Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:47.639> raging shelter them from the fires raging shelter them from the fires raging
• fleeing a climate change driven fire fleeing a climate change driven fire that's<00:29:12.720>
• My county's up north, Camp Fire, Dixie Fire, 1 million acres, and now it's hitting the constituents of
• My county's up north, Camp Fire, Dixie Fire, 1 million acres, and now it's hitting the constituents of
• <05:47:53.840> service when he first joined the fire service when he first joined the fire

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• there will also be a push to, um, from some, some of the federal agencies to begin helping clear our forests
• the timber industry, maybe indirectly the hunting industry, um, based on the mismanagement of our forests
• If we have a fire, it's not going to matter if it starts on federal land, comes over into state land,
• I have got Sapola National Forest, and it's, if that catches on fire, it'd be devastating to my area.
• take care of that forest.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fee simple acquisitions are our state parks, our state forests, and our wildlife management areas.
• Stretching from Ocala National Forest to Osceola National Forest, the OTO is a 100-mile-long, 1.6-million-acre
• forest system.
• The ban does not apply to emergency use to prevent or respond to a fire.
• We have 30 fire training facilities, former and current.

Summary: The committee first received a Department of Environmental Protection presentation on Florida Forever and the sale or exchange of conservation lands. DEP described Florida Forever as the state’s main conservation land acquisition program, funded in recent years at high levels, and said most acquisitions since 2019 have been within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The presentation also explained the legal process for disposing of conservation lands: requests are reviewed by the Acquisitions and Restoration Council, then the governor and cabinet decide whether land is no longer needed for conservation or whether an exchange provides a net conservation benefit. Senator Smith asked several questions about recent land-swap proposals, public notice, political influence, and whether any transactions had bypassed the usual sequence; DEP said applications can be withdrawn before ARC review, notice is posted seven days in advance, and the council and cabinet are the decision-makers. Senator Harrington asked about the difference between Florida Forever land sales and water management district surplus lands, and DEP said the reported 2.3 acres sold referred only to Florida Forever-funded projects. The committee then heard presentations from the Department of Health and DEP on PFAS and PFOA. DOH outlined what PFAS are, their common uses, possible health impacts, and ways Floridians can reduce exposure, including water filtration and avoiding certain products. DOH said it conducts well investigations, health consultations, fish consumption advisories, and monitoring in coordination with DEP and FWC. DEP followed with a more technical overview of PFAS regulation and cleanup, explaining federal testing and drinking-water standards, Florida’s provisional cleanup levels, and the state’s response at contaminated sites, including bottled water and filtration for affected residents. Senators asked about testing requirements for public systems and private wells, disposal of used filters, and how federal rulemaking and litigation could affect Florida’s standards; DEP said public systems are required to test under EPA monitoring rules, private wells are not directly required to test, and Florida may adopt its own standards if federal action does not occur by the statutory deadline. Finally, the committee took up SB 150, which would designate the flamingo as the state bird and the scrub jay as the state songbird. The sponsor argued the bill better reflects Florida’s identity and conservation values, noting the flamingo’s iconic status and the scrub jay’s status as a Florida-only species. Members asked lighthearted questions about mockingbirds, flamingo color, and feeding costs, and an appearance card was filed in support by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The committee debated the bill briefly and then passed SB 150 favorably by roll call vote, with all members present voting yes except Senator DiCeglie, who was excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• Microgrids, like community-based microgrids, focus on hospitals, police stations, fire stations, kind
• The areas in red are high-fire threat districts where, in the event of extreme weather, it is unsafe
• Back in 2008, we had a pretty healthy kelp forest along the coast of your district, number two.
• and other seaweed forests across the Pacific.
• And we've done..." "...those problems to regenerate kelp forests and other seaweed forests across the

Summary: The Select Committee on Climate Innovation and Infrastructure held a hearing focused on emerging technologies for climate resilience and infrastructure. The first panel discussed the Calistoga Resiliency Center, a utility-driven microgrid that keeps the city powered during public safety power shutoffs using hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and liquid hydrogen storage. PG&E described microgrids as a resilience tool but emphasized that cost remains the main barrier to wider deployment. Energy Vault explained the project’s design, its ability to provide at least 48 hours of backup power on a small parcel of land, and its use of green hydrogen and battery storage to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. A Calistoga councilmember and NCPA representative also discussed the Lodi Energy Center hydrogen project, saying it could help decarbonize power generation and transportation, but that federal and state funding changes, tax credit timing, and other policy shifts have made the project difficult to advance. The Green Hydrogen Coalition supported the Calistoga model as a blueprint and urged policy changes to create demand and reduce barriers for renewable hydrogen, including addressing behind-the-meter rules and recognizing hydrogen in state energy planning. The second panel focused on water resilience and desalination, with the California Desal Association and Oneka Technologies discussing wave-powered desalination for the City of Fort Bragg. Cal Desal said California’s changing hydrology, reduced snowpack, and drought conditions make local water supply options increasingly important, but noted that conventional desalination is expensive and slow to permit. Oneka described its offshore, wave-powered system as a zero-electricity desalination technology that produces drinking water without greenhouse gas emissions and with limited land use, and said the Fort Bragg pilot is intended to demonstrate the technology under California conditions. The company and Cal Desal both stressed that permitting is a major obstacle, with the project requiring multiple agencies and a timeline far longer than in other jurisdictions. They also said the technology’s autonomous operation could improve water resilience because it does not depend on the electrical grid. The final panel featured the Climate Foundation’s marine permaculture proposal, which aims to restore kelp forests and support carbon removal and coastal food systems. The presenter said warming oceans and nutrient loss have devastated kelp forests along the California coast and argued that offshore platforms that raise and lower seaweed to access nutrients and sunlight could help regenerate ecosystems while producing food, feed, fertilizer, and carbon benefits. He said the technology has shown strong growth rates and storm resilience in other regions, but that California permitting remains a major hurdle, involving 17 state and federal agencies. He proposed a streamlined, code-based permitting approach for smaller projects and said the group is seeking matching funds to complete a first California pilot. Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses repeatedly highlighted the tension between innovation and the high cost, complexity, and length of California’s permitting and funding processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's forest restoration, habitat, or potentially acquisition of forest lands.
• But all of these are forests, so most of them are going to take place either in the Northern Forest zone
• related it's Forest they're all forest related it's Forest restoration<00:08:50.399> habitat<
• bottom that itasa County Memorial Forest bottom that itasa County Memorial Forest project<00:09:
• <00:09:07.760> up to acquire some lands for a forest up to acquire some lands for a forest

Bills: HF1250

Keywords: outdoor heritage, land acquisition, wildlife management, conservation easements, environmental restoration, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service was able to acquire.
• The Forest Service now manages that land.
• fires that kill us.
• were supporting fire or being threatened by fire.
• Supporting fire or being threatened by fire.

Transcript Highlights:

• As well as fire protection.
• and a post-fire flood.
• Flood, and these post-fire floods happen again and again and again.
• It's frightening if that ever catches on fire.
• They've had fires in Montana before, so I want to be more preventative.

Transcript Highlights:

• Taos Pueblo has utilized the Tribal Forest Protection Act to network with state forestry.
• And uh within the Forest Service and our Taos Fire Department they were able to put it out within probably
• But again, these are Areas of concern we attained lands from the Carson National Forest.
• I'm from a coal-fired power plant family.
• So the the coal fired power plants at, at Escalante came on, our rates went up 33%.

Transcript Highlights:

• know they're all drinking from a fire know they're all drinking from a fire hose<01:46:56.040>
• He's our state forester and oversees the Division of Forest and Lands.
• We have one of the largest state forests we have in the south, the Pisgah State Forest.
• We are working on a 5,000-acre Forest Legacy project. We partner with the U.S. Forest Service.
• Forest Service and provide that to the communities so they're well equipped to fight rural fires, which

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority officials, led by Executive Director Rob Dapice, briefed legislators on the agency’s structure and funding. They explained that the authority is created by state law but is not a state agency, its debt is not state debt, and it is governed by a board appointed by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. The discussion focused on the Affordable Housing Fund and the lead paint hazard remediation fund, including how state appropriations and federal resources are combined to finance affordable rental housing and lead abatement work. Dapice said the Affordable Housing Fund is used as gap financing for multifamily affordable housing projects, typically alongside federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, and that state dollars leverage roughly 2:1 to 10:1 in additional federal and private investment, averaging about 4:1. He said the fund has received historic appropriations in recent budgets, including $30 million over the last two biennial budgets and an annual $5 million set-aside from the real estate transfer tax. He also said the fund is usually structured as 0% interest, deferred loans rather than grants, with repayments returning to the fund if projects generate cash flow. Members asked about rents, oversight, staffing, revenues, and whether the programs had added positions. Dapice said affordability restrictions generally last 30 to 99 years, rents are tied to income limits and capped so tenants pay no more than 30% of income, and compliance staff inspect properties regularly to verify income eligibility and rent limits. He said the organization has about 130 to 135 employees, down from about 145, with no new positions added because of the appropriations. He estimated total revenues at roughly $300 million, with administrative budget around $22 million, much of it pass-through grant money. On lead paint remediation, he said the state first appropriated $6 million in 2019, plus $1 million in ARPA funds, and that the program has cleared more than 500 units. He said the federal grant program is not annual or predictable, with a recent award of about $7.75 million, and that the maximum federal grant per unit is $177,000, typically paired with up to $100,000 in state loan support. He also noted that the program can address homes before a child is poisoned if lead hazards are identified, but that cases involving an already exposed child are a higher priority. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, and here I am.
• Fires they've had in California, that impacts our GDP.
• We saw what happened then because of the problem that there was with the devastating forest fires.
• To do things that they need to do before fires, after fires, to recover, to mitigate what is happening
• They've had fires; they haven't had that kind of fire that almost took out the whole village.

Transcript Highlights:

• The hunters were, of course, the court sided on behalf of the Forest Service.
• But as part of this lawsuit, it went to the Forest Service supervisor in Atlanta.
• The hunters were, of course, the court cited on behalf of the Forest Service.
• I've talked to my fire chief.
• He said basically if it catches on fire, there would be no way to put it out.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of natural resources, wildlife, environmental, and infrastructure measures. HCR 79 by Chairman Butler, which memorializes Congress and the U.S. Forest Service to allow dog hunting in Kisatchie National Forest, drew testimony in support from hunters and a former NRCS official describing it as a rural Louisiana tradition, and opposition from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, which said it supported hunting with dogs generally but opposed the deer/hog hunting portions while favoring the recovery-of-wounded-deer component. The committee reported HCR 79 favorable. It also reported favorable on SB 419, allowing pre-charged pneumatic devices for deer during primitive firearms season, and on SCR 29, creating a study committee on Atchafalaya Basin water quality and sediment impacts, and SB 111, setting black bass and crappie bag and size limits in the basin, with Wildlife and Fisheries saying it would monitor the effects through sampling and creel data. Several resolutions and bills focused on environmental management and state property. SB 174 authorized transfer of certain state property in Caddo Parish from Louisiana Tech University to the Caddo Parish School Board and was reported favorable. SB 189, a preemptive ban on intentional release or dispersion of fuels or chemicals to affect temperatures, was also reported favorable after discussion of geoengineering-related additives. SB 99, which updates DEQ communications to allow optional electronic notices for permits and public notifications, was supported by DEQ and reported favorable. HCR 104, from Rep. Coates, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and recommend improvements to subsurface data collection and access; testimony described efforts to modernize core and well-log records and build a statewide 3D subsurface model, and the resolution was reported favorable. The committee also considered river, boating, and wildlife-related measures. SB 331 would temporarily remove portions of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act for five years to allow work on the lower Pearl River, including dredging and channel realignment, while prohibiting commercial development and reservoir construction; environmental groups opposed it as a bad precedent and urged a shorter sunset, but the bill was reported favorable. HCR 54 urged a federal study of flooded corn and migratory waterfowl behavior and was reported favorable after support from the Flyway Federation and Louisiana Wildlife Federation. HCR 94 would require annual Wildlife and Fisheries reports on boating safety data, and HCR 87 expressed support for a U.S. senator’s correspondence on migratory flyways; both were reported favorable. SB 505, dealing with the Motor Fuels Underground Storage Tank Trust Dedicated Fund, was reported favorable after testimony that it would expand grant capacity, create a two-cycle application process, and address LLC-related issues. The committee also advanced several measures on public policy and cleanup issues. HCR 85 created a task force on illegal dumping; after amendments added Keep Louisiana Beautiful and the Louisiana Police Jury Association, members discussed statewide tire dumping problems, DEQ staffing, and cleanup funding, and the resolution was reported favorable as amended. HR 216, as substituted, was changed from a repudiation of the Louisiana Climate Action Plan to a resolution authorizing the committee to hold a hearing and receive input from agencies and stakeholders on the plan; after reconsideration and adoption of the substitute amendment, it was reported favorable. One item, SB 243, was voluntarily deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Madam Co-Chair, as you know, I live in one of the fire zones.
• My county has experienced fires, but since 2021, not one of these wells has appeared in my county.
• Transfer to assist in advancing the Private Forest Accord Aquatic Habitat Conservation Plan.
• Fish and Wildlife Service to assist in advancing the Private Forest Accord Aquatic Habitat Conservation
• PERS has completed the police and fire benefits changes within scope, on schedule, and under budget.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The Emergency Board met on June 17, 2026, and approved a series of subcommittee recommendations, mostly on consent, related to federal grant applications, agency funding adjustments, and position authority. Early actions included approval of four federal grant applications from natural resources agencies, three public safety grant applications, a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, retroactive approval for an AmeriCorps volunteer-generation grant, and a $7.5 million allocation to Southern Oregon University from a special appropriation for short-term financial stability. Members supporting the SOU item emphasized the university’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and the need for a long-term higher education plan; several members voted no or raised concerns about sustainability, but the motion passed. The board also approved a federal apprenticeship expansion grant for the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, a school nutrition equipment grant for the Department of Education, and an Oregon Health Authority request tied to Medicaid community engagement requirements under H.R. 1. Public safety items included funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a report on the stalled juvenile justice information system modernization project with a follow-up viability report due in 2026, and a statewide evacuation planning tool for emergency management. The evacuation tool drew strong support as a wildfire preparedness measure, with members noting it could significantly reduce alert times and save lives. A major point of debate was the Department of Justice request to add 16 permanent positions and increase other funds limitation for antitrust enforcement. Supporters argued the federal government has pulled back and Oregon needs capacity to pursue active cases and protect consumers; opponents objected to the process, the size of the expansion, and the incentive structure tied to settlements and awards. Despite those concerns, the motion passed. The board also approved Water Resources Department requests for the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement program, an assistant water master position in Washington County, and federal funding for Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater data collection. The water master item prompted questions about county cost shifts, but staff said the position would remain externally funded and would not be filled without those resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service, Mr. Chris Chavez, providing us services under contract.
• Several land-grant communities have cemeteries located within the Forest Service.
• Forest and watershed restoration projects and even apply for funding.
• There is good work that's being done post-fire.
• with the Forest Service, and I believe they got their questions answered.

Transcript Highlights:

• recreation, for forest fire management, and mitigation.
• Today, we're over 80% forested. Our foresters have done a great job managing our forests.
• Today, we're over 80% forested. Our foresters have done a great job managing our forests.
• There was an insect infestation or a forest fire or timbering that occurred, and there's different calculations
• the from forest although Forest are the from forest although Forest are the dominant<04:31:55.960

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , which means homeowners may be left without sufficient groundwater and without reliable access to fire
• An unexpected tragic loss of a home through a fire or other casualty is devastating to a...
• An unexpected tragic loss of a home through a fire or other casualty is devastating to a family.
• This usually comes as a result of storms, floods, or fires.
• And with these types of disasters, usually..." "...as a result of storms, floods, or fires.

Bills: SB467, SB325, SB867, SB994, SB1052, SB1237, SB1449, SB1531, SB2063, SB2172, SB2173, SB2520, SB2529, SB2538, SB2541, SJR46, SJR84

Keywords: SB 467, Texas property tax, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, fire damage, house fire, destroyed home, temporary tax relief, appraisal district, chief appraiser, local taxing unit, tax rollback, tax refund, Tax Code Chapter 11, prorated exemption, homestead improvement, disaster relief, property tax exemption, residential property

Summary: The committee heard several local government and property tax bills, with most testimony focused on appraisal disputes, tax administration, and development rules. Senate Bill 1052 by Senator Hinojosa would address coastal county appraisal litigation by requiring property owners in certain large-value disputes to report an uncontested taxable value while appeals are pending, so taxing units can base truth-in-taxation calculations on more realistic revenue. Nueces County, Del Mar College, and Corpus Christi ISD testified in support, describing major budget shortfalls caused by refinery valuation disputes; the committee substitute narrowed and clarified the bill’s scope. No opposition was heard, public testimony closed, and SB 1052 was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1531, which would require local tax collectors to accept common electronic property tax payments such as credit cards, debit cards, and e-checks. Witnesses supported modernizing payment options and the committee substitute removed ACH/electronic funds transfer language to avoid bank-account disclosure concerns. Public testimony closed and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 325, by Senator Perry, would restore platting and groundwater-certification requirements that were unintentionally weakened by prior legislation; supporters from county government, water groups, and builders’ representatives debated whether the real issue was groundwater protection or road standards for private roads. The bill was left pending after extensive testimony and no vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 994 and SJR 46, which would exempt certain livestock feed inventory from property tax and provide the constitutional amendment needed for that change. Feed store and Farm Bureau witnesses supported the measure as relief for seasonal inventory taxes, and the bills were left pending. Senator Paxton presented SB 467 and SJR 84 to create a temporary property tax exemption for homes completely destroyed by fire, with refunds or corrected bills based on the date of loss; both were left pending. SB 1237 would clarify charitable property tax exemptions for senior housing and retirement communities, with testimony from Catholic and Baptist retirement organizations and a resident describing rising costs and exemption revocations; it was also left pending. The committee later voted 6-0 to report SB 2073, a pending bill on appraisal district authority to purchase or finance real property, and recommended it for the local and uncontested calendar. Finally, the committee heard SB 2172, SB 2173, and SB 2063, all related to property tax administration. SB 2172 would limit when appraisal districts can require homeowners to reapply for homestead exemptions, requiring a specific reason and written notice; SB 2173 would protect new homeowners from surprise tax liabilities caused by prior owners’ erroneous homestead exemptions, with testimony describing large back-assessment bills; both were left pending. SB 2063 would bar appraisal districts from using market-value evidence in unequal appraisal protests, and testimony sharply divided between taxpayer advocates, who said market data improperly overwhelms equity claims, and appraisal district representatives, who argued market value is inherently tied to equal-and-uniform taxation and cited a recent Texas Supreme Court decision; the bill was left pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• not apply when the BLM or the Forest not apply when the BLM or the Forest Service<00:43:49.520><
• Fire management is a good example. Fire is expensive.
• Fire management is a good example. Fire is expensive.
• Fire management is a good example. Fire is expensive.
• Fire management is a good example. Fire is expensive.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fire and floods highlight this need.
• Let's go into helping forest management, for example, because I know some of the fires were caused by
• So, the fire in Rio Doce was man-caused; somebody started that fire.
• This bill isn't going to limit you from working on that fire, right?
• , and to such who start the fire, when those fires or those events happen, they They reach higher degrees

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT'S WHAT WE FIGHT FIRES WITH. THAT'S HOW WE RESPOND TO THE WILDFIRES.
• ONE OF THE EFFORTS IS THROUGH THE HELICOPTERS TO FIGHT FIRES.
• BULLDOZERS, DRONES AND HELICOPTERS IN THE THINGS ELSE TO FIGHT FIRES.
• THE RAPTORS AND THINGS TO CUT THE FIRE TRAILS.
• SOMETIMES WITH A HURRICANE IT'S NOT LIKE A WILD FIRE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This required working with the electrical inspector and the fire department.
• This required working with the electrical inspector and the fire department.
• The USDA Forest Service says 53% of the nation's water supply originates on forested land.
• When forests are cut down, land surfaces and the climate become drier and warmer.
• This leads to conditions which exacerbate the risk of forest and vegetation fires, which further emit

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused broadly on solar policy and several related bills, especially S. 2269, S. 2270, H. 3520, H. 3521, and related measures on distributed energy resources, municipal solar caps, permitting reform, and tax credits. Testimony from the Air Force supported S. 2232, which would exempt federal military installations from renewable energy production caps and net metering limits to support energy resilience at bases like Hanscom. Most other witnesses argued that Massachusetts needs to speed up rooftop, municipal, and community solar deployment to address high electricity prices, federal tax credit rollbacks, grid reliability, and climate goals. A major theme was streamlining permitting through automated or “smart” solar permitting, including a statewide platform managed by DOER. Permit Power, SEIA, Vote Solar, 350 Mass, and others said current local permitting is fragmented and costly, and that instant permitting could reduce soft costs and speed installations. Several witnesses also urged changes to interconnection rules, including flexible interconnection, remote inspections, and faster utility approval timelines. Some speakers raised concerns about small towns lacking staff to meet short deadlines and suggested a state-hosted platform to reduce the burden on municipalities. Another major topic was lifting caps on solar deployment. Municipal officials from Lexington and Cambridge said the 10-megawatt municipal cap and regional caps are blocking shovel-ready projects and should be removed, including for behind-the-meter municipal solar and MBTA-community housing. Other witnesses described additional limits on project size, net metering, and residential tax credits, and called for making the state residential solar credit refundable and larger. Several speakers also supported virtual power plants, distributed energy resource targets, solar canopies, microgrids, and expanded access for affordable housing, tenants, and low- and moderate-income customers. No votes were taken. Committee members asked questions about permitting timelines, grid modernization, the rationale for caps, balcony solar, and interconnection delays, and witnesses said they would follow up with additional information where needed. The hearing ended with broad support from industry, municipal, environmental, and advocacy groups for advancing the solar and distributed energy bills, while some witnesses opposed provisions they viewed as overly restrictive, such as mandatory SMART participation for all solar projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state parks and our state forests, our public lands, are second to none.
• Thank you. space, access to parks, state forests, and beyond. Thank you.
• Stretching from Ocala National Forest to the Osceola National Forest, O-2-O is 100 miles long with 1.6
• forest system, once open to the public.
• So... ...but I still get the calls when the fires are lit and somebody's burning.

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture met to hear updates on land conservation and agricultural preservation programs. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services presented on the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, explaining that it protects active agricultural lands through conservation easements while keeping land in private ownership and on the tax rolls. The director said the program requires participants to use agricultural best management practices, noted strong demand with 428 ranked projects for 2025, and reported that consistent legislative funding and partnerships with USDA, DOD, local governments, land trusts, and water management districts have expanded acreage protected, much of it within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Committee members asked about eligibility, ranking, local government involvement, and how many projects are typically funded each year. Conservation Florida’s president and CEO testified that both Rural and Family Lands and Florida Forever are critical and complementary tools for preserving working lands, wildlife habitat, water resources, and public access to nature. She warned that uncertainty or cuts in state funding can stall projects, raise land prices, and reduce conservation momentum. In discussion with senators, she said public access is often negotiated case by case and is more common on lands acquired for parks, forests, and other public green space than on conservation easements. The Department of Environmental Protection then updated the committee on Florida Forever, describing it as the state’s premier conservation and recreation land acquisition program. DEP said Florida Forever uses both conservation easements and fee-simple purchases, with about half of acquisitions done through easements, and emphasized that steady funding is needed to keep projects moving. The deputy secretary reported 60 projects on the current work plan, more than $1.4 billion invested since 2019, and recent acquisitions including new state forest, park, and preserve expansions. Members also raised concerns about payment in lieu of taxes for fiscally constrained counties, local notification of acquisitions, and the need for continued support for agriculture, citrus, roads, and conservation funding. No formal votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after member comments and public testimony.