Senate Bill sb1476

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1476

    By Senator Saunders





    37-1371-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state lands; amending s.

  3         259.105, F.S.; eliminating obsolete provisions

  4         relating to the review of rules by the

  5         Legislature; amending s. 259.1052, F.S.;

  6         eliminating obsolete provisions relating to the

  7         disbursement of funds from the Florida Forever

  8         Trust Fund; providing an effective date.

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

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12         Section 1.  Subsection (18) of section 259.105, Florida

13  Statutes, is amended to read:

14         259.105  The Florida Forever Act.--

15         (18)  The Acquisition and Restoration Council shall

16  recommend adoption of rules by the board of trustees necessary

17  to implement the provisions of this section relating to:

18  solicitation, scoring, selecting, and ranking of Florida

19  Forever project proposals; disposing of or leasing lands or

20  water areas selected for funding through the Florida Forever

21  program; and the process of reviewing and recommending for

22  approval or rejection the land management plans associated

23  with publicly owned properties. Rules promulgated pursuant to

24  this subsection shall be submitted to the President of the

25  Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for

26  review by the Legislature, no later than 30 days prior to the

27  2001 Regular Session and shall become effective only after

28  legislative review. In its review, the Legislature may reject,

29  modify, or take no action relative to such rules. The board of

30  trustees shall conform such rules to changes made by the

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1476
    37-1371-07




 1  Legislature, or, if no action was taken by the Legislature,

 2  such rules shall become effective.

 3         Section 2.  Section 259.1052, Florida Statutes, is

 4  amended to read:

 5         259.1052  Babcock Crescent B Ranch Florida Forever

 6  acquisition; conditions for purchase.--

 7         (1)  The acquisition of the state's portion of the

 8  Babcock Crescent B Ranch by the Board of Trustees of the

 9  Internal Improvement Trust Fund is a conservation acquisition

10  under the Florida Forever program created in s. 259.105, with

11  a goal of sustaining the ecological and economic integrity of

12  the property being acquired while allowing the business of the

13  ranch to operate and prosper.

14         (2)  The Babcock Crescent B Ranch constitutes a unique

15  land mass that has significant scientific, cultural,

16  historical, recreational, ecological, wildlife, fisheries, and

17  productive values. The property is part of a potential

18  greenway of undeveloped land extending from Lake Okeechobee to

19  the east and Charlotte Harbor to the west. The natural beauty

20  and abundant resources of the ranch provide numerous public

21  recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, camping,

22  horseback riding, and hunting.

23         (3)  The Legislature recognizes that the acquisition of

24  the state's portion of the Babcock Crescent B Ranch represents

25  a unique opportunity to assist in preserving the largest

26  private and undeveloped single-ownership tract of land in

27  Charlotte County. The Legislature further recognizes Lee

28  County as a partner in the acquisition of the ranch.

29         (4)  This section authorizes the acquisition of the

30  state's portion of the Babcock Crescent B Ranch in order to

31  protect and preserve for future generations the scientific,

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1476
    37-1371-07




 1  scenic, historic, and natural values of the ranch, including

 2  rivers and ecosystems; to protect and preserve the

 3  archaeological, geological, and cultural resources of the

 4  ranch; to provide for species recovery; and to provide

 5  opportunities for public recreation.

 6         (5)  The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and

 7  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall be

 8  the lead managing agencies responsible for the management of

 9  Babcock Crescent B Ranch.

10         (6)  In addition to distributions authorized under s.

11  259.105(3), the Department of Environmental Protection is

12  authorized to distribute $310 million in revenues from the

13  Florida Forever Trust Fund. This distribution shall represent

14  payment in full for the portion of the Babcock Crescent B

15  Ranch to be acquired by the state under this section.

16         (7)  As used in this section, the term "state's portion

17  of the Babcock Crescent B Ranch" comprises those lands to be

18  conveyed by special warranty deed to the Board of Trustees of

19  the Internal Improvement Trust Fund under the provisions of

20  the agreement for sale and purchase executed by the Board of

21  Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, the Fish and

22  Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of

23  Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the participating local

24  government, as purchaser, and MSKP, III, a Florida

25  corporation, as seller.

26         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

27  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1476
    37-1371-07




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Deletes obsolete provisions relating to the review of
      rules by the Legislature and the disbursement of funds
 4    from the Florida Forever Trust Fund.

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