Two of Central Florida's representatives in Congress are coming together to protect the state's orange groves.
U.S. Reps. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, and Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, filed legislation that could make citrus groves eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program.
That's a land conservation effort overseen by the Farm Service Agency. Franklin and Soto want to see a subprogram that could provide grants to farmers for land that is impacted by greening, at risk of development or home to endangered species' habitats.
As written, the program would be available to lands used for citrus for more than 10 years. A total of 100,000 acres of property nationwide could be enrolled.
"Amending the CRP to include Florida citrus groves gives our farmers needed time to rehabilitate their crops and continue our state's long tradition of providing domestically sourced orange juice," Franklin said.
"While Florida taxpayers pay into the CRP, our state has been chronically underrepresented in the program. At a time when our citrus growers are struggling to recover from last year's severe hurricane season, now is the perfect opportunity to level the playing field. Not only would this inclusion provide time to recover, but it ensures Florida farmland is preserved for future use."
Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb Smith said it's important citrus be included more in the federal program.
"For decades citrus has been Florida's flagship agricultural commodity," Smith said. "With disease, development pressure and adverse weather causing yearly declines in citrus production and loss of grove lands, the environmental benefits provided by these lands are being lost as well."
Soto noted the industry in Florida has endured a number of challenges in recent years, from greening reducing juice yields to Hurricane Ian destroying many of the state's crops last year.
"As we work to address the challenges facing our Florida citrus industry and support our growers and farmers, we must also prioritize the protection of the land on which these crops are grown," Soto said.
"The subprogram this bill proposes for the Conservation Reserve Program will provide citrus growers with a valuable option to conserve their land while we continue to develop new treatments for citrus greening and recover from the damage caused by hurricanes. The subprogram will also help prevent the permanent loss of Florida's agricultural lands to development and protect critical wildlife corridors. This is a timely and important bill to help Central Florida growers recover and thrive."
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami Republican and Florida's senior Senator, will carry the Senate companion bill. U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and María Elvira Salazar, both Florida Republicans, are signed on as co-sponsors for the House bill.
The legislation already has the support of the citrus industry.
Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, thanked the Florida lawmakers backing the change to the federal program. He said without intervention, there's a strong possibility many farmers will give up on citrus and sell the land for more profitable uses.
"While growers are working to rebuild the industry, their lands have become extremely valuable and are at great risk of urban development," Joyner said. "Enrolling citrus groves in the Conservation Reserve Program will prevent permanent loss of our precious landscape, which is critical to restoring water quality and providing critical wildlife habitat, while providing a new revenue stream to struggling landowners."
Smith said the legislation could help preserve the recharge and wildlife habitats provided by the groves, in addition to increasing economic vitality for Florida agricultural lands.
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