• Reversed the damage to the Florida Everglades through the creation of the Everglades Forever Act and increased funding for cleanup and preservation
• Helped to created the most aggressive statewide land acquisition program in the nation to preserve land from development
• Supported investing millions of dollars in coastline renourishment and management to protect Florida’s famous white sandy beaches
• Consistently supported legislation to promote responsible growth management and to balance growth with environmental protection by promoting the clean up of contaminated lands and the protection of rural and farm lands

Renewing and Protecting the Everglades

Jeff Atwater is deeply committed to preserving and protecting the Everglades. “The ‘River of Grass’ is a national treasure, and we’ve fought to reverse the damage of years of environmental neglect through the Everglades Forever Act,” says Atwater. The Everglades Forever Act has been hailed as the most ambitious ecosystem restoration project in the United States with a 30-year, $8 billion commitment. The results have also been clear: pollutant levels have been cut in half and water flow is beginning to resemble the Everglades of generations past.

Jeff Atwater has also championed the Florida Forever Act and Preservation 2000 to acquire lands in danger of becoming polluted or being developed. “Preserving open lands in their natural state is profoundly important to our future,” says Atwater.

Preserving the Future

Jeff Atwater recognizes that tourism is Florida’s strongest economic driver, and protecting our 1,100 miles of white sandy beaches play a large role keeping our tourism economy vital. “Nearly 86 million tourists came to Florida last year, many to enjoy the natural pristine beauty that our beaches offer, with an economic impact of over $40 billion,” says Atwater.

Says Atwater, “When you couple beach tourism with the fact that 75 percent of Floridians live within 10 miles of the beach, with thousands more making Florida their home every year, and it is obvious that the future of our beaches, and thus our state, is dependent upon our efforts to restore and protect Florida’s coastline.”

Agriculture Matters

For Jeff Atwater, Florida is still a state where agriculture matters. “We’re looking for ways to continue to long traditions of Florida agriculture. We want to help the citrus, cattle and sugar industries work in harmony with the bigger environmental picture. They play a key role in preserving open space, water quality management, as well as providing food on the table,” says Atwater.