resilience

Governor Ron DeSantis announced this week nearly $20 million in grant funding for Florida communities to better assess the risks to critical infrastructure posed by flooding from sea level rise, storm surge, and rainfall events.

The state is giving Florida cities and counties 98 grants totaling almost $20 million to local governments to plan for sea level rise and flooding adaptation. The single largest grant — just over $900,000 — went to the city of Key West.

Gov. DeSantis wants to spend more than a quarter of a billion dollars on what he calls resilience projects. But will they protect communities against the threat from climate change?

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced the appointment of three agency heads, including a new secretary at the troubled Florida Department of Corrections.

The Florida governor has made the environment a priority, dedicating millions to water quality and coastal infrastructure. But critics say he ignores the biggest threat: carbon emissions.

A group of climate change bills championed by Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls could be helped by new federal stimulus money.

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took office two years ago in a state that had been hammered by two major hurricanes in two years and was suffering through an epic toxic algae crisis, he earned widespread praise for appointing the state’s first chief science and chief resilience officers.

Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his plans for the $4.1 billion the state will received from the federal government, including funds to fix the state's troubled unemployment system.

Now, as many lawmakers accept the science and back the need to develop a statewide plan to address the impacts of rising sea levels, hurricanes and flooding on a predominantly flat state, questions focus on a debt-adding $1 billion resiliency program pitched by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

An effort is back in the Senate to permanently set up a statewide office to consider climate change impacts, as environmentalists wait for a new chief resiliency officer to be appointed.

Miami-Dade County will host two meetings, on Tuesday and Thursday, to get input from residents and property owners about fixes to deal with increased flooding driven by sea rise.

With calls growing for lawmakers to pay more attention to climate change, the state Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection and the chief resiliency officer position are slated to be reviewed Monday by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.