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THE BILL ITSELF

CS/CS/CS/SB 1066

Tributaries of the St. Johns River

VERSION S 1066 c3 · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for CS for SB 1066 By the Committee on Appropriations; the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and Senator Brodeur 576-02814-26 20261066c3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to tributaries of the St. Johns River;
3 providing a short title; creating s. 373.464, F.S.;
4 requiring the Department of Environmental Protection,
5 by a specified date, to hire a project lead to oversee
6 the implementation of the act; requiring that the
7 project lead have certain expertise; requiring the
8 department to develop, by a specified date, a project
9 plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River;
10 specifying requirements for the project plan;
11 providing that the project plan is an environmental
12 restoration or enhancement project subject to a
13 general permit from the department and water
14 management districts; requiring the department to
15 complete the project plan by a specified date, subject
16 to the provision of funds; providing for the creation
17 of the Northeast Florida River and Springs Recreation
18 and Economic Development Advisory Council by a
19 specified date; assigning the council to the
20 Department of Environmental Protection; providing that
21 the project lead is the chair of the council;
22 providing for council membership, meetings, and
23 duties; requiring the council to submit an advisory
24 report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the
25 department by a specified date; specifying
26 requirements for the advisory report; providing for
27 future repeal; requiring the department to develop an
28 outdoor recreation plan, in collaboration with certain
29 commissions, councils, and local governments of river
30 communities; specifying requirements for the outdoor
31 recreation plan; requiring the department to implement
32 the plan by a specified date; requiring the department
33 to complete projects on state-owned lands in the
34 outdoor recreation plan by a specified date, subject
35 to certain funding; requiring the department to
36 develop a grant program for a specified purpose;
37 requiring that the grant program be compatible with
38 certain plans; requiring the department to implement
39 the grant program by a specified date; requiring the
40 Department of Commerce to develop guidelines and
41 processes for and implement an economic development
42 program for Marion and Putnam Counties for a specified
43 purpose by a specified date; requiring that the
44 economic development plan be compatible with certain
45 plans and programs; requiring the Department of
46 Commerce to implement the economic development program
47 by a specified date; providing an effective date.
49 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
51 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Northeast Florida
52 Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act.”
53 Section 2. Section 373.464, Florida Statutes, is created to
54 read:
55 373.464 Ocklawaha River restoration, recreation, and
56 economic development.—
57 (1) PROJECT LEAD.—The department shall, no later than
58 August 31, 2026, hire a full-time equivalent contractor or
59 employee, whose position title will be project lead, to oversee
60 the implementation of this act. The project lead must have
61 subject matter expertise in conservation and recreation
62 planning.
63 (2) PROJECT PLAN.—
64 (a) By July 1, 2027, the department shall develop a project
65 plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River. The project
66 plan must provide for restoration and increased resiliency and
67 recreation benefits of the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers and
68 Silver Springs. The project plan must be designed to restore the
69 Ocklawaha River’s natural flow, hydrology, and floodplain
70 function to the approximate conditions that existed before the
71 construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project and its
72 associated project works by implementing measures that include
73 breaching the Kirkpatrick Dam and decommissioning the Buckman
74 Lock. The project plan must incorporate the best available
75 science and include engineering and design updates, including
76 topographic and bathymetric surveys, and precise estimates of
77 material to be dredged or excavated. In addition, the project
78 plan must provide recommendations for road and bridge
79 construction which are compatible with the partial restoration
80 plan and ensure continued access for the communities west of the
81 project. The project plan must include estimates by fiscal year
82 of the cost of implementing the project plan and potential
83 sources of funding for such costs.
84 (b) Notwithstanding any law or rule, the project plan for
85 the restoration of the Ocklawaha River is an environmental
86 restoration or enhancement project subject to a general permit
87 from the department and water management districts for
88 environmental restoration or enhancement pursuant to rule 62
89 330.405, Florida Administrative Code, and rule 62-330.485,
90 Florida Administrative Code.
91 (c) Subject to the provision of state, federal, or other
92 funds, the department shall complete the restoration project
93 plan by December 31, 2032.
94 (3) NORTHEAST FLORIDA RIVER AND SPRINGS RECREATION AND
95 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.—
96 (a) Establishment of the council.—
97 1. By October 31, 2026, the Northeast Florida River and
98 Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory Council, an
99 advisory council as defined in s. 20.03(7), shall be established
100 and assigned to the department. The council shall be
101 administratively housed within the department. The project lead
102 shall serve as the council chair, and the members shall meet at
103 the call of the project lead. Members shall serve without
104 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
105 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061. Council members shall
106 serve 4-year terms, except that the initial terms shall be
107 staggered.
108 2. The council shall be composed of the following 16
109 members:
110 a. Nine members of the council shall be appointed by and
111 serve at the pleasure of the Governor and shall include:
112 (I) Two representatives of river recreation-related
113 businesses local to Marion or Putnam County.
114 (II) Two representatives of outdoor recreation user groups,
115 one of whom represents fishing interests local to Marion or
116 Putnam County.
117 (III) One representative of the department’s Office of
118 Greenways and Trails.
119 (IV) One representative of the Florida Fish and Wildlife
120 Conservation Commission’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries
121 Management.
122 (V) One representative of the Florida Fish and Wildlife
123 Conservation Commission’s Imperiled Species Management Section.
124 (VI) One representative of the Department of Commerce.
125 (VII) One representative of an environmental community
126 support organization who has subject matter expertise in springs
127 or rivers.
128 b. Six members of the council shall be appointed by the
129 boards of county commissioners for the following counties:
130 (I) Putnam County shall appoint two members, one of whom
131 oversees parks and recreation for the county.
132 (II) Marion County shall appoint two members, one of whom
133 oversees parks and recreation for the county.
134 (III) Clay County shall appoint one member.
135 (IV) St. Johns County shall appoint one member.
136 c. One member shall be the commanding officer of Naval Air
137 Station Jacksonville or his or her designee.
138 (b) Report.—The council shall submit an advisory report to
139 the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
140 House of Representatives, and the department by February 1,
141 2027. The report must include all of the following:
142 1. Recommendations for projects to be included in the
143 outdoor recreation plan created in subsection (4), including
144 priorities for state-funded land projects.
145 2. Recommendations to the department for the creation of
146 guidelines to govern the grant program created in subsection
147 (5).
148 3. Recommendations to the Department of Commerce for the
149 creation of guidelines to administer the economic development
150 program created in subsection (6).
151 4. Recommendations for measures to minimize the impact of
152 the restoration plan on property owners or businesses directly
153 affected by the restoration project.
154 (c) Repeal.—In accordance with s. 20.052(8), this
155 subsection is repealed October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and
156 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
157 (4) OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN.—
158 (a) The department, in collaboration with the Fish and
159 Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Northeast Florida River
160 and Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory
161 Council, and the local governments of river communities in Clay,
162 Marion, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, shall develop an outdoor
163 recreation plan.
164 (b) The outdoor recreation plan must identify and implement
165 projects for enhanced and expanded river and springs access for
166 recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting, swimming,
167 wildlife viewing, paddling, and hiking. Such projects must be
168 compatible with the project plan and applicable statutes. The
169 outdoor recreation plan must be made available for public
170 comment before its implementation.
171 (c) The department shall implement the outdoor recreation
172 plan by January 1, 2028.
173 (d) Subject to the provision of state, federal, or other
174 funds, the department shall complete projects on state-owned
175 lands identified in the outdoor recreation plan by December 31,
176 2035.
177 (5) GRANT PROGRAM.—
178 (a) By January 1, 2028, the department shall develop a
179 grant program for river communities in Clay, Marion, Putnam, and
180 St. Johns Counties to implement the outdoor recreation plan.
181 (b) The grant program must be compatible with the project
182 plan and outdoor recreation plan.
183 (c) The department shall implement the grant program by
184 February 1, 2028.
185 (6) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.—
186 (a) The Department of Commerce shall develop guidelines and
187 processes for an economic development program for Marion and
188 Putnam Counties. The economic development program must support
189 projects that encourage job creation, capital investment, and
190 strengthening and diversification of each county’s economy.
191 (b) The economic development program must be compatible
192 with the project plan, the outdoor recreation plan, and the
193 grant program.
194 (c) The Department of Commerce shall implement the economic
195 development program by January 1, 2028.
196 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.