John Fumero, partner with Nason Yeager Gerson & Fumero in Boca Raton, FL.

Two days after taking office, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his environmental priorities and initiatives. By setting Florida's water policy at the forefront of his agenda, he is shaping the state's natural environment and the future of its tourism, agriculture and real estate.

His swift action recognizes the essential role of Florida's environment in attracting visitors and residents, and in sustaining business growth. DeSantis emphasized this in a Jan. 10, news release that kicked off a remarkable expression of executive power.

“Our water and natural resources are the foundation of our economy and our way of life in Florida,” DeSantis said in the release. “The protection of water resources is one of the most pressing issues facing our state. That's why today I'm taking immediate action to combat the threats which have devastated our local economies and threatened the health of our communities.”

His statement followed the onslaught of red tide and blue-green algae last year that devastated beach and coastal areas. Fouled waterways and widespread beach closures have had a mounting and far-reaching impact on tourism by damaging the image that Florida's waters are beautiful and safe.

In the same executive order, titled “Achieving More Now For Florida's Environment,” DeSantis called for $2.5 billion in spending over the next four years for Everglades restoration and water resource protection—a $1 billion increase over what was allocated during the prior four years.

The order also established a blue-green algae task force to expedite nutrient reductions in Lake Okeechobee. And it directed the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to start the next phase of the Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project. A congressionally authorized project, it sends clean water to the Everglades while reducing discharge from Lake Okeechobee, and improving treatment and water quality to South Florida's waters. They are key parts of a plan to curb algae problems linked to nutrient-laden discharges from Lake Okeechobee into waterways in southeast and southwest Florida.

Through the executive order, DeSantis recognized the important role that Florida's five water management districts play, and he instructed them to review their budgets to prioritize funding to address algae and nutrient reductions.

Ever since 1972, Florida's water resources have been the responsibility of five management districts that regulate every aspect of water use, from utility pumping to wetlands development. Each district employs scientists and engineers, and is overseen by a governing board whose members the governor appoints.

Looking toward creating a statewide clearinghouse, DeSantis established a DEP Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency. It will integrate scientific research throughout the state through a yet-to-be-appointed chief science officer and an Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection to help Florida communities respond to sea level rise.

There are no overnight fixes to Florida's environment challenges. In South Florida, DeSantis appears to be furthering his environmental and water policy priorities through the SFWMD, one of the nation's largest water agencies.

That district is by far the largest of the five, and the one dealing with the most complex issues as the lead state agency on Everglades restoration. The SFWMD has vast jurisdiction that affects 16 counties and 8.1 million Floridians, two-fifths of the state's population. The district deals with numerous local governments, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two Native American tribes.

The SFWMD's actions have far-reaching impacts that can be measured in decades and billions of dollars. The SFWMD's preliminary budget of $813 million for this fiscal year supports environmental restoration and water resource efforts that include refurbishing, improving and managing regional water management, and meeting current and future demands of Floridians and the environment.

In January, in an unprecedented move, DeSantis requested the resignation of all nine sitting gubernatorial appointees of SWFMD's governing board. Its composition and appointment were established in state law to have staggered terms so that no single governor could unilaterally overhaul the board and, in so doing, unilaterally change its policies and priorities.

By replacing all board members through resignation or imminent expiration of their terms, DeSantis created a unique opportunity to shape the long-term future of South Florida's natural resources, including the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.

These initiatives can, if properly executed, protect Florida's economic future. Water is, and has always been, critical to the state's well-being. Competing demands and impacts to Florida's water supply could exhaust this valuable resource.

It appears DeSantis understands this as he has also directed the Department of Environmental Protection to partner with tourism-marketing agency, Visit Florida, and the Department of Economic Opportunity on issues that include investments in a green infrastructure.

Success will depend in large part on the governor's ability to inspire and, as we have immediately seen with SFWMD, to put people in positions of power who share his vision. He must also gain support from the state legislature and federal agencies. It's a tall order that DeSantis shows he is willing to take on.

John Fumero, a former general counsel of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), is now in private practice where he maintains a statewide practice in all aspects of federal and state environmental law.