Legislation to create a two-mile buffer zone around the Everglades Protection Area (EPA) is again advancing in the House after lawmakers gave the bill unanimous approval in its first Committee stop.
If passed, the measure (HB 723) would heighten restrictions on potentially harmful development and zoning changes near the endangered wetlands on which the state has spent billions to repair and safeguard.
“Each year, this Legislature allocates funds to protect the Everglades and for Everglades restoration. This will help continue those efforts,” said Coral Gables Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, who sponsored the measure this year and in 2023.
House Agriculture, Conservation and Resiliency Subcommittee members voted unanimously to advance the bill Monday.