‘A connected watershed requires a connected strategy.’
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Gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is rolling out his plan to protect waterways in Florida, both coastal and inland.
“Protecting Florida’s water is crucial to our state,” Donalds said in Pinellas County, where he announced his “Coastal Corridor” plan as a “marine equivalent” to Florida’s Wildlife Corridor.
“Where the Wildlife Corridor connects inland habitats from the north to the south, the coastal corridor links and protects our coastal waterways along the Gulf of America and the Atlantic Ocean. It connects them back to inland watersheds that feed them,” the Republican Congressman from Naples said.
Indeed, the Wildlife Corridor may be the state’s most concerted effort to protect undeveloped lands. It is a matrix of protected lands connecting core wildlife preserves throughout the state. It encompasses nearly 18 million acres of land, 10 million of which are conservation lands, stretching from the Everglades in South Florida all the way north to the Okefenokee Swamp and northwest to the tip of the Florida Panhandle.
Donalds promised that the initiative won’t bring new regulations or impose new bureaucracy, nor will it “restrict fishing and public access.” It will instead create a “coordinated operational plan” for those already in the space.
He pledged to “map with precision, using data from Florida’s Seafloor Mapping Initiative and state habitat monitors” to maximize return on investment.
He also pledged to execute “scientifically sound habitat investments by deploying artificial reefs, rebuilding oyster bars, replanting seagrass beds, restoring living shorelines, and propagating coral.”
“These projects restore fish habitats while building natural storm protection for our coastal communities,” Donalds said.
Donalds also said he would work with commercial and recreational anglers and said land conservation purchases will be “100% voluntary, working through willing sellers who want to sell easements under proven tools like Florida Forever.”
At a separate stop in St. Johns County, Donalds pledged “a new statewide restoration grant program to bring the proven Everglades model to Florida’s other iconic waters.”
“On the east coast, we’re tackling nutrient pollution to restore the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River. In the heartland of Florida, we will protect the natural flow, clarity, and health of our world famous freshwater springs. Along the Gulf, from the panhandle down to southwest Florida, we are restoring vital sea grass beds and shielding fragile coastlines,” he said.
He also promised to do more about “wastewater infrastructure.”
“Clean water starts with modern pipes and modern plants. Leaking, aging septic systems and recurring sewer overflows after heavy rains threaten our health and pollute our bays,” he said.
“Florida must become a leader in wastewater innovation. We are prioritizing funding to move vulnerable properties off of failing septic tanks and onto central sewer lines. We are helping local communities eliminate sewer overflows for good. And we are investing in the next generation treatment technologies that capture and recycle nutrients before they ever reach our waterways. Some people might say that we have to choose between the environment and our economy. But here in Florida, we know better.”
Donalds has not emphasized environmental issues much in this campaign and has been attacked by opponents in both the Primary and the General Election for advocating for data centers.
With this initiative, he is taking a page out of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2018 playbook, in which DeSantis focused on water quality, pledging to protect the environment with a plan that may appeal to swing voters who haven’t decided between him and Democrat David Jolly.
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