tcpalm.com: Sen. Joe Negron said Tuesday he is working to free up state money that could be used to buy sugar land to help move Lake Okeechobee water south and reduce discharges into the St. Lucie River.
Negron, R-Stuart, said he plans to propose a measure asking the Legislature to allocate $500 million for land purchase in the state budget.
That money could be used for the 46,800 acres owned by U.S. Sugar Corp., the Florida Forever conservation land program or to expedite restoration projects, such as the C-44 Canal reservoir to clean up that flows into the St. Lucie River.
“There is a long way to go to achieve this objective,” Negron said in an emailed statement. “Once we have designated this revenue, we can then consider and evaluate all the possibilities. I remain committed to projects that will clean, store and send water south of Lake Okeechobee.”
Neither the Senate nor the House appropriated money for the sugar land in their proposed budgets.
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http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/negron-says-hes-trying-to-get-money-for-sugar-land_14239478