Florida's Conservation Billions Meet Developer Pressure

Florida’s administration secured nearly $9.5 billion for water quality and Everglades restoration and acquired more than half a million acres for conservation, while development pressures and water demands remain central issues in the governor’s race. The state and federal governments accelerated the EAA Reservoir’s completion by five years; it’s scheduled to be finished by 2029. Candidates say they’ll continue parts of the conservation agenda, but differ over development rules, data centers and the agencies that oversee wildlife.

Public Spending, Unfinished Work

The EAA Reservoir, south of Lake Okeechobee, is a multibillion-dollar project intended to improve the quantity and quality of water flowing to the Everglades and Florida Bay while reducing harmful discharges to south Florida estuaries. Gov. Ron DeSantis has called it the “crown jewel” of restoration. At a Cabinet meeting in late September, he said, “I don't think we're going to need to spend what I've spent on the Everglades, because we've gotten so much done,” and added that state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert “may have something to say” about it.

Gil Smart, executive director of VoteWater, said the reservoir’s completion could allow DeSantis’ successor to declare restoration finished. “If you take the view that that is the final piece of the puzzle, then once it's done, you can stand atop it, wave the flag, and say we did it,” Smart said. “But you have to look at what the system is doing at that point too.” Environmental advocates said the reservoir and related projects won’t resolve all of Florida’s water problems. They said the next governor would need to address nutrient pollution and consider acquiring more land for water storage and treatment.

In 2018, toxic blue-green algae covered Lake Okeechobee, while red tide washed dead fish, sea turtles and dolphins onto beaches. Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the nonprofit Everglades Foundation, said water and algae were prominent concerns in that year’s governor’s race. Pat Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, said DeSantis “did not ignore it” and “certainly didn't shirk from it.”

Development and Local Control

Residents have raised concerns about development in formerly rural areas, congestion, and the water and electricity demands of data centers. Haley Busch, outreach director with 1000 Friends of Florida, said residents were discussing “seeing their Old Florida disappear.” She said data-center proposals in rural areas had mobilized residents concerned about long-term planning.

Democrat David Jolly has pledged to pause hyperscale data-center construction and unwind some development laws passed under DeSantis. One law, passed in 2025, restricts local governments from imposing development regulations after a hurricane. Jolly also criticized the Live Local Act, which was designed to deliver more affordable housing. “Live Local and other acts were designed to deliver more affordable housing, it hasn't,” he said. “What we have seen is it's a giveaway to developers that have built the million-dollar condos and disrupted communities. It hasn't impacted workforce and affordable housing.”

Jolly said he would continue Everglades restoration and expand Florida Forever. He would also consider “nearly wholesale replacing” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, whose members he described as “developers and trophy hunters.” A governor’s new appointees to the commission would require state Senate approval.

Candidates’ Promises and Constraints

GOP Rep. Byron Donalds said he would protect natural resources from data centers and overdevelopment. Critics have faulted him for accepting millions of dollars from real estate and data-center interests. At an event where the Everglades Trust endorsed him, Donalds said he would continue state funding for restoration and that “our goal is to be done over the next four years,” followed by a management phase. “It's not just about finishing the work, it's about maintaining it, managing it, so it can continue to be beautiful,” he said. His campaign spokesperson did not respond to questions before publication.

DeSantis also signed a law establishing a program to make coastlines and inland waterways more resilient to sea-level rise, while opposing what he called “radical climate agendas.” His press secretary, Molly Best, cited Everglades restoration, water quality, Florida Forever, coastal resilience projects and the removal of fluoride from public drinking water. Best said DeSantis had prioritized natural resources, recognizing their link to “Florida's environment, our economic competitiveness, and quality of life.”

The candidates’ proposals leave restoration, development controls and public oversight at the center of the contest. Nick Wiley, former executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Govs. Charlie Crist and Rick Scott and now head of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, said balancing growth and environmental management had “never been more front and center than it is right now.” He said future governors would have to embrace environmental leadership because it was a “core Florida” value.