Clean water and beaches are vital to Florida’s future | Opinion

From the powdery white sands of Sarasota’s Siesta Beach to the pristine coastline of Manatee’s Anna Maria Island, our region is blessed with some of the world’s greatest natural treasures. The Sunshine State’s future depends on clean water.

As the co-chair of Florida’s bipartisan 29-member congressional delegation, which includes U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, I am dedicated to bringing members of both parties together to improve water quality and wildlife conservation in the state.

In fact, I have worked with my colleagues to combat red tide, prevent off-shore drilling and preserve Florida’s estuaries. I hosted a Florida congressional delegation hearing with my Democratic co-chair Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fort Lauderdale, on the most important water issues facing our state. It’s vital to work together to address any threat to our pristine environment and way of life.

One of the more serious threats to Florida’s water quality and human health is the scourge of red tide. Last year’s bloom was one of the worst in the state’s history and while we know the impact red tide has on our local economy and marine life, we don’t know about its long-term impact on human health. That’s why I introduced a measure that passed the U.S. House in June to prioritize funding at the National Institutes of Health to study the risks red tide poses to human health. I urged Senate leaders this week to include the money in their government funding bill.

And last year my proposal to increase funding for red tide research by $8 million was signed into law.

Red tide is not the only threat to our ocean environment as Floridians well know. An oil spill can devastate a regional economy and inflict long-term environmental damage. This is why I have consistently opposed drilling off the coasts of Florida. During my first year in Congress I was one of 15 Republicans to join with Democrats to ban drilling 50 miles off our beaches. I also co-sponsored a bill that recently passed the U.S. House to permanently ban all drilling off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

One of the country’s most valuable natural resources is our estuaries, which create more food per acre than the richest farmland. It’s why I am dedicated to ensuring these vital areas remain preserved and pristine. This year, I have co-sponsored legislation to nearly double the annual funding for the 28 estuaries across the nation, including Florida’s Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay.

The beauty and bounty of Florida’s water resources does not stop at the coast. Keeping these treasures protected is one of my highest priorities. Last year, I led efforts to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program that is widely celebrated as the country’s greatest tool for funding conservation efforts throughout the United States. In Florida, the LWCF has invested more than $1 billion to protect the Everglades, Biscayne National Park, Osceola National Forest, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Caspersen Beach in Sarasota County.

Florida is a beautiful, vibrant place to live and its coastal environment attracts millions of visitors every year. We need to keep it that way, and that starts with keeping our waters and beaches clean.

As the 116th Congress continues, I remain committed to fighting for Southwest Florida’s wildlife and environment. Our way of life depends on it.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, represents Manatee and parts of Sarasota and Hillsborough counties in the U.S. House of Representatives.