House Bill hb0161
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
By Representative Argenziano
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 a report to the
6 Legislature; providing for an advisory group to
7 the council; requiring the Southwest Florida
8 Water Management District to provide staff for
9 the council; providing for award of contracts
10 subject to an appropriation of funds; providing
11 for a Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration
12 program; providing for a demonstration
13 restoration project; providing appropriations;
14 providing an effective date.
15
16 WHEREAS, the waterways of Citrus and Hernando Counties
17 are of historic, hydrological, and ecological significance,
18 and
19 WHEREAS, most of these Citrus/Hernando waterways are
20 Outstanding Florida Waterways, and
21 WHEREAS, the Citrus/Hernando waterways are plagued by
22 fluctuating water levels and sedimentation and excessive
23 growth of aquatic plants, which are degrading their water
24 quality and recreational value, and
25 WHEREAS, despite their current problems, the
26 Citrus/Hernando waterways continue to provide wildlife habitat
27 for fish, birds, and game and offer recreational opportunities
28 for the residents of Citrus and Hernando Counties and visitors
29 to the area, and
30 WHEREAS, the renewable economic potential of the
31 Citrus/Hernando waterways is significant, and
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
576-150A-01
1 WHEREAS, the Southwest Florida Water Management
2 District and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
3 along with other state, regional, and local entities, have
4 developed proposals to restore portions of the Citrus/Hernando
5 waterways, NOW, THEREFORE,
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7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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9 Section 1. The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration
10 Council.--There is created within the Southwest Florida Water
11 Management District, with assistance from the Fish and
12 Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Citrus/Hernando
13 Waterways Restoration Council.
14 (1)(a) The council shall consist of eight voting
15 members, as follows: one representative of waterfront property
16 owners from each county, one representative of the sport
17 fishing industry from each county, one environmental engineer,
18 one person with training in biology or another scientific
19 discipline, one person with training as an attorney, and one
20 person with training as an engineer, each to be appointed by
21 the Citrus County Commission or the Hernando County
22 Commission. No person serving on the council may be appointed
23 to a council, board, or commission of any council advisory
24 group agency. The council members shall serve as advisors to
25 the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management
26 District. The council is subject to the provisions of chapters
27 119 and 120, Florida Statutes.
28 (b) There shall be an advisory group to the council
29 which shall consist of one representative each from the
30 Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Department of
31 Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation,
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
576-150A-01
1 the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the
2 Withlacoochee River Basin Board, and the United States Army
3 Corps of Engineers, each of whom shall be appointed by his or
4 her respective agency, and each of whom, with the exception of
5 the representative from the Withlacoochee River Basin Board,
6 shall have had training in biology or another scientific
7 discipline.
8 (2) Immediately after appointment, the council shall
9 meet and organize by electing a chair, a vice chair, and a
10 secretary, whose terms shall be for 2 years each. Council
11 officers shall not serve consecutive terms. Each council
12 member shall be a voting member.
13 (3) The council shall meet at the call of its chair,
14 at the request of six of its members, or at the request of the
15 chair of the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water
16 Management District.
17 (4) The council shall have the powers and duties to:
18 (a) Review audits and all data specifically related to
19 lake restoration techniques and sport fish population recovery
20 strategies, including data and strategies for shoreline
21 restoration, sediment control and removal, exotic species
22 management, floating tussock management or removal,
23 navigation, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat
24 improvement, particularly as they may apply to the
25 Citrus/Hernando waterways.
26 (b) Evaluate whether additional studies are needed.
27 (c) Explore all possible sources of funding to conduct
28 the restoration activities.
29 (d) Report to the Speaker of the House of
30 Representatives and the President of the Senate before
31 November 25 of each year on the progress of the
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
576-150A-01
1 Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program and any
2 recommendations for the next fiscal year.
3 (5) The Southwest Florida Water Management District
4 shall provide staff to assist the council in carrying out the
5 provisions of this act.
6 (6) Members of the council shall receive no
7 compensation for their services, but are entitled to be
8 reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred during
9 execution of their official duties, as provided in s. 112.061,
10 Florida Statutes. State and federal agencies shall be
11 responsible for the per diem and travel expenses of their
12 respective appointees to the council, and the Southwest
13 Florida Water Management District shall be responsible for per
14 diem and travel expenses of other appointees to the council.
15 Section 2. The Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration
16 program.--
17 (1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and
18 the Southwest Florida Water Management District, in
19 conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection,
20 pertinent local governments, and the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
21 Restoration Council, shall review existing restoration
22 proposals to determine which ones are the most environmentally
23 sound and economically feasible methods of improving the fish
24 and wildlife habitat and natural systems of the
25 Citrus/Hernando waterways.
26 (2) To initiate the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
27 restoration program recommended by the Citrus/Hernando
28 Waterways Restoration Council, the Fish and Wildlife
29 Conservation Commission, with assistance from the Southwest
30 Florida Water Management District and in consultation and by
31 agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection and
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
576-150A-01
1 pertinent local governments, shall develop tasks to be
2 undertaken by those entities for the enhancement of fish and
3 wildlife habitat. These agencies shall:
4 (a) Evaluate different methodologies for removing the
5 extensive tussocks and buildup of organic matter along the
6 shoreline and of the aquatic vegetation in the lake.
7 (b) Conduct any additional studies as recommended by
8 the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council.
9 (3) Contingent on the Legislature's appropriating
10 funds for the Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program
11 and in conjunction with financial participation by federal,
12 other state, and local governments, the appropriate agencies
13 shall, through competitive bid, award contracts to implement
14 the activities of the Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration
15 program.
16 Section 3. The sum of $45,000 is appropriated from the
17 General Revenue Fund to the Southwest Florida Water Management
18 District for the purpose of paying administrative, per diem,
19 and travel expenses of the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
20 Restoration Council.
21 Section 4. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation
22 Commission is authorized to conduct a demonstration
23 restoration project on the Tsala-Apopka Chain of Lakes for the
24 purpose of removing, with proper permits, overlying
25 undesirable vegetation and associated organic material down to
26 mineralized soils, thus allowing for the establishment of a
27 more desirable aquatic plant community on hard, sandy subtrate
28 and creating better habitat for fish and wildlife. The sum of
29 $100,000 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the
30 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the purpose of
31 conducting the demonstration restoration project.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 161
576-150A-01
1 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
2 law.
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5 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Creates the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council
7 and an advisory group to the council. Establishes the
Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program and
8 authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
with the assistance of the Southwest Florida Water
9 Management District and by agreement with the Department
of Environmental Protection, to develop tasks necessary
10 to initiate the program as recommended by the council.
Authorizes a demonstration restoration project. Provides
11 funding. See bill for details.
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