever Coalition have a vested interest in conserving undeveloped state land, so their latest study naturally reflects their views. The coalition backs the Florida Forever Act, which uses documentary tax-stamp fees to buy and protect environmentally valuable land.

So their report -- the Economic Benefits of Land Conservation: A Case for Florida Forever -- spells out the benefits of preservation. It may seem incongruous that the many values of preserving the natural environment aren't universally understood and accepted. Wetlands, for instance, protect our water supply, nurture marketable marine life, buffer us from hurricanes, etc. But not everyone believes this. The report is targeted to the majority of state lawmakers who, during the last special session on the economy, voted to divert 90 percent of Florida Forever funding into general revenue to help relieve the deficit. Gov. Crist, to his credit, restored the funding to the land-buying program. The governor gets it.

Generating jobs

Some examples from the report: The state's park system had an overall economic impact of $1 billion on local economies in 2007-08. More than $70 million of that went to general revenue as state sales tax. State park operations currently generate 20,100 jobs statewide. Two popular sports, hunting and fishing, brought in $8 billion in 2006 and support almost 85,000 jobs. Of course, the state's beaches are an incalculable contributor to annual tourism revenue. Even Florida's agriculture industry is boosted by being next to undeveloped, unpolluted land.

And yet, Florida's remaining open spaces and wetlands are again under assault in the Legislature. Lawmakers whose campaign coffers benefit from the construction industry's contributions want to gut the state's wetland and growth-management laws, using the recession as a pretext.

Haven't you heard? According to the lawmakers our environmental laws are a major cause of the faltering economy. So, we're seeing bills like the one passed by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week. It would upend state regulations on bulldozing wetlands. Under this bill a developer could submit an application to destroy a wetland that has been ''prepared and signed by . . . scientists, engineers, geologists, architects or other licensed professionals.'' If this application is filled out correctly and signed by the licensed professional to certify that the destruction won't lead to water-pollutions problems, it must be presumed to comply with the law and must be approved.

No scientific integrity

Would any ''licensed professional'' include a medical physician or a registered nurse? A Realtor? And what would they, or many architects, say, know about the hydrologic impacts of wetland destruction on water pollution?

Unfortunately, this bill's lack of intellectual and scientific integrity is representative of all the anti-environment legislation circulating in the Legislature this year. If passed, none of them will improve the state economy -- but they will pave over more of Florida's natural legacy.