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Senator Jason Brodeur Files Legislation to Expand Access to Florida’s Wildlife Corridor

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –State Senator Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford) today filed Senate Bill 106, Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized Trail Network. The legislation expands access to Florida’s Wildlife Corridor, connecting the iconic corridor to Florida’s Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network, as well as recreational pathways to heritage small towns across Florida.

“Fifty years from now our children and grandchildren will say that the greatest thing the Florida Legislature did in the 2020’s was the expansion of the Wildlife Corridor and the preservation of millions of acres of farmland and ranch land for conservation. It will be our Central Park,” said Senator President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), who has prioritized expanding the Wildlife Corridor during her two-year term as Senate President. “I envision Florida’s Wildlife Corridor as a top destination for bikers, runners, and other visitors. Expanding access, where appropriate, will allow the public to see the wonder, beauty, and importance of preserving these areas.”

Florida’s Wildlife Corridor encompasses approximately 17 million acres, including almost 10 million acres of conservation lands. The corridor is being created through the state’s purchase of development rights of farmers, ranchers, and other landowners who will be able to continue their operations in perpetuity and the lands will never be developed.

“Over the last two years, the Legislature has prioritized $600 million for the preservation and expansion of Florida’s iconic wildlife corridor,” said Senator Brodeur who serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. “By connecting the corridor to our trail system, more people across our state and around the world can experience Florida’s unique natural habitat at its finest, with the added benefit of connecting athletes and tourists with trail towns across Florida’s heartland.”

The Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Program, a priority of former Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando), was created in 2015 to support the establishment of a statewide system of interconnected multi-use trails for bicyclists and pedestrians through coordination between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The program receives funding from a portion of the existing fees paid when new vehicle registration fees are paid. The FDOT also dedicates other resources, such as federal grant funds, when available, to build bike and pedestrian trails that are part of the SUN Trail Network.

SB 106 formally connects the corridor to the state trail system, extending the SUN Trail Network to lands of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which will include components that connect to nature trails, loop trails, or other points of public access wholly within a single park or natural area as potential parts of the SUN Trail Network. To fund expansions that connect the SUN Trail to the corridor, as well as the construction of shared-use nonmotorized trails in these areas, the bill increases from $25 million to $50 million the annual amount allocated to the SUN Trail Network from motor vehicle registration fees. The bill also appropriates $200 million from the General Revenue Fund to the FDOT as a nonrecurring major investment to boost the planning, design, and construction of the SUN Trail Network. The legislation also codifies an existing campaign of the FDEP to recognize communities located along or in proximity to long-distance nonmotorized recreational trails as “Trail Towns,” with guidance to Visit Florida for promoting trail-based tourism.

The bill requires that trail projects located within the Wildlife Corridor, to the greatest extent possible, use previously disturbed lands, such as abandoned roads and railroads, utility rights-of-way, canal corridors and drainage berms, and permanent fire lines. Further, FDOT is directed to minimize gaps between trail segments and to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that local support exists for projects and trail segments, including the potential for dedication of local funding and of contributions by sponsors to support trail maintenance, which may include those private landowners who make their land, or property interests in such land, available for public use as a trail.

North Florida News

Senator Ileana Garcia Marks the Grand Opening of Mia Casa

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North Miami–State Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami), Chair of the Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, today attended the grand opening of Mia Casa, a dedicated site for homeless seniors. During the 2022 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature, Senator Garcia worked to secure a $1.75 million appropriation to aid in the construction of Mia Casa. State Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera (R-Coral Gables) sponsored the appropriation in the Florida House.

“I am so proud to have played a role in securing funding for Mia Casa. 39 percent of those experiencing homelessness on our streets are senior citizens. I see this every day and regularly engage with individuals experiencing homelessness to better understand their stories and to see what can be done to help them. Housing is a big part of the solution,” said Senator Garcia. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Miami-Dade County and the Homeless Trust on preventing and ending homelessness in our community.”

“Our seniors built the thriving communities where we now live, work and raise our families, and they deserve to live out their golden years in comfort and safety, surrounded by important support systems. I am so pleased that we could play a role in the funding for Mia Casa, and appreciate Senator Garcia’s advocacy in bringing this important project forward. Senator Garcia is a champion of our seniors and as Chair of the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, she is constantly seeking innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples).

On April 24, 2020, in preparation for and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust began operating a housing site in North Miami for senior citizens experiencing homelessness who were at high risk of serious illness from the virus.

Dubbed Mia Casa, more than 600 seniors have passed through its doors over the past three years. Senator Garcia secured a $1.75 million special appropriation to assist Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development and the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust with the purchase of a dedicated, permanent site for Mia Casa.

The Homeless Trust purchased the property on January 31, 2023. A former Assisted Living Facility, the property has 65 rooms, and currently houses 120 senior citizens. The Homeless Trust funds the operations of the facility. Mia Casa allows for the quick placement of seniors from the streets, and the Homeless Trust works to bridge seniors living there to other housing in the community.

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Senator Linda Stewart joins Senator Jim Boyd in co-sponsoring SB 724: Seagrass Restoration

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Florida State Senator Linda Stewart speaks during a committee hearing at the State Capitol. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News

Tallahassee, FL – Senator Linda Stewart (D – Orlando) is joining Senator Jim Boyd (R – Bradenton) by co-sponsoring SB 724: Florida Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative.

This bill creates a Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative within the Department of Environmental Protection. This Initiative’s purpose is to help expedite the creation of new technologies and approaches to help restore coastal seagrass ecosystems and establishes an advisory council consisting of experts to oversee the implementing of these efforts.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, seagrass is a vital part of a healthy marine ecosystem by helping maintain water quality, provide food and habitat for marine organisms, and supporting local economies.

The seagrass restoration initiative must submit an annual report to the governor and help with the creation of a 10 year restoration plan to implement technologies developed under the initiative.

“Protecting Florida’s natural resources has always been a priority of mine and this bill will improve the quality of our water, restore marine life, and keep our coastlines healthy,” said Stewart.

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Florida State Senator Rosalind Osgood Responds to Nashville’s Deadly School Shooting

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Tallahassee, FL – In response to yesterday’s tragic event that occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, Senator Rosalind Osgood (D-Broward County) released the following statement:

“Yesterday, we again experienced the undeniable deep feeling of sorrow caused by another school shooting. If only this and other acts of mass murder did not happen. But the reality is that we live in a time when death and attacks on the innocent has become all too routine. Too many of our schools, churches, clubs, grocery stores, and neighborhoods have been shooting galleries over the past years.

Homicide, murder, and suicide by firearms are the highest cause of death for our nation’s children and youth.

For every responsible gun user there is three times as many irresponsible gun users. There is an evident need for gun law reform. If we fail to ignore this problem, more lives will be lost.”

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