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Lawmakers Should Not Monkey With Essential Growth Tool

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 16, 2008

Once again, the Florida Legislature is fouling up growth management, this time a program that has protected natural resources and invigorated communities throughout the state.

The unnecessary meddling comes in the form of a House Environmental and Natural Resources Council bill that would strip oversight and administration of the Florida Communities Trust from the Department of Community Affairs, the state's growth management agency. The proposal would transfer the program to the Department of Environmental Protection.

The FCT is a grant program that provides an annual $66 million to counties, cities and certain non-profits for the purchase of park land and other green space that provides recreational opportunities for residents and shields sensitive areas from development. Communities put up matching dollars. It's part of the Florida Forever land preservation program.

Phase two of the Triple Creek Greenway in south Hillsborough - a 227-acre, $8.5 million project that links more than 6,000 acres of preserved land - is but one of the 19-year-old program's most recent plums.

Supporters argue that DEP receives more than $100 million a year in Florida Forever funds, so the shift is logical. But the FCT is far more than a preservation program. It is a growth tool that rightly belongs at DCA.

It provides communities incentives to strengthen local comprehensive plans, the blueprints for development. DEP does not have the resources or expertise to tie its land-conservation efforts to community plans.

Through the FCT communities can target land that will help them meet critical comprehensive plan goals, such as protecting water quality and guiding growth to areas where transportation infrastructure is planned. All this makes communities more appealing and also reduces the need for costly roads and other services in outlying areas.

Even though the state ponies up a good part of the acquisition money, local governments are responsible for managing the land, saving the state the expense. It's a very good tradeoff.

DCA Secretary Tom Pelham, who was active in the creation of the program during his first stint as department chief, stresses the FCT was created specifically as a growth management program and has been extremely successful as such.

Pelham also points out that local officials like the program and enjoy a good relationship with DCA. Last year, for example, a state survey found that 74 percent of local officials graded the administration and coordination of the FCT "excellent," with the remainder ranking it as "good."

That impressive support shouldn't be ignored.

There's also another danger. If the Legislature rips the FCT from the state's growth management arm, what would be next? Is the overall goal to completely do away with DCA? This is something that should alarm all residents who support smart growth.

This is a clear case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The unnecessary legislation should be scrapped.

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