Report recommends ending funding for unused military base protection program in Florida

A report by the Florida Legislature's research arm found an incentive program that helps purchase buffer land to protect the state's military bases is underutilized, is duplicated by other agencies and should be curtailed.

The report by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability of economic incentive programs found that the Military Base Protection Plan's inception in 2012, only one parcel of land totaling 8.4 acres and two easements have been purchased through the program.

The report also said that records from the Department of Economic Opportunity, now known as the Florida Department of Commerce, at least 40% of the military installations contacted by agency staff each year didn't submit proposals to identify base buffering encroachment lands.

Representatives of the Military Base Protection Plan told researchers that military base commanders didn't always respond due to the workload required to submit a proposal.

The report also says the efforts of the grant program are duplicated by the Defense Infrastructure Grant, Defense Reinvestment Grant and Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant programs.

One of those programs, the Defense Infrastructure Grant, allocated $500,000 for easements surrounding Naval Air Station Jacksonville; $500,000 to acquire parcels around Avon Park Air Force Range in Polk and Highlands counties; $483,000 for Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Santa Rosa County; and $300,000 for Naval Air Station Pensacola in Escambia County.

Researchers recommend that lawmakers shutter the program. If the Legislature decides to maintain it, the Commerce Department could allocate funs to secure nonconservation lands and support local efforts to build partnerships with base commands.

The report also suggests that the agency could improve engagement by maintaining a contact list for state's military bases and consistently contact their commands annually.

Researchers also examined some other incentive programs as well.

According to the report, exempted sales tax and purchases under the Florida Semiconductor, Defense, and Space Technology Exemption declined during the examination period between 2020 and 2022.

Sales taxes of $14.2 million were exempted under the program in 2020, but those totals continued to drop to $10.2 million in 2021 and only $5.28 million in 2022.

The policy analysts also scrutinized the Veterans Employment and Training Services, the Quick Response Training and Incumbent Worker Training and International Trade and Development programs.

The researchers found the number of participants in the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program increased, as did the number of Florida companies offering internship opportunities.

Records showed 3,323 veterans participated in the entrepreneurship program, 837 received workforce training grants and 162 were in the Skillbridge internship program.

Researchers recommended the Veterans Florida develop performance measures and collect data to track program outcomes.

The report also found that the number of Quick Response Training grants increased, but the average amount awarded and the number of employees trained decreased. The program awarded 55 grants totaling $23.2 million.

As for the international program, the state administered $3.3 million in grants to 436 Florida businesses to help expand overseas operations. The authors said the program "exceeded most performance standards but did not consistently assist the required number of Florida-based businesses."