Senate Bill sb1408

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408

    By Senator Brown-Waite





    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to water management; creating

  3         the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration

  4         Council; providing for membership, powers, and

  5         duties; providing for separate county task

  6         forces; providing for a report to the

  7         Legislature; providing for an advisory group to

  8         the council; requiring the Southwest Florida

  9         Water Management District to provide staff for

10         the council; providing for award of contracts

11         subject to an appropriation of funds; providing

12         for a Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration

13         program; providing for demonstration

14         restoration projects; providing appropriations;

15         providing an effective date.

16

17         WHEREAS, the waterways of Citrus and Hernando Counties

18  are of historic, hydrological, and ecological significance,

19  and

20         WHEREAS, most of these Citrus/Hernando waterways are

21  Outstanding Florida Waterways or in the application process,

22  and

23         WHEREAS, the Citrus/Hernando waterways are plagued by

24  fluctuating water levels and sedimentation increasing nitrate

25  levels and sand movement causing blockage of natural springs

26  and excessive growth of aquatic plants, which are degrading

27  their water quality and recreational value, and

28         WHEREAS, despite their current problems, the

29  Citrus/Hernando waterways continue to provide wildlife habitat

30  for fish, birds, and game and offer recreational opportunities

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1  for the residents of Citrus and Hernando Counties and visitors

  2  to the area, and

  3         WHEREAS, the renewable economic potential of the

  4  Citrus/Hernando waterways is significant, and

  5         WHEREAS, the Southwest Florida Water Management

  6  District and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,

  7  along with other state, regional, and local entities, have

  8  developed proposals to restore portions of the Citrus/Hernando

  9  waterways, NOW, THEREFORE,

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  (1)  The Citrus/Hernando Waterways

14  Restoration Council.--There is created within the

15  Withlacoochee and Coastal Rivers Basin Boards of the Southwest

16  Florida Water Management District a council to be known as the

17  Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council. The council

18  shall be coordinated by representatives of the following

19  agencies:  the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

20  Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, and

21  the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The council

22  is subject to the provisions of chapters 119 and 120, Florida

23  Statutes.

24         (2)  Members of the council shall consist of twelve

25  voting members with six appointed by the President of the

26  Senate and six appointed by the Speaker of the House of

27  Representatives. The council shall consist of representatives

28  as follows:

29         a.  Waterfront property owners from each county,

30         b.  An attorney from each county,

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1         c.  A member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber

  2  of Commerce from each county,

  3         d.  An environmental engineer from each county,

  4         e.  An engineer from each county, and

  5         f.  A person from each county with training in biology

  6  or another scientific discipline.

  7         (3)  The council members from each county are to form

  8  two separate county task forces from the council to review and

  9  make recommendations on specific waterways. The Hernando

10  County Task Force shall develop plans for the restoration of

11  the Weeki Wachee River and Springs. The Citrus County Task

12  Force shall develop plans for the restoration of the

13  Tsala-Apopka Chain of Lakes.

14         (4)  There shall be a technical advisory group to the

15  council and the two county task forces which shall consist of

16  one representative each from the Southwest Florida Water

17  Management District, the Department of Environmental

18  Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Fish and

19  Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Coastal Rivers Basin

20  Board, the Withlacoochee River Basin Board, and the United

21  States Army Corps of Engineers, each of whom shall be

22  appointed by his or her respective agency, and each of whom,

23  with the exception of the representatives from the

24  Withlacoochee River Basin Board and Coastal Rivers Basin

25  Board, shall have had training in biology or another

26  scientific discipline.

27         (5)  Immediately after appointment, the council shall

28  meet and organize by electing a chair, a vice chair, and a

29  secretary, whose terms shall be for 2 years each. Council

30  officers shall not serve consecutive terms. Each council

31  member shall be a voting member. Additionally, the two county

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1  task forces shall elect a chair and a secretary whose terms

  2  shall be for 2 years each.

  3         (6)  The council or the county task forces shall meet

  4  at the call of its chair, at the request of six of its

  5  members, or at the request of the chair of the governing board

  6  of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

  7         (7)  The council shall have the powers and duties to:

  8         (a)  Review audits and all data specifically related to

  9  lake and river restoration techniques and sport fish

10  population recovery strategies, including data and strategies

11  for shoreline restoration, sand and other sediment control and

12  removal, exotic species management, floating tussock

13  management or removal, navigation, water quality, and fish and

14  wildlife habitat improvement, particularly as they may apply

15  to the Citrus/Hernando waterways.

16         (b)  Evaluate whether additional studies are needed.

17         (c)  Explore all possible sources of funding to conduct

18  the restoration activities.

19         (d)  Report to the Speaker of the House of

20  Representatives and the President of the Senate before

21  November 25 of each year on the progress of the

22  Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program and any

23  recommendations for the next fiscal year.

24         (8)  The Southwest Florida Water Management District

25  shall provide staff to assist the council in carrying out the

26  provisions of this act.

27         (9)  Members of the council shall receive no

28  compensation for their services, but are entitled to be

29  reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred during

30  execution of their official duties, as provided in s. 112.061,

31  Florida Statutes. State and federal agencies shall be

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1  responsible for the per diem and travel expenses of their

  2  respective appointees to the council, and the Southwest

  3  Florida Water Management District shall be responsible for per

  4  diem and travel expenses of other appointees to the council.

  5         Section 2.  The Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration

  6  program.--

  7         (1)  The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and

  8  the Southwest Florida Water Management District, in

  9  conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection,

10  pertinent local governments, and the Citrus/Hernando Waterways

11  Restoration Council, shall review existing restoration

12  proposals to determine which ones are the most environmentally

13  sound and economically feasible methods of improving the fish

14  and wildlife habitat and natural systems of the

15  Citrus/Hernando waterways.

16         (2)  To initiate the Citrus/Hernando Waterways

17  restoration program recommended by the Citrus/Hernando

18  Waterways Restoration Council, the Fish and Wildlife

19  Conservation Commission, with assistance from the Southwest

20  Florida Water Management District and in consultation and by

21  agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection and

22  pertinent local governments, shall develop tasks to be

23  undertaken by those entities for the enhancement of fish and

24  wildlife habitat. These agencies shall:

25         (a)  Evaluate different methodologies for removing the

26  extensive tussocks and buildup of organic matter along the

27  shoreline and of the aquatic vegetation in the lake.

28         (b)  Conduct any additional studies as recommended by

29  the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council.

30         (3)  Contingent on the Legislature's appropriating

31  funds for the Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1  and in conjunction with financial participation by federal,

  2  other state, and local governments, the appropriate agencies

  3  shall, through competitive bid, award contracts to implement

  4  the activities of the Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration

  5  program.

  6         Section 3.  The sum of $45,000 is appropriated from the

  7  General Revenue Fund to the Southwest Florida Water Management

  8  District for the purpose of paying administrative, per diem,

  9  and travel expenses of the Citrus/Hernando Waterways

10  Restoration Council.

11         Section 4.  The Fish and Wildlife Conservation

12  Commission is authorized to conduct a demonstration

13  restoration project on the Tsala-Apopka Chain of Lakes for the

14  purpose of removing, with proper permits, overlying

15  undesirable vegetation and associated organic material down to

16  mineralized soils, thus allowing for the establishment of a

17  more desirable aquatic plant community on hard, sandy

18  substrate and creating better habitat for fish and wildlife.

19  The sum of $100,000 is appropriated from the General Revenue

20  Fund to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the

21  purpose of conducting the demonstration restoration project.

22         Section 5.  The Southwest Florida Water Management

23  District is authorized to conduct a demonstration restoration

24  project on the Weeki Wachee to improve the water flow by a

25  sand containment and erosion control project, including other

26  restoration activities related to this problem.

27         Section 6.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

28  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1408
    10-744A-01                                          See HB 161




  1            *****************************************

  2                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

  3    Creates the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council
      and an advisory group to the council. Establishes the
  4    Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program and
      authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
  5    with the assistance of the Southwest Florida Water
      Management District and by agreement with the Department
  6    of Environmental Protection, to develop tasks necessary
      to initiate the program as recommended by the council.
  7    Authorizes demonstration restoration projects. Provides
      funding. (See bill for details.)
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