FILE PHOTO Florida representatives greet each other on the house floor prior to the start of a special session.

By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm

TALLAHASSEE — The Legislature hasn't changed its mind on how to use land and water conservation money, despite cries from conservation groups that Amendment 1 not be used for routine expenses as it was last year.

Budget proposals released by the House and Senate Friday show about $200 million from Amendment 1 going into salaries, benefits, insurance costs and vehicle purchases. The Legislature's use of the money from the voter-approved measure for such purposes last session is the target of two lawsuits filed by environmental groups, who say lawmakers violated the law.

Those expenditure this year include more than $7 million the Senate wants to give for administrative and executive salaries at the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and $2.5 million for salaries at the historic resources division of the Department of State.

The Florida Forever program, which buys land for parks and habitat conservation, got $22.3 million from the Senate and $15.1 million from the House. That's a disappointment for environmentalists who hoped the Legislature would boost funding from the $17.4 million allocated last year.

A coalition of environmental and civic groups drafted Amendment 1 because of cuts to Florida Forever, which used to get roughly $300 million per year until the economic recession. Voters passed the amendment to set aside one-third of real estate transaction tax revenue to buy, restore and improve land and water resources.

Republican Senate President-elect Joe Negron of Stuart said he expects Florida Forever funding to increase as the House and Senate begin to negotiate a final budget, but he didn't know how much the final figure could be.

"I think the funding in the Senate budget is a good start but I think we need to increase it," he said.

ON THE PLUS SIDE

The House and Senate set aside money to hire eight new employees at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and implement the so-called "best management practices," which are pollution-reduction measures farmers have to implement around Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River. That money is crucial to enforce a controversial law Gov. Rick Scott signed last week that changes how the state regulates pollution in the lake from a permitting program to a cleanup plan that relies heavily on these best management practices, such as reducing fertilizer.

The Everglades restoration also likely will get a boost this year even though the House and Senate are far apart in money for restoration — $198 million from the House and $82 million from the Senate.

A bill filed by Negron and backed by Republican House Speaker Steve Crisafulli to dedicate the lesser of $200 million or 25 percent of Amendment 1 money to restoration has good chances of becoming law because of leadership support. Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, also is sponsoring the legislation, which gives priority to projects that reduce Lake Okeechobee discharges into the St. Lucie River.

Negron said he plans to file a budget amendment to set aside about $13 million — $5.5 million of which would be recurring for 10 years — for the Caulkins Citrus Co. water farm in Indiantown, which pumps and stores water from the C-44 Canal that otherwise would flow into the St. Lucie River. The money will expand the project from 414 acres to 3,000 acres and will hold 30 billion gallons of water per year when completed, Negron said. He also will seek money for the St. Lucie River Issues Team, which recommends projects to restore the estuary.

The House and Senate have until the end of session on March 11 to negotiate and pass a final state budget. Here are other Treasure Coast-related projects that made into the budget:

Rural and Family lands program, which pays farmers not to develop their land

House: $35 million

Senate: $0

Veterans nursing home construction in St. Lucie County

House and Senate: $6.7 million

Water farming, the practice in which the state pays ranchers to hold water on their land that otherwise would flow into and pollute estuaries

Senate: $5 million

House: $9 million

Treasure Coast International Airport expansion in St. Lucie County

Senate: $2 million

House: $0

Maintenance of Kilroy sensors, which monitor pollution in the main canals and tributaries along the Indian River Lagoon

House and Senate: $250,000

HANDS of St. Lucie County, a clinic that serves low-income uninsured patients

Senate: $700,000

House: $0

Literacy Jump Start Program in St. Lucie County, a five-year pilot program in its second year to teach at-risk children literacy skills

House and Senate: $110,000