While attention has been given to national environmental policies and the global environmental condition by scholars, and there is ample research addressing public opinion and attitudes on environmental issues, little research has focused on environment issues in communities and, specifically, on the forces within the local policy setting that shape environmental policy. This paper, based on a study of cities and counties in Florida, explores two concerns: identifying the level of commitment to environmental protection in communities; and identifying forces associated with communities prioritizing environmental protection. The author finds evidence that counties afford a high level of prioritization to environmental protection. Florida's communities appear to define the issue narrowly along the lines of water resources. The findings have theoretical relevance, as it was found that socioeconomic and “social quality of life” indicators tend to explain community environmental orientations and prioritizat