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One point three million more voters said yes to buying land for conservation than voted for Rick Scott his past November. Amendment one will set aside millions of dollars a year for conservation, but there is a growing fear among environmentalists that voters wishes will be thwarted.

Voters mandated that one of every three dollars raised from taxing real estate transactions go to conserving land. But the election was barely official when the Senate President Andy Gardiner started questioning how the money might be spent.

“That 33 percent is coming from somewhere” gardiner told reporters.

“Water is my number one issue: says House Speaker Steve Cristifulli. He’s floated the idea of using some of the money to fix leaking water pipes for cities.

Both remarks set off fire bells for environmentalists.

Then this past week, Governor Rick Scott was the lone no vote on a land purchase. Scott wanted to offer just ninety percent of the lowest appraised value. “I think we can do a better job for the taxpayers of the state” says Scott.

Now the fear is that the low-balling willing sellers will send them into the arms of developers says Julie Waithmell of Audubon Florida.

Q:”The Governor did not want to pay appraised value. .Do you think that is a problem in the future?”

“It could be. I mean, we’ll see. It remains to be seen. Once the funding becomes available then we are hoping we will see more projects coming forward too.”

University of Florida environmental researcher Dr. Peter Frederick spent his last day on a little known board that will set priorities for land purchases under amendment one.

“I really don’t think that there’s anything in what we saw as voters that would lead you to use it for other purposes” Frederick told us. We asked:“Including leaky water pipes in some big cities?” He laughed and said ”that’s right”.

Environmentalists remain skeptical. Their watchword is straight out of Harry Potter novel. Ever vigilant.