Surfrider Foundation's Florida network is celebrating an important win for coastal resilience, clean water, and outdoor recreation — Governor DeSantis has signed HB441 Conservation Lands into state law!
This new law improves transparency and accountability in conservation land transactions, including sales and land swaps, ensuring more informed decision-making and meaningful public engagement about Florida's treasured conservation lands.
Florida's public conservation lands — state parks, state forests, wildlife management areas, and environmentally sensitive lands — are far more than just protected green spaces. They are buffers against rising sea levels and flooding, vital natural filters for our water quality, and critical habitat for the wildlife that makes Florida extraordinary. They are also the wild, undeveloped landscapes that Floridians and visitors seek out and cherish in a state that keeps growing.
In recent years, these lands have faced real threats: reckless development plans in state parks, funding cuts, and fast-tracked land swap proposals with little public notice or transparency. Floridians pushed back — loudly and effectively — making clear that our laws must reflect the immense public interest in protecting these places.
In May 2025, 600 acres of the Guana River Wildlife Management Area, a haven of undeveloped coastal land in Northeast Florida, were proposed for exchange into private ownership. Worse, the notification came with less than a week before the state was scheduled to make a determination about the exchange. Little information was provided about the conservation purpose, the ecological trade-offs, or what would happen to the land under private ownership.
Surfrider joined partner organizations and Floridians across the state in opposing the rushed proposal. The applicant ultimately withdrew — but the episode exposed serious gaps in state law. HB441 Conservation Lands is a direct response to those gaps.
Building on the success of the State Parks Preservation Act passed in 2025, HB441 Conservation Lands— sponsored by Senator Debbie Mayfield, Representative Kim Kendall, and Representative Allison Tant — puts meaningful transparency and accountability guardrails around conservation land decisions. The law requires:
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30-day public notice before the state considers any conservation land transaction, including sales and exchanges.
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Clear statements of conservation purpose and conservation benefits for each proposed transaction.
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Published appraisals for every parcel under consideration.
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Published agency recommendations on proposed land transactions.
Surfrider's Florida network advocated for this bill throughout the legislative session, meeting with bill sponsors during Florida Healthy Beaches Day and testifying in committee. We're proud to have worked alongside a strong coalition including Audubon Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation, 1000 Friends of Florida, the Florida Springs Council, and many more. We applaud the sponsors, co-sponsors, and every legislator who recognized and acted on this urgent priority for Floridians!
This victory is worth celebrating — and it's fuel for what's next. Florida Forever, the program that acquires new conservation land across the state, is facing a serious funding shortfall. The Legislature's FY2027 proposals fall far short of both the Governor's recommended $115 million and the program's historic funding levels of $300 million.
Add your name to Surfrider's call for $100 million in Florida Forever funding in the 2026-27 State Budget. Take action here!
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