Florida Legislative Session Gives Us the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good

On June 29, 2026, Governor DeSantis signed Florida’s $117.6 billion state budget for 2026–27. The final budget is smaller than last year’s, despite strong state revenue and rising costs. Legislative leaders framed the lower spending plan as a way to keep taxes low, pay down debt, and prepare for the future. 

The good news for conservation advocates: The budget includes full funding—$645 million—for Everglades restoration projects, supporting major efforts such as the EAA Reservoir, the Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area, the Western Everglades Restoration Project, the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, and the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Plan.

 The Agriculture and Environment budget totals about $8.9 billion and includes significant investments in clean water infrastructure, restoration work, and conservation programs across the state. 

Some examples include: 

• Alternative water supply projects to help meet Florida's growing water needs. 
• Springs restoration and protection. 
• Water quality improvements for Biscayne Bay, the Indian River Lagoon, and the Apalachicola region. 
• Harmful algal bloom and red tide research, management, and mitigation. 
• Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, including assistance for small and rural communities. 
• Flood resilience, sea level rise adaptation, beach renourishment, and coral reef restoration projects.

Bills That Will Help the Environment 

Conservation Lands Bill
Conservation Lands, HB 441 by Rep. Kendall (R-St. Johns) and its Senate companion, SB 546 by Sen. Mayfield (R-Melbourne), increase transparency when the state proposes to sell or exchange conservation lands. Filed in response to last year’s controversial proposal to swap land at the Guana River Wildlife Management Area, the bills require the state to give the public at least 30 days’ notice before any deal and to post key information online, including which lands are involved, how they are valued, and why the transaction benefits conservation. 

In simple terms, the legislation ensures that the state clearly explains and publicly discloses plans before making major decisions about lands that belong to the people of Florida, helping prevent rushed or behind-the-scenes deals that could permanently alter important natural areas. HB 441 was signed into law in April. 

Biosolids Bill
Biosolids, SB 1294/HB 1245 by Sen. Bradley (R-Fleming Island) and Rep. Shoaf (R-Quincy), was vetoed by Governor DeSantis. This was a very necessary bill that would have updated Florida’s rules for the use of Class AA biosolids—treated sewage sludge that is sometimes used as fertilizer on farmland. 

Class AA biosolids are a growing problem in Florida. As Class B biosolids application is phased out, the state is creating a new problem by allowing Class AA biosolids, which can carry many of the same nutrient concerns as Class B, to be applied with little regulatory control.  

The bill would have required biosolids to be applied only at agronomic rates, meaning only in amounts crops can actually use. It also would have prohibited over-application, required operators of bulk biosolids application sites to keep records for five years on the type, amount, and timing of biosolids applied, and directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to develop new rules for the distribution and marketing of these materials. 

By vetoing this bill, the Governor rejected a practical and needed step toward stronger oversight. This was a short-sighted decision that leaves Florida’s water resources and nearby communities vulnerable to continued nutrient pollution from land-applied biosolids. 

Coastal Resilience Bill Signed by Governor 

Coastal Resilience, SB 302 by Sen. Garcia (R-Miami) and HB 1035 by Rep. Mooney (R-Key Largo), strengthens protections for Florida’s aquatic preserves while allowing limited restoration work to improve coastal resilience. It restricts dredging and filling in sensitive waters, expands the use of nature-based shoreline projects like living shorelines, and directs the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create statewide rules for nature-based coastal resilience projects by 2027. 

An amendment by Sen. Boyd (R-Bradenton) adds specific protection for the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Tampa Bay, prohibiting dredging or filling there unless it is necessary for a public purpose or water quality improvement. The bill also allows limited dredging in the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve when it is needed to restore natural systems and strengthen coastal resilience.  

THE BAD 

The 2026 Farm Bill Signed by Governor
The 2026 Florida Farm Bill, SB 290, by Sen. Truenow (R-Tavares), makes changes to numerous programs within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), but unfortunately weakens key protections for Florida’s environment. 

Provisions in the bill allow conservation lands other than state parks, state forests, and wildlife management areas bought after 2023 to be reviewed for agricultural “suitability” and possibly sold off for farm use, with the state retaining a Rural and Family Lands easement to prevent future development. Sale proceeds would go to fund the FDACS' Rural and Family Lands Program instead of being returned to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida Forever program. This would create a pipeline in which some lands acquired in fee title under the Florida Forever program could be converted to agricultural use and then remain protected only by the terms of a Rural and Family Lands easement, permanently weakening Florida’s conservation system and excluding public access from lands shifted to agriculture. 

SB 290 includes an amendment by Sen. Harrell (R-Stuart) that prevents lands necessary for Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects from being considered surplus to Agriculture. Biosolids regulations are also loosened, moving toward Class AA applications without clear permits or DEP oversight, raising risks to water quality and public lands. Audubon called attention to these harmful provisions. 

On a positive note, the bill’s sponsors in both the House and the Senate made statements on the floor during debate that all such surplus decisions would be reviewed by the Acquisition and Restoration Council and could be approved only by a public vote of the Governor and Cabinet. 

Local Land Planning and Development Bill Signed by Governor 

Land Use and Development Regulations, SB 208 by Sen. McClain (R-Ocala) and HB 399 by Rep. Borerro (R-Miami), makes several changes to Florida’s growth management and land-use review process, accelerating housing development and limiting local government discretion in development decisions. It requires local governments to clearly define how they evaluate compatibility between residential uses in their comprehensive plans and land development regulations.  

Helpful amendments adopted in the Senate blunted some of the worst parts of the bill by further clarifying compatibility review standards, outlining procedures for documenting mitigation measures during development review, and reinforcing zoning parity for off-site constructed housing. 

Environmental and planning advocates have raised concerns that the bill further limits the ability of local governments to manage growth and address development impacts. By restricting how communities can evaluate compatibility and requiring approval of certain housing types in single-family areas, the measure could make it more difficult for local governments to consider infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints, and community planning goals when reviewing new development. 

Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Bill Signed by Governor
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Permits, SB 698 by Sen. Martin (R-Ft. Myers) and HB 589 by Rep. Nix (R-Port Charlotte) change how septic systems are permitted for single-family homes in Florida. Local governments can no longer require homeowners or builders to obtain a state septic system construction permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection before issuing building or plumbing permits. Instead, applicants only need to show proof that they have applied for the septic permit. 

The bill also clarifies that local septic inspection programs cannot require repairs or upgrades unless a system is actually failing, and it provides a 90-day grace period before new state septic rules apply to permit applications.

Environmental concerns: Critics warn the change could allow home construction to move forward before septic systems are fully reviewed or approved, potentially increasing the risk of poorly sited systems that contribute nutrients and pollution to Florida’s groundwater, springs, and waterways.  

The Ugly
 

While the final budget includes significant investments in some conservation priorities, including Everglades restoration and water quality, it notably neglects to provide any new dedicated funding for Florida Forever. This is the only program that creates new state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas, with the primary mission of preserving Florida's natural resources. 

Instead, the budget provides a hefty $200 million line item to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). This program of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services purchases conservation easements on working farms and ranches to prevent future development and protect agricultural landscapes.  

In addition, Section 151 of the budget sweeps unspent land acquisition funds from a prior Florida Forever appropriation. Of this funding: 

• An additional $225 million is appropriated to RFLPP for conservation easements on large agricultural properties that have not previously received funding through the program. 
• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is directed to purchase unspecified "public access conservation lands in Okaloosa County," effectively skirting the sciencebased prioritization and transparency and accountability of the Florida Forever process. 
• Any amount remaining may then be used for approved Florida Forever projects within the Caloosahatchee Big Cypress Corridor and the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, and finally for projects on the Florida Forever priority list. Of the acquisitions in this third category, the legislation requires that at least 50 percent of those remaining funds be spent on conservation easements rather than outright land purchases. Easements do not allow public access. 
• While Audubon has long supported RFLPP as an important and valuable component of Florida’s broader conservation strategy— protecting working farms and ranches through conservation easements—Florida leaders historically recognized that both programs are essential because they serve different purposes in preserving the lands and waters that define our state. Florida Forever protects irreplaceable natural landscapes from development, while RFLPP helps sustain agricultural lands and rural heritage. One cannot replace the other.  

By pitting these programs against each other, the Legislature has broken faith with the people of Florida and abandoned a longstanding bipartisan commitment to balanced conservation. 

We will continue working with elected officials, agency leaders, and conservation partners ahead of the next legislative session to ensure Floridians understand what is at stake. Protecting these lands is not only vital to our wildlife and natural heritage, but also to our economy, water quality, resilience, and quality of life for future generations.  

This article was published in the Summer 2026 Naturalist.