State budget contains 400 thousand dollars for Apalachicola oyster reef restoration

400 thousand dollars has been added into this year’s state budget to help restore the oyster reefs of the Apalachicola Bay.

The Department of Agriculture made the announcement Friday.

As part of House bill 7125, the department of Agriculture will receive $400,000 to improve oyster production through reef restoration in Apalachicola Bay, where the oyster beds have been devastated by drought and saltwater intrusion.

The Deparment said Representative Jake Raburn and Senators Jeff Brandes and Bill Montford led the effort to procure the funding.

The state budget also includes more money for controlled burns around the state.

The Florida Forest Service received about $4 million in appropriations to upgrade technology and equipment to enable them to continue controlled burns which protect Florida’s land from wildfires. 

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