House Bill 0493e1

                                           HM 493, First Engrossed



  1                          House Memorial

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging action by the U.S. Department of

  4         the Army and the Environmental Protection

  5         Agency, relating to wetland delineation.

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  8         WHEREAS, the State of Florida has implemented a

  9  statewide wetland delineation methodology specific to Florida

10  wetlands that fosters streamlined permitting, does not

11  compromise wetland protection, and provides a unified

12  definition and methodology binding all state, regional, and

13  local governments and agencies, and

14         WHEREAS, the use of the federal delineation methodology

15  results in a slightly different wetland line in certain areas

16  than the unified statewide methodology for the delineation of

17  wetlands, and these areas of difference may not in fact be

18  wetlands in Florida, and

19         WHEREAS, the state wishes to ensure continued

20  coordination with federal wetland planning and regulation

21  without unnecessary duplication, needless paperwork, and

22  delays, and

23         WHEREAS, acceptance of the Florida statewide unified

24  wetland delineation methodology by the federal agencies would

25  eliminate substantial transactional costs, NOW, THEREFORE,

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27  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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29         That the State of Florida supports action by the U.S.

30  Congress, the congressional delegation from Florida, the

31  Administrator and Regional Administrator for Region IV of the


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






                                           HM 493, First Engrossed



  1  United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the

  2  Secretary of the Army that would result in the federal

  3  agencies accepting the use of Florida's statewide wetland

  4  definition and delineation methodology when implementing

  5  section 404 of the Clean Water Act and section 10 of the

  6  Rivers and Harbors Act within Florida.

  7         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

  8  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the

  9  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the

10  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of

11  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.

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