Florida Senate - 2011                                     SB 850
       
       
       
       By Senator Hays
       
       
       
       
       20-01076-11                                            2011850__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to state forests; amending s. 589.19,
    3         F.S.; providing for Wounded Warrior special hunt areas
    4         for certain disabled veterans; providing for funding;
    5         providing eligibility requirements; providing an
    6         effective date.
    7  
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Section 589.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   11  read:
   12         589.19 Creation of certain state forests; naming of certain
   13  state forests; Wounded Warrior special hunt areas.—
   14         (1) When the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement
   15  Trust Fund, any state agency, or any agency created by state
   16  law, authorized to accept reforestation lands in the name of the
   17  state, approves the recommendations of the Division of Forestry
   18  in reference to the acquisition of land and acquire such land,
   19  the said board, state agency, or agency created by state law,
   20  may formally designate and dedicate any area as a reforestation
   21  project, or state forest, and where so designated and dedicated
   22  such area shall be under the administration of the division
   23  which shall be authorized to manage and administer said area
   24  according to the purpose for which it was designated and
   25  dedicated.
   26         (2) The first state forest acquired by the Board of
   27  Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund in Baker County
   28  is to be named the John M. Bethea State Forest. This is to honor
   29  Mr. John M. Bethea who was Florida’s fourth state forester and
   30  whose distinguished career in state government spanned 46 years
   31  and who is a native of Baker County.
   32         (3) The state forest managed by the Division of Forestry in
   33  Seminole County is to be named the Charles H. Bronson State
   34  Forest to honor Charles H. Bronson, the tenth Commissioner of
   35  Agriculture, for his distinguished contribution to this state’s
   36  agriculture and natural resources.
   37         (4)(a) The Division of Forestry shall designate “Wounded
   38  Warrior special hunt areas” on state forest lands to provide
   39  hunt areas for disabled veterans. Funding required for
   40  specialized accommodations shall be provided through the Friends
   41  of Florida State Forests Program created in s. 589.012. The use
   42  of such areas shall be limited to a veteran who is eligible
   43  pursuant to paragraph (b) and other persons required to assist
   44  the veteran because of his or her disability.
   45         (b) A person is eligible to hunt in a Wounded Warrior
   46  special hunt area if he or she is a veteran, as defined in s.
   47  1.01, or has eligible peacetime service, as defined in s.
   48  296.02, and:
   49         1. Has a service-connected disability as determined by the
   50  United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or
   51         2. Has been discharged or released from military service
   52  because of a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of
   53  duty.
   54         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.