UPDATE: According to a news release, Governor DeSantis will deliver a message on 'holding government officials accountable' in Fort Lauderdale.
The announcement will take place Friday at 3 p.m.
EARLIER STORY:
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Martin County on Thursday to make a major water policy announcement.
WATCH FULL NEWS CONFERENCE:
He laid out his plan for protecting our water quality and environment in Stuart. Earlier in the day, he made stops in Bonita Springs and Sarasota.
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At Thursday's news conference, Gov. DeSantis asked for the immediate resignations of the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District.
"We really need to have a fresh start at the South Florida Water Management District," said Gov. DeSantis. "So today I have sent correspondence to all of the board members, thanking them for their service, but requesting their resignations because we do just need a fresh start so we can move forward as Floridians united."
"I don’t plan on resigning," said SFWMD board member Brandon Tucker. "I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with Governor DeSantis to discuss issues.”
Just spoke with SFWMD District board member Brandon Tucker: “I don’t plan on resigning. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with Governor DeSantis to discuss issues.”
— Alex Hagan (@AlexHagan_WPTV) January 10, 2019
- Gov. DeSantis also signed an executive order on Thursday in an effort to improve water quality across the state.
The Governor's order calls for:
- $2.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades Restoration, the highest amount for restoration in Florida's history
- The establishment of a blue-green algae task force
- Start the next phase of the Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project
- Creating the Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency
- The appointment of a Chief Science Officer to analyze environmental concerns for Florida
Many areas of Florida were impacted by red tide and toxic algae in 2018, including a rare red tide bloom on the east coast.