Senate Bill sb2534
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
By Senator Argenziano
3-971A-05
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 act as lead entity
10 for the purpose of providing staff and
11 administrative support for the council;
12 providing for a Citrus/Hernando Waterways
13 restoration program; providing an effective
14 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 or are in the application
21 process, and
22 WHEREAS, the Citrus/Hernando waterways are plagued by
23 fluctuating water levels and sedimentation increasing nitrate
24 levels and sand movement causing blockage of natural springs
25 and excessive growth of aquatic plants, which are degrading
26 their water quality and recreational value, and
27 WHEREAS, despite their current problems, the
28 Citrus/Hernando waterways continue to provide wildlife habitat
29 for fish, birds, and game and offer recreational opportunities
30 for the residents of Citrus and Hernando Counties and visitors
31 to the area, and
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
3-971A-05
1 WHEREAS, the renewable economic potential of the
2 Citrus/Hernando waterways is significant, and
3 WHEREAS, the Southwest Florida Water Management
4 District and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
5 along with other state, regional, and local entities, have
6 developed proposals to restore portions of the Citrus/Hernando
7 waterways, NOW, THEREFORE,
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9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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11 Section 1. The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration
12 Council.--
13 (1) There is created within the Withlacoochee and
14 Coastal Rivers Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water
15 Management District a council to be known as the
16 Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council. The council
17 shall be coordinated by representatives of the following
18 agencies: the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the
19 Department of Environmental Protection, and the Southwest
20 Florida Water Management District. The council is subject to
21 chapters 119 and 120, Florida Statutes.
22 (2) Members of the council shall consist of 14 voting
23 members with seven appointed by the President of the Senate
24 and seven appointed by the Speaker of the House of
25 Representatives. The council shall consist of representatives
26 as follows:
27 a. Two waterfront property owners from each county,
28 one from the east side of the county and one from the west
29 side of the county.
30 b. An attorney from each county.
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
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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.
5 f. A person from each county with training in biology
6 or another scientific discipline.
7 (3) The council members from each county shall form
8 two separate county task forces from the council to review and
9 make recommendations on all waterways. The Hernando County
10 Task Force shall develop plans for the restoration of all
11 waterways in Hernando County. The Citrus County Task Force
12 shall develop plans for the restoration of all waterways in
13 Citrus County.
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, the United States
21 Army Corps of Engineers, and the county department of public
22 works, each of whom shall be appointed by his or her
23 respective agency, and each of whom, with the exception of the
24 representatives from the Withlacoochee River Basin Board and
25 Coastal Rivers Basin Board, shall have had training in biology
26 or another scientific discipline.
27 (5) Each member shall be appointed to a 4-year term.
28 Immediately after appointment, the council shall meet and
29 organize by electing a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary,
30 whose terms shall be for 2 years each. Council officers may
31 not serve consecutive terms. Each council member shall be a
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
3-971A-05
1 voting member. Additionally, the two county task forces shall
2 elect a chair and a secretary whose terms shall be for 2 years
3 each.
4 (6) The council or the county task forces shall meet
5 at the call of its chair, at the request of six of its
6 members, or at the request of the chair of the governing board
7 of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
8 (7) The council shall have the powers and duties to:
9 (a) Review audits and all data specifically related to
10 lake and river restoration techniques and sport fish
11 population recovery strategies, including data and strategies
12 for shoreline restoration, sand and other sediment control and
13 removal, exotic species management, floating tussock
14 management or removal, navigation, water quality, and fish and
15 wildlife habitat improvement, particularly as they may apply
16 to the Citrus/Hernando waterways.
17 (b) Evaluate whether additional studies are needed.
18 (c) Explore all possible sources of funding to conduct
19 the restoration activities.
20 (d) Report to the President of the Senate and the
21 Speaker of the House of Representatives before November 25 of
22 each year on the progress of the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
23 restoration program and any recommendations for the next
24 fiscal year.
25 (8) The Southwest Florida Water Management District
26 shall act as lead entity for the purpose of providing staff
27 and administrative support to assist the council in carrying
28 out the provisions of this act.
29 (9) Members of the council shall receive no
30 compensation for their services, but are entitled to be
31 reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred during
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
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1 execution of their official duties, as provided in section
2 112.061, Florida Statutes. State and federal agencies are
3 responsible for the per diem and travel expenses of their
4 respective appointees to the council and the Southwest Florida
5 Water Management District is responsible for per diem and
6 travel expenses of other appointees to the council.
7 Section 2. The Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration
8 program.--
9 (1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and
10 the Southwest Florida Water Management District, in
11 conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection,
12 pertinent local governments, and the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
13 Restoration Council, shall review existing restoration
14 proposals to determine which ones are the most environmentally
15 sound and economically feasible methods of improving the fish
16 and wildlife habitat and natural systems of the
17 Citrus/Hernando waterways.
18 (2) To initiate the Citrus/Hernando Waterways
19 restoration program recommended by the Citrus/Hernando
20 Waterways Restoration Council, the Fish and Wildlife
21 Conservation Commission, with assistance from the Southwest
22 Florida Water Management District and in consultation and by
23 agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection and
24 pertinent local governments, shall develop tasks to be
25 considered by those entities for the enhancement of fish and
26 wildlife habitat. These tasks shall include the following:
27 (a) An evaluation of different methodologies for
28 removing the extensive tussocks and buildup of organic matter
29 along the shoreline and of the aquatic vegetation in the lake.
30 (b) The conduct of any additional studies as required
31 by the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council.
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2534
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1 (3) Contingent on the Legislature's appropriating
2 funds for the Citrus/Hernando Waterways restoration program
3 and in conjunction with financial participation by the Federal
4 Government and other state and local governments, the
5 appropriate agencies shall, through competitive bid, award
6 contracts to implement the activities of the Citrus/Hernando
7 Waterways restoration program.
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
9 law.
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12 SENATE SUMMARY
13 Creates the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration
Council. Provides duties and powers. Creates an advisory
14 group to the council. Establishes the Citrus/Hernando
Waterways restoration program and authorizes the Fish and
15 Wildlife Conservation Commission and Southwest Florida
Water Management District, in conjunction with the
16 Department of Environmental Protection, to develop tasks
necessary to initiate the program as recommended by the
17 council. (See bill for details.)
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