(The Center Square) — Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez extolled the conservation efforts of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration at an award ceremony Friday for the Florida Python Challenge.
Nunez said that she is proud to be part of keeping Florida’s natural environment pristine.
“Five years ago when Gov. DeSantis and I got elected, we made a promise to make sure that we would prioritize conservation and that we would leave this Earth in a better place than where we found it. I would say that we have absolutely delivered on that promise,” Nunez said.
Nunez noted that not only was the administration able to secure record-breaking funding for conservation, he went above and beyond expectations.
“In 2019, when we first came into office, Gov. DeSantis called for $2.5 billion to be invested over the course of our first term and what I’m proud to say is that we not only kept that promise, we exceeded it,” Nunez said.
Funding for Everglades restoration and protection, as well as other conservation projects throughout the state like the Florida Wildlife Corridor was a priority for the Legislature during the 2023 session.
“Together working with the Legislature, we secured over $3.5 billion, and if that wasn’t enough, Gov. DeSantis earlier this year, called for another $3.5 billion over the next four years of our second term,” Nunez said.
Nunez added that the funding that DeSantis secured for conservation efforts, shows the commitment to protect Florida’s natural assets, like the Everglades.
“We are well on the way to meeting our goal this year in our Framework For Freedom Budget, dedicating more than $1.6 billion with more than $695 million specifically for Everglades restoration projects. We are going to protect Florida’s natural resources for future generations,” Nunez said.
The Florida Python Challenge was in response to the growing threat of invasive species in the Everglades and other parts of the state. Burmese pythons are becoming one of the biggest concerns in the Everglades, as they face few threats from native predators and have been documented eating adult alligators.
The intent of the challenge was to help raise public awareness of invasive species like Burmese pythons, and to encourage the removal of them from sensitive lands. Contestants competed to remove as many as possible, and submitted humanely killed pythons within 24 hours of capture.
