Airboat Magazine

10/12/2025

03/12/2025

Hope to see everyone next weekend. Great weather forcasted and the club will be selling fantastic bbq plates. Come get some of your shopping done and have lunch.

03/12/2025

Tis the season to help🎅🤶🌲🌲 Come on out, join the ride and help us collect toys!!

02/12/2025

22/11/2025

SB 546 / HB 441 – Conservation Lands
Defending Rural Florida supports the intent of SB 546 and HB 441 to bring greater transparency to the sale or exchange of state-owned conservation lands. These bills were prompted by last year’s attempt to quietly advance a land swap involving the Guana River Wildlife Management Area, which received only ten days’ public notice. That episode made clear that Floridians deserve timely disclosure when conservation lands—purchased and protected with public dollars—are placed at risk.
While the legislation improves notice requirements and ensures that proposed disposals or exchanges are posted publicly at least 30 days in advance, it does not go far enough to safeguard Florida’s rural landscapes and conservation estate. The bills rely on the vague standard that land may be disposed of when it is “no longer needed for conservation,” yet they provide no criteria for making that determination. Without clear definitions tied to ecological function, wildlife habitat, agricultural buffering, or hydrological value, this loophole could allow the loss of lands that remain critical to the integrity of rural Florida.
Additionally, the bills do not require any mitigation or replacement when conservation land is released from protection. Once a parcel is sold or exchanged, there is no guarantee that an equivalent or greater conservation benefit will be secured elsewhere. This approach risks the steady erosion of Florida’s already limited conservation holdings.
Finally, the legislation focuses on process rather than substantive protection. While transparency is essential, it does not by itself prevent inappropriate disposals or exchanges. Stronger safeguards—such as conservation value criteria, enhanced review standards, or stricter limits on conversion to development—are necessary to ensure that conservation lands remain protected for future generations.
Defending Rural Florida urges lawmakers to strengthen SB 546/HB 441 by adding clear conservation standards and firm protections. Transparency is a step forward, but it must be paired with meaningful safeguards to ensure that Florida’s rural lands, wildlife habitats, and natural resources remain permanently protected.

18/11/2025

18/11/2025

13/11/2025