Florida's $1B Climate Program Survives Budget Cuts

Florida just locked in permanent funding for one of America's largest climate resilience programs, even as the state's budget-cutting campaign takes aim at other environmental efforts.

Resilient Florida has distributed over $1 billion since 2019 to protect communities from flooding and rising seas. The program requires local governments to match state funding dollar for dollar, creating partnerships that have built storm drains, relocated flood-prone infrastructure, and protected military bases from erosion.

The program now draws funding from the state's gaming revenue agreement with the Seminole tribe, securing $150 million for next year with no expiration date. That funding certainty arrives just as federal resilience programs face cuts and other states pause their climate adaptation work.

Republican State Representative Jim Mooney, who represents the Florida Keys, calls it smart government spending. His island district has used Resilient Florida money to install underground drainage pipes that reduce flooding during high tides.

The program's survival stands out because it passed a unanimous vote for renewal last year in both legislative chambers. No politician from either party voted against it, and the bill moved through in less than a month.

The Ripple Effect

Resilient Florida now rivals the federal government's main resilience program in scope. FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program has distributed about $5 billion nationwide, while Florida alone has invested over $1 billion in matching state and local funds.

Communities across Florida have put the money to work on practical projects. Pensacola built living shorelines to prevent erosion at its naval base. Fort Pierce relocated an island wastewater treatment plant away from flood zones. Palm Beach County raised an entire island park to prepare for sea level rise and built a $30 million drainage system on a chronically flooded road.

The matching fund requirement means communities must plan carefully and develop shovel-ready projects before applying. Mooney says that approach ensures property tax dollars go toward getting real work done, not just studies or proposals.

While other climate programs face uncertainty, Resilient Florida shows what happens when practical infrastructure needs meet bipartisan support. The program's original statute even acknowledges the state's vulnerability to "increases in frequency and duration of rainfall events" and rising seas.

Communities now have a stable funding source to tackle flooding problems that affect homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure today.