As governor, i understand a healthy economy is dependent upon a healthy environment. florida’s residents and businesses rely on clean water, clean air and open spaces for tourism, commerce, agriculture and recreation. that’s why protecting our natural resources through a stable regulatory environment is key to ensuring businesses are successful and future generations will be able to enjoy all that our state has to offer. –“florida’s natural resources: the state’s economic engine,” governor rick scott according to governor scott, why is protecting florida’s environment important? to enable businesses to expand greatly to support the state’s business interests to ensure that regulations are sufficient to prevent all economic decline