Florida Senate - 2014                                    SB 1604
       
       
        
       By Senator Soto
       
       
       
       
       
       14-01517A-14                                          20141604__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to state-owned lands; amending s.
    3         253.034, F.S.; requiring that recommendations
    4         concerning requests for surplusing certain lands made
    5         by the Acquisition and Restoration Council to the
    6         Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust
    7         Fund be based on a scientific analysis conducted by
    8         the Florida Natural Areas Inventory and reported to
    9         the Division of State Lands; providing criteria for
   10         such analysis; requiring the board to adopt rules;
   11         providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (6) of section
   16  253.034, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         253.034 State-owned lands; uses.—
   18         (6) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust
   19  Fund shall determine which lands, the title to which is vested
   20  in the board, may be surplused. For conservation lands, the
   21  board shall determine whether the lands are no longer needed for
   22  conservation purposes and may dispose of them by an affirmative
   23  vote of at least three members. In the case of a land exchange
   24  involving the disposition of conservation lands, the board must
   25  determine by an affirmative vote of at least three members that
   26  the exchange will result in a net positive conservation benefit.
   27  For all other lands, the board shall determine whether the lands
   28  are no longer needed and may dispose of them by an affirmative
   29  vote of at least three members.
   30         (e) Before any decision by the board to surplus lands, the
   31  Acquisition and Restoration Council shall review and make
   32  recommendations to the board concerning the request for
   33  surplusing. Such recommendations must be based on a scientific
   34  analysis conducted by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory and
   35  reported to the Division of State Lands. This analysis must be
   36  based on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Model
   37  Framework criteria created by the technical review committee for
   38  the division in 2013 which uses a scientific and environmentally
   39  based process that determines which conservation land owned by
   40  the board has the lowest conservation resources. This analysis
   41  must include the seven categories and criteria used in the GIS
   42  Model Framework, including connectivity, water quality
   43  protection, ecological significance, recreation resource
   44  elements, historic and cultural resources, and market value.
   45  This analysis must provide a detailed description of each
   46  criterion, data source used, and methodology for interpretation
   47  of the data sets. Before being listed for sale, such lands must
   48  meet additional criteria, including title issues and community
   49  concerns. The council shall determine whether the request for
   50  surplusing is compatible with the resource values of and
   51  management objectives for such lands. The board shall adopt
   52  rules relating to any additional criteria required for
   53  recommendations made by the council concerning a request for
   54  surplusing pursuant to this paragraph.
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.