In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) into law.  It was the first-of-its-kind effort to protect endangered and threatened species, as well as their unique habitats.  Many of those habitats are found right here in Florida.

In the last 50 years, we’ve seen some major successes thanks to the ESA, but it was far from the end of the battle.  That’s why I’ve fought to conserve land and protect wildlife throughout my time in Congress.

In my first term, my bill, the Jupiter Island Land Transfer Act, was signed into law.  The bill protected multiple species of turtles and other important habitats by transferring land to the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.  I’ve also supported legislation to permanently authorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund and am a member of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.  Most importantly, I work day-in and day-out to stop harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee into our coastal estuaries that can destroy the delicate ecosystem that countless species call home.

Florida’s wildlife is a huge part of what makes our state unique and it’s absolutely worth protecting.  It’s been 50 years since the ESA became law, but we have to stay focused on the next 50 years so that our kids are able to enjoy everything the Sunshine State has to offer.