Florida Forever is OUT OF CASH.

[VForcedave]

The right wing nazi environmental group that uses tax payer money to secure and close Florida Lands from the public is BROKE. These wankers have closed down large tracts over the years and designate these lands as Environmental Areas for hiking, bird watching and horse back riding.
One area in particular is called The Lake Whales Ridge and runs from almost Hwy 60 all the way to Lake PLacid. Some of these lands are private, state, county, drainage lands including residential. There is no due process, vote, or public response. They just colored in the areas with a marker on a google map and put it up on their web site.
I guess there some good things coming out of these bad times we are in.       

[AintSkeered]

I think renmus tried to tell us about this last week. But, how can we be sure that they won't just turn those lands into shopping malls, now?

[indianjoe]

Florida Forever is low on cash but Natures Conservancy still has some....but that should slow things down since Natures Conservancy likes to buy it and then turn it over to Florida Forever or another state agency, and then not allow any recreation on it.

[mrbones]

Where does their money come from?

[VForcedave]

The money comes from You and I via the the Government.

[4fittyr]

money from us taxpayers  they use it to purchase land and deed to fl forever and forbid recreation activitys and 2 yrs down the road sell it to some developer and profit from it mean while hurting us. with ur stimulus check if u buy a32" tv  stimulates china's economy / including any purchase at wal mart  /if u buy a car it stimulates japans/ useless purchases for taiwan etc/ the only way to stimulate the u.s. economy is to buy at yard sales /domestic beer/ prositutes/ and tattoo palors only american business still operation to full capacity    sad  but so true

[indianjoe]

Some of their money comes from the government, the bulk comes from donations and corporate money.. look inside most Bass Pro Shops as you go in and look above you will find a Natures Conservancy sign. There are numerous cooporation that give to Natures Conservancy, they are worldwide and have alot of horsepower..much like the Sierra Club that "Realityhello"  posted about on here. I'm not saying everything they do is negative but they buy alot of land and then lock it down.

Here is their web site:

http://www.nature.org/?src=t1

[VForcedave]

Thanks for the web site IJ. These guys are loaded and Liberal (are we allowed to say liberal in this forum?).

I was riding in a area in Highlands County that had been a riding area for locals for generations. They came out one day and posted signs on the trails saying NO ANYTHING ALLOWED. After a couple weeks the signs slowly came down. I happened to be riding there one Sunday in the Jeep when out pops the FWC guy pissed off because he had to to work that day and he wrote me an Arrest Citation. These are not regular tickets, they are for real. Since that day no one has been cited and riding is back to normal. Thats is why I feel the way I do about these people in regards to our freedoms and rights. We have to protect ourselves.       

[Anoriginal]

Florida Forever gets an large, earmarked amount of money every year. Unless there's been a change, they will get their money again this year.

What's the story on the out of cash reports? I am certainly interested.

[indianjoe]

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jan/09/state-money-land-buys-and-environmental-projects-c/

[AintSkeered]

How come we call conservationists "liberals", call larger shrimp Jumbo shrimp and call 1/4 of a pie a whole half, etc.? Why aren't advocates of sharing public lands by all users called liberals(as in share the wealth)?

[Mudneck]

Is that like taking a dump or leaving a dump......

With all the agencies strapped for cash I don't see them getting much.Locking up land for bird watchers is far down the list from municipal improvement projects and plain survival.If those dumb tree huggers had saved their cash they could acquire twice as much land @ today's prices...

[renmus]

I surely hope they have enough sense to put education ahead of birds.  You never know, these are politicians and it all depends on who they owe.

[gery350]

check out a movie called "the happening" ang get back to me.










i say we strike first, and dont give dem dear trees a chance.
we'll call it "operation dont give dem dear trees a chance-storm"

[GrizzlyBear]

Florida Forever is funded by $300 million from the Florida Legislature every year.  The special session last week took away whatever money they had not spent to use for the budget shortfall.  Not all of the purchases are used to take the land and totally preserve it.  If groups get together to see that riding ares are included in the areas, they can be.  Currently the Baker County project that will open in 2010 has Florida Forever money in it.  Also, not all of the Nature Conservancy money takes land out of use.  In Santa Rosa County, the Nature Conservancy purchased land bothering Whiting Field to stop development of housing adjoining the training facility of 90% of the Navy Helicopter pilots in America. A project is now in the works to open a new riding area at that facility. This project will have T. Mark Schmidt funds also.  The major purpose of the Nature Conservancy is to buy and hold land until another governmental agency can find the funds to purchase it.  

When you are looking for future riding lands, do not condemn these agencies.  It is there money that will be utilized to buy the necessary land.

[gery350]

grizzlybear,
i am in no way the authority in conservation funds/program develepment.
but when you use words like "can be" and "is in the works" sounds like alot of political double talk. the bottom line is we are the enemy and they can care less about us.
yes i dont show support by going to all these "meetings"; which all have the same result, so i am not one to talk. i guess i am using my freedom of speech right(until it is taken away).
all they hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. like many have said we are the minority and majority rules.
please dont take this personnal grizzly. i am in no way addressing this to you.
gery

[VForcedave]

I will be riding illegally this weekend according to the Fags Forever and the Natures Consuckancy! Although according to my maps, Its all good riding. For those of you that think i am giving the ATV community a bad name too bad. I was here before they were.

[Bigscrb15]

Another article in the the local paper this morning.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20090412/NEWS/904139995/1410?Title=State-May-Pull-Plug-On-Florida-Forever

[AlterEgo]

Not sure what's happened since this news. http://www.news-press.com/article/20090416/NEWS01/904160348/1075

Anyone heard what happened last Friday when/if they put the amendment up to a measure in committee?

[Stewards]

The Coalition for Recreational Trails needs your help to ensure the Recreational Trails Program is included in the next authorization. Visit our Recreational Trails Program page to sign on to a letter in support of preserving and growing this program, and visit our on reauthorization of transportation funding area to learn more about these vital programs.

"What will happen in your state if RTP disappears? Now is the time to think about it."

http://americantrails.org/resources/opinion/state-trail-programs-funding-federal%20recreational-macdonald.html