Florida’s conservation lands were bought with public dollars for one clear purpose: to protect our water, wildlife, and shared natural heritage for generations to come. Senate Bill 290 threatens to undo that promise.

Tucked inside the 2026 Florida Farm Bill is a provision that would allow state-owned conservation lands purchased since January 2024 to be reviewed for their “suitability” for agriculture—and then sold off if they pass that test. Environmental advocates warn this would fundamentally change how Florida treats conservation lands, shifting the priority away from public access, habitat protection, and watershed health.

These lands were never meant to be evaluated based on whether they could grow crops or support cattle. They were acquired to restore ecosystems like the Everglades, protect wildlife corridors, safeguard drinking water, and give Floridians places to hike, camp, and connect with nature. Once sold, even with a rural lands easement, these properties would no longer belong to the public. Recreational access could disappear, and long-term conservation goals could be compromised before permanent protections are even in place.

Groups like Audubon Florida and Sierra Club Florida have raised alarm that SB 290 centralizes land management decisions under the Department of Agriculture, weakening the rigorous, transparent process that currently governs whether conservation lands can ever be sold. That existing process requires clear proof that land is no longer needed for conservation. This bill flips that standard, putting agricultural use ahead of environmental and public benefits.

Supporters argue the bill could help ranchers and fund conservation easements, but Florida already has tools to support agriculture without selling off conservation lands the public paid to protect. Once these lands are gone, they are gone forever.

We are calling on the Florida Legislature—especially the Senate Rules Committee—and Governor Ron DeSantis to remove this provision from Senate Bill 290. Conservation lands should remain protected, publicly owned, and managed for the benefit of all Floridians, not treated as surplus property to be sold.

Florida’s future depends on clean water, healthy ecosystems, and public trust. This bill puts all three at risk. Sign to demand that Florida keep its conservation promise.