An amendment that gives waterfront marine industries tax relief and another that gives private property owners tax breaks to create conservation areas are on the November ballot.

Amendment 4 aims to safeguard wildlife and water resources for Floridians from development. Landowners who put their green lands into perpetual conservation protection (by a conservation easement or other mechanism) will be exempted from property taxes, explains the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The land that is set aside will be protected forever, no matter who the owner is in the future or how prime the area is for commercial development. Under Amendment 4, those who use their lands for conservation purposes would also be taxed at a lower rate as an incentive to keep private land from development. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously passed a resolution in support of Constitutional Amendment 4.

Amendment 6 would appraise working waterfront property at its current use, rather than its “highest and best use,” reports the South Florida Business Journal. This is good news for marinas, dry docks, launch sites, marine vessel repair, boat builders and other marine industries struggling with rising taxes on the waterfront. Condos and waterfront resorts have raised the potential value of waterfront property across the state, and in turn, forced out some marine industry that can’t keep up with the rising costs.

The marine industry generates about $18 billion for the state's economy and provides about 220,000 jobs, a Marine Industries Association of South Florida study showed. Help stop residential development from pushing the marine and fishing industry off the waterfront.