Social and economic problems are the heart of multiple-use conflicts. 

 Florida's past experience has shown that the allocation of land and water 

 resources often provides short-term economic benefits to a few, and long-term 

 losses to the public as a whole. In recent years, the State has recognized 

 that large, major water- related coastal projects often have major adverse en- 

 vironmental effects and it has developed several mechanisms to minimize these 

 effects (which will be discussed later in this chapter). The ongoing, rapid 

 development of the State, however, and the increasing urban, suburban, and 

 recreational development of Northwest Florida continue to create conflicts 

 among the many competing uses for its land and water resources. 



ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITION FOR LAND AND WATER 



LAND AND WATER DEVELOPMENT 



Historical Background 



Florida, acquired by the United States Government from Spain in 1821, was 

 granted statehood in 1845 when its population was about 55,000. With state- 

 hood, Florida received title to very little land, only 202,340 ha (500,000 

 acres) for internal improvement purposes, and one section (259 ha or 640 

 acres) in every township for education purposes. The State did, however, 

 become owner and trustee of all navigable waters. It was not until 1850 that 

 the State gained title to 8.3 million ha (20.5 million acres) of swamp and 

 overflow land. The remaining land stayed in Federal ownership or was conveyed 

 directly to individuals by the Federal Government. 



An early goal of the State and the Internal Improvement Board (created in 

 1851) was to encourage internal improvement. The primary tool for achieving 

 this goal was by disposing of land, its most plentiful commodity. In the late 

 1800's the railroads received approximately one-third of the State's land (11 

 million acres) in exchange for laying 1,100 miles of track, an average of 

 10,000 acres/mi of track (Landers 1975). 



Swamp and overflow land also was similarly disposed of by the State. By 

 the end of the Civil War, several railroad companies that had built lines into 

 Florida were bankrupt or otherwise disbanded and their property reverted to 

 the State. The Internal Improvement Board suffered financial hardship as a 

 result and was forced into receivership. The State, in order to solve the 

 public lands crisis, sold four million acres of southwest Florida land to 

 Hamilton Disston, a Philadelphia sawmaker, for one million dollars (25 cents 

 per acre). 



In the latter half of the 19th century. Florid 

 ed and out of the way of national development. Th 

 it also was swampy and poorly served by transporta 

 tion was about half a million, most of whom lived i 



Shortly after the beginning of the 20th century, developers started fill- 

 ing submerged land, especially in the southern part of the State. The State 

 immediately began disposing of its submerged land and the rush of development 

 that began then shows no signs of subsiding today. In the past few years. 



a remained largely untouch- 

 ...e land was inexpensive, but 

 f.v.rtation. By 1900, the popula- 

 ved in the northern part. 



225 



