Senate To Take Up Trail, Florida Wildlife Corridor Plan
From Tampa Free Press
Article By Local - Liz Shultz, Original Publish Date: February 23, 2023
The Senate is poised to vote during the first week of this year’s legislative session on a proposal that would link a statewide hiking and biking trail network to a planned wildlife corridor.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday unanimously backed the trail proposal (SB 106), filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford.
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s office issued a news release that said the legislation “is expected to be heard during the first week of the 2023 legislative session,” which will begin March 7.
The proposal calls for a one-time $200 million expenditure to further work on the Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Network, which then-Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, led efforts to create in 2015.
It also would increase from $25 million to $50 million an annual amount that goes to the trail network from vehicle registration fees. An identical House bill (HB 915) is pending.
The wildlife corridor, which is expected to cost billions of dollars and take decades to complete, is envisioned as connecting 18 million acres of land from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle.
About 8 million of those acres need to be secured.
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