1999 Florida Code
TITLE XVIII PUBLIC LANDS AND PROPERTY
Chapter 259 Land Acquisitions for Conservation Or Recreation  
259.0345   Florida Forever Advisory Council.

259.0345  Florida Forever Advisory Council.--

(1)(a)  There is hereby created the Florida Forever Advisory Council, consisting of seven residents of this state who shall be appointed by the Governor. The appointments shall include one member from within the geographic boundaries of each water management district who has resided in the district for at least 1 year. The remaining appointments shall come from the state at large. The membership of the council shall be representative of agriculture, the development community, local government, the environmental community, and the scientific and technical community who have substantial experience in areas of land, water, and wildlife management and other related areas.

(b)  The members appointed by the Governor shall serve 4-year terms, except that, initially, to provide for staggered terms, three of the appointees shall serve 2-year terms. No appointee shall serve more than 6 years. The Governor may at any time fill a vacancy for the unexpired term of a member appointed under paragraph (a).

(c)  Additionally, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one ad hoc nonvoting member from their respective chambers. Such members shall be appointed from a standing committee that has a jurisdictional responsibility for the Department of Environmental Protection. These appointees shall serve for the duration of the term of the appointing President or Speaker.

(d)  No person who is or has been a lobbyist as defined in s. 112.3148, at any time during the 24 months preceding appointment to the council, for any entity whose interests could be affected by actions or decisions of the council, shall be appointed to the council.

(e)  Appointments shall be made by August 15, 1999, and the council's first meeting shall be held by September 15, 1999. Beginning, January 1, 2000, the council shall, at a minimum, meet twice a year.

(2)  The Governor shall appoint the chair of the council, and a vice chair shall be elected from among the voting members.

(3)  Each member of the council shall receive $75 per day while engaged in the business of the council, as well as expenses and per diem for travel, including attendance at meetings, as provided in s. 112.061.

(4)  The department shall provide primary staff support to the council and shall ensure that council meetings are electronically recorded. Such recordings shall be preserved pursuant to chapters 119 and 257. The department may adopt any rule or form necessary to implement this section.

(5)  The department shall execute a contract with the Florida Natural Areas Inventory for the scientific assistance necessary to fulfill the requirements of this section.

(6)  The department may request the assistance of other state agencies, water management districts, or universities to provide information or expertise to the council.

(7)  The council shall provide a report, by November 1, 2000, to the Secretary of Environmental Protection, who shall forward the report to the board of trustees for their approval. After approval by the board of trustees, the secretary shall forward the approved report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at least 30 days prior to the 2001 Regular Legislative Session, for review by the appropriate legislative committees with jurisdiction over the department. The Legislature may reject, modify, or take no action relative to the goals and performance measures established by the report. If no action is taken, the goals and performance measures shall be implemented. The report shall meet the following requirements:

(a)  Establish specific goals for those identified in s. 259.105(4).

(b)  Provide recommendations expanding or refining the goals identified in s. 259.105(4).

(c)  Provide recommendations for the development and identification of performance measures to be used for analyzing the progress made towards the goals established pursuant to s. 259.105(4).

(d)  Provide recommendations for the process by which projects are to be submitted, reviewed, and approved by the Acquisition and Restoration Council. The advisory council is to specifically examine ways to streamline the process created by the Florida Forever Act.

(8)  The council shall provide a report, at least 30 days prior to the regular legislative sessions in the following years: 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. The report shall be provided to the Secretary of Environmental Protection, who shall forward the report to the board of trustees for their approval. After approval by the board of trustees, the secretary shall forward the approved report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report shall provide: recommendations for adjusting or expanding the goals detailed in s. 259.105(4); recommendations for adjusting the percentage distributions detailed in s. 259.105(3); and recommendations concerning other aspects of the Florida Forever Act.

(9)  The reports required pursuant to subsections (7) and (8) are to be based upon and developed through:

(a)  Comments received during public hearings, in different areas of the state, held for the purpose of gathering public input and recommendations.

(b)  Evaluations of Florida's existing public land acquisition programs for conservation, preservation, and recreational purposes, including those administered by the water management districts and the Department of Community Affairs, to determine the extent of Florida's unmet needs for restoration, acquisition, and management of public lands and water areas and for acquisition of privately owned lands and water areas.

(c)  Material and data developed by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory concerning Florida's conservation lands.

History.--s. 14, ch. 99-247.