With shrinking revenues and widening deficits, state lawmakers will be sharpening their budget axes when the Legislature meets in March. Odds are that they'll once again target Florida Forever, the state's widely praised land preservation program.

On Thursday, Bob Graham, the former governor and senator, joined three other ex-governors in a campaign mounted by environmental groups to restore funding.

``We must ask ourselves if we are leaving for future generations an environment that is as good, or better, than what we found,'' Graham said in a release issued before a news conference held in Crandon Park on Key Biscayne.

Graham, a Democrat who as governor championed a land-buying program that predated Florida Forever, joined a bipartisan group of former governors who have also signed on as co-chairs of theFlorida Forever Coalition: Republicans Jeb Bushand Bob Martinezand Democrat Reubin Askew.

For the first time, lawmakers this year failed to make an annual contribution to the bond program. A late deal kept Florida Forever alive, boosting the creditworthiness of the program and allowing the sale of up to $250 million in bonds to buy conservation and park lands.

The coalition is calling for lawmakers to appropriate $15 million in next year's budget, which could create up to $300 million in bonds for land buying.

In addition to the former governors, both current candidates for governor -- Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Bill McCollum -- have issued statements of support for funding the program next year.

Florida Forever, and earlier programs, have protected tens of thousands of acres across the state. The coalition includes more than 100 groups.

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