By Joe Murphy
Many Floridians have voiced, with passion and profound disappointment, their frustration and outrage that the Florida Legislature failed to put new funding into the Florida Forever land acquisition program during the 2026 legislative session.
Despite amazing collective efforts including thousands of letters, phone calls, videos and texts, Floridians did not gain the outcome we wanted. It stings. It is breathtakingly wrong. Floridians feel this loss deeply.
Today, though, is a new day and offers a new opportunity to seek the conservation of wild Florida. Let us begin anew with a focus on 2027. The effort to ensure full funding for Florida Forever in the 2027 legislative session begins now.
Before Floridians engage in this renewed noble effort to protect wild places, let us celebrate the voice that the public gave to wild Florida during the 2026 legislative session. Every citizen and constituent who contacted legislators reminded them that those who love Florida and spend time in wild Florida support conservation, and are paying attention. That matters.
There were other conservation causes and legislation that were successful and benefited from the attention that citizens gave Florida Forever. The collective efforts of thousands of Floridians had real and profound value in that moment. Your efforts laid the foundation for future victories.
Floridians are hearing a lot of conversation and discussion from candidates in the 2026 governor’s race about growth management, conservation, appointments of qualified candidates to commissions and governing boards, preserving old Florida, protecting water, and preserving open and green space. This is wonderful and welcome.
Your efforts and voices remind candidates that these issues matter to voters. If you were not talking about it, they would not be talking about it.
Floridians need to ensure that the 2026 Florida elections in November are transformational. The very future of Florida’s natural resources are at stake. Floridians need to vote that way.
So, what should be done next to support Florida Forever? How can Floridians ensure victory for Florida Forever in the 2027 legislative session? These suggestions are mine and are driven by what I plan on doing next. I urge you to consider using them, to seek better ones or to come up with your own. Regardless, act.
Use your time and voice going forward, in all things related to public discourse, to promote public conservation lands. A simple message: Buy them, manage them, protect them. Repeat.
Bring it back to public lands. Bring it back to Florida Forever and the battle for 2027 funding. Fidelity, consistency and commitment can produce results.
Contact your legislative delegation in your district this week, as a constituent, and express your frustration with the lack of new funding for Florida Forever. Do so politely and firmly. Tell them you expect more from them. Tell them they need to redeem themselves in 2027. They need to know that we are not going anywhere.
Encourage local conservation groups in your community to do the same. Join them, attend their outings, go to their meetings and enjoy the fellowship of others who love wild Florida.
The most important thing is to get outside into the nature you seek to protect! Go forth into the wilderness and seek inspiration. Bring friends and family, bring pencil and paper, bring an open heart and an open soul. Take pictures.
Then go home and create artifacts of your experience — a poem, an essay, a picture, artwork, a story, a video, a blog post. Connect with nature by connecting with your creativity and sense of place.
Share what you create. Title your creations, “This is Why We Need to Fully Fund Florida Forever in 2027.” Send it to your legislators, the Florida Cabinet, the media, Florida’s public lands agencies, the conservation groups you belong to and everyone you know. Do it repeatedly.
This will do two essential things. First, it will bring you joy and be good for your body and soul. Second, our elected officials will hear about this on a regular basis as we build the gradual drumbeat of conscience that will lead to victory in 2027.
Floridians can get full funding for Florida Forever in 2027 because of you, acting now and acting with purpose. See you out there!
Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Floridian who lives in Brooksville. You can follow him on Facebook at https://bit.ly/joemurphyfacebook. Banner photo: A sunrise hike at a wildlife management area in Central Florida (iStock image).
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