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Prior to that state a c t i o n , f o r t w o d e c a d e s , r o u g h l y $ 3 0 0 m i l l i o n w a s d e d i c a t e d t o c o n - servation, including initiatives through Florida Forever and the Everglades Trust Fund. The reasoning was that development and real estate investment and speculation — as reflected by the doc stamps — should pay for preserving natural spaces, Abberger said. "Historically, even if you go back a few years, the amount of money taken from the doc stamp fund [for environmental conservation] was as high as 50 percent," Abberger added. "So we think our [current] proposal to set aside 33 percent is very reasonable." In 1990, Thaxton was part of the original group that lobbied for Preservation 2000, the predecessor to Florida Forever. "It is one of the most popular programs in Florida state government," Thaxton told the News Leader. "The public loves it. However, the Legislature year after year has seen fit to raid those funds that were promised to the citizens to be used for land conservation." Amendment 1 "does nothing but fortify the original promise made to the voters and hold the Legislature accountable for what they said they would do," Thaxton added. Since 2009, legislators have left less and less of the Florida Forever money for conserva- tion initiatives. A higher portion of the fees has been funneled into the state's general fund, and Florida Forever has been reduced to an empty shell, conservationists say. "Amendment 1 is more than Florida Forever," noted Abberger, who is also head of The Trust for Public Land's Conservation Finance Service. "Conserving lands is part of the program," he added. "But perhaps more importantly, Amendment 1 will provide protection of water qual- ity and [water] restoration projects such as the Everglades or Indian River lagoon or Sarasota Bay." A FRACTION In the 2012-13 fiscal year, a significant amount of doc stamp revenue was earmarked for just about everything except conservation. About $159.2 million, roughly 10 percent of the amount of money collected, was allocated to the state transportation fund. Another $85 million went to the state's Economic Enhancement and Development Trust Fund, while $203 million was diverted to various housing trusts. But most of the revenue — 63 percent — was funneled into the state's general fund, according to a breakdown of the doc stamp disbursements. Over the past two years, some money was returned to the Florida Forever program to make up for what had been removed, but it was a fraction of the $300 million previously set aside annually for conservation. Lawmakers in 2013 put $10 million in the program. In 2012, they established a plan to sell surplus land held by the Department of If you don't want to spend this money on land conservation as it was promised, give it back to the taxpayers. Jon Thaxton Former Commissioner Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader March 14, 2014 Page 20