The bill amends several sections of Florida Statutes related to natural resources, specifically focusing on land acquisition, management, and funding for environmental projects. Notably, it deletes provisions that previously authorized the Department of Financial Services to disburse funds from the Indian Gaming Revenue Clearing Trust Fund and repeals the Local Trail Management Grant Program. The bill also revises requirements for applications related to full fee simple acquisition projects and updates the list of entities with which state agencies can contract for land management. Additionally, it introduces a legislative declaration supporting the acquisition of land for a reservoir project north of Lake Okeechobee, specifying that such acquisitions must follow certain legal guidelines and prohibiting requests for land acquisition by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a new scoring system for assessing project eligibility for inclusion in the statewide flooding and sea-level rise plan, while also mandating that at least 25% of funds from the water quality improvement grant program be dedicated to projects in rural areas of opportunity. The Department of Environmental Protection is required to announce grant awards by November 1 of each fiscal year. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 2506 Filed: 253.0251, 259.032, 380.093, 380.095, 403.0673
S 2506 e1: 17.71, 253.0251, 259.032, 259.037, 259.1055, 260.0145, 373.026, 380.093, 380.095
S 2506 er: 17.71, 253.0251, 259.032, 259.037, 259.1055, 260.0145, 373.026, 380.093, 380.095