Florida lawmakers actively sought and encouraged growth in the years following World War II.  Low taxes and a warm climate brought a massive number of American’s to the Sunshine State throughout the 1940’s so that by 1950 the state’s population reached 2.8 million.  Growth further exploded the population to 5 million in 1960, 6.8 million in 1970, 9.7 million in 1980, and 12.9 million in 1990.  This growth was noticeable but did not become alarming until three events set off public outcry during the 1960’s and 70’s.
   These events included the plans and actual early construction of a cross-Florida barge canal, plans to build a small airport in the Big Cypress Swamp, and the early 1970’s water shortage and crisis that hit statewide.  These three highly politicized events got the environment on Florida’s institutional agenda, and eventually led to a series of acts designed to control development and its disastrous effects.  Perhaps the most important of these acts was the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act of 1975 that set up Regional Planning Councils (RPC’s).  These councils were responsible for developing plans that conformed with the State Comprehensive Plan.  Their other responsibility was to review plans of local government and ensure that they complied with the State and Regional plans.  The idea behind this legislation was groundbreaking in the 1970’s, but as the years passed it became clear that in its current form the system was grossly insufficient.  The primary problem was that Regional Planning Councils were relatively impotent without the ability to encourage or punish local plans that were insufficient.  Ineffective local plans were also due to inadequate funding for their local preparation and implementation, the lack of a requirement that they be consistent with regional and state plans, and the lack of citizen enforcement mechanisms.  Thus, the local plans varied greatly and implementation was nearly impossible.  Recognizing the need for reform, the state began to make changes in the early 1980’s.  These changes resulted in the Growth Management Act of 1985.