Gov. Ron DeSantis touts action on environment, red tide in Sarasota appearance

SARASOTA — Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled an executive order Thursday aimed at boosting natural resource protection and staged a series of events across Florida in which he promised to continue making the environment a top priority.

Just 48 hours after being sworn in as Florida's 46th governor, DeSantis traveled to Sarasota and two other communities hit hard by toxic algae to talk up the executive order and reiterate his commitment to cleaning up the environment, a key campaign promise.

Read more: Complete coverage of red tide in Southwest Florida

“I just got into office and here I am, so I think that shows people that this is not just going to be an issue that I am gonna put out there, but it’s going to be one of our priorities,” DeSantis said during an event at Mote Marine Laboratory.

Mote has been deeply involved in studying and monitoring red tide, a harmful algae that has fouled waterways in Southwest Florida and around much of the state over the past year.

DeSantis said he wants the state to work closely with scientific organizations such as Mote “so that we have the most up to date, sound science at our fingertips, so that when we’re making policy it’s going to be effective policy.”

DeSantis’ executive order creates the new Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency within the Department of Environmental Protection and a new “chief science officer” position within the department, actions aimed at helping coordinate efforts to understand the science behind harmful algae blooms and other environmental issues.

The executive order also establishes a blue-green algae task force to help address a problem that has plagued Lake Okeechobee and estuaries on both coasts that receive discharges of polluted water from the lake.

And while DeSantis largely focused on algae problems Thursday, the executive order also delves into issues such as sea level rise, fracking for oil and gas and Everglades restoration.

The order directs state agencies to speed up Everglades restoration projects and seeks $2.5 billion over four years “for Everglades restoration and protection of water resources.” DeSantis’ office said that funding level would be a $1 billion increase over the last four years.

The DEP also is ordered to create the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection to address sea level rise and to “take necessary actions to adamantly oppose all offshore oil and gas activities off every coast in Florida and hydraulic fracturing in Florida.”

DeSantis made appearances in Sarasota, Bonita Springs and Stuart to promote the executive order. He was joined by his wife, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein, among others.

“I wanted us to be on more of a war footing on this and have a sense of urgency,” DeSantis said of his commitment to environmental protection. “So I think that’s what today’s executive actions really show, shows a vision but it also puts meat on the bones.”

The Sarasota event also included state Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, state Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, and a number of boat captains with the group Captains for Clean Water.

Mote President and CEO Michael Crosby described the executive order issued by DeSantis as “a very powerful commitment.”

“And I believe significant action will follow,” Crosby said.

But some environmental advocates expressed concern that DeSantis is not going far enough to address pollution problems.

Sierra Club Florida lauded DeSantis for taking immediate action on environmental issues.

“In his first week in office, Gov. DeSantis has done more to address Florida’s water quality crisis than Gov. Rick Scott did in eight years,” said Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director Frank Jackalone.

But a Sierra Club press release also pointed out “major concerns” with the early steps DeSantis is taking on the environment, including no commitment to addressing agricultural pollution, climate change or the lack of statewide land-use planning.

DeSantis stood out on the campaign trail for lambasting sugar companies that contribute to pollution problems in Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades. He vowed to crack down on polluters, but it still is unclear how far he is willing to go.

Algae blooms, for example, are fed by nutrients that leach into waterways from a variety of sources, including lawn fertilizer, agricultural fertilizer and animal waste and human waste from broken septic tanks and sewage spills. Many believe new regulations are needed to rein in such pollution.

Gruters has introduced two bills aimed at addressing pollution problems, one that would require septic tank owners to have their systems inspected every five years to make sure they’re not leaking human waste and another that would fine utilities that discharge raw sewage into waterways, or force them to dedicate money to improving their wastewater infrastructure.

Asked if he would support those bills or other forms of regulation on polluters in the upcoming legislative session, DeSantis cited a provision in his executive order that establishes a grant program to help local governments with septic-to-sewer conversion programs and said that he is “willing to look at any idea that could potentially help do this” but did not mention any new regulations on polluters that he supports.

Gruters said after the event that he believes there will be major environmental legislation enacted this year.

“This guy, in the campaign, went against some of the biggest polluters,” Gruters said. “I think he wants to do what’s right for Florida. My guess is you’re going to see some big environmental bills coming down in Florida this year.”

.