Title XXVIII, Natural Resources; Conservation, Reclamation, and Use

(1) The Legislature recognizes that by law in 1979, portions of Lake and Polk Counties were designated as the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern in acknowledgment of its regional and statewide importance in maintaining the quality and quantity of Florida’s water supply an…

(1) The Polk Regional Water Cooperative, in coordination with all of its member county and municipal governments, shall prepare a comprehensive annual report for water resource projects identified for state funding consideration within its members’ jurisdictions. The report must …

(1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the St. Johns River Water Management District, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection and pertinent local governments, shall review existing restoration proposals to determine which ones are the most en…

(1) FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that:1. The Indian River Lagoon is a critical water resource of this state which provides many economic, natural habitat, and biodiversity functions that benefit the public interest, including fishing, navigation, recreation, and…

(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Everglades Restoration Investment Act.”(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan” means the plan developed pursuant to s. 373.4595.(b) “Comprehensive plan” means the re…

(1) There is created within the Department of Environmental Protection the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund. Funds in the trust fund shall be expended to implement the comprehensive plan as defined in s. 373.470(2); the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Protection Plan as defined in s. 373…

(1)(a) In recognition that waters of the state are among the state’s most basic resources, the Legislature declares that such waters should be managed to conserve and protect water resources and to realize the full beneficial use of such resources.(b) As natural storage within th…

(1) The department shall transfer to the water management districts funds appropriated to the districts through the department in such sums as deemed necessary to defray the costs of the administrative, regulatory, and other operational activities of the districts. The governing …

(1) It is the finding of the Legislature that the general regulatory and administrative functions of the districts herein authorized are of general benefit to the people of the state and should fully or in part be financed by general appropriations. Further, it is the finding of …

If it should appear necessary to procure funds with which to pay the expenses of a district, or to meet emergencies, before a sufficient sum can be obtained from the collection of the tax, the board may borrow a sufficient amount of money to pay expenses and to meet emergencies a…

The audit report required in s. 218.39 shall be furnished to the governing board of the district and the clerks of the circuit courts of each county within or partly within the district.History.—s. 109, ch. 2001-266.

(1) BUDGET DEVELOPMENT.—(a) By January 15 of each year, each water management district shall submit a preliminary budget for the next fiscal year for legislative review to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of each legislative…

(1) FISCAL YEAR.—The fiscal year of districts created under the provisions of this chapter shall extend from October 1 of one year through September 30 of the following year.(2) BUDGET SUBMITTAL.—The budget officer of the district shall, on or before July 15 of each year, submit …

(1) Each year the governing board of the district shall certify to the property appraiser of the county in which the property is situate, timely for the preparation of the tax roll, the tax rate to be applied in determining the amount of the district’s annual tax, and the propert…

(1) Land comprising part of the principal of the State School Trust Fund declared by the constitution to be “sacred and inviolate,” or other real estate, title to which is in the State Board of Education, shall not be subject to the district tax nor shall there be liability there…

The governing board may, in its discretion, adopt and effectuate unit areas embracing separate or combined drainage basins, or parts thereof, or areas of related lands and works, for convenience or economy in constructing, maintaining and operating the works of the district, and …

(1) The governing board shall designate a treasurer who shall be custodian of all funds belonging to the board and to the district, and such funds shall be disbursed upon the order of, or in the manner prescribed by, the governing board by warrant or check signed by the treasurer…

In order to provide for the works described by this chapter, the governing board is hereby authorized and empowered to borrow money temporarily, from time to time, for a period not to exceed 1 year at any one time, not including renewals thereof, and to issue its promissory notes…

(1) The governing board is hereby authorized and empowered to borrow money on permanent loans and incur obligations from time to time on such terms and at such rates of interest as it may deem proper, not exceeding 7.5 percent per annum, for the purpose of raising funds to prosec…

The governing board shall have authority to issue refunding bonds to take up any outstanding bonds of said district falling due and becoming payable, when, in the judgment of said board, it shall be for the best interests of said district so to do. The said board is hereby author…

When required by the State Constitution, the governing board shall call an election of the freeholders in said district, in which said election the matter of whether or not said bonds shall be issued shall be decided as provided by law with respect to bond elections.History.—s. 3…

Whenever the governing board shall have authorized the issuance of bonds under the provisions of this chapter, the said board may, if it shall so elect, have said bonds validated in the manner provided by chapter 75, and to that end the said board may adopt a suitable resolution …

All of said bonds shall be executed and delivered to the treasurer of said district, who shall sell the same in such quantities and at such rates as the board may deem necessary to meet the payments for the works and improvements in the district. Said bonds shall not be sold for …

It shall be the duty of the treasurer as custodian of the funds belonging to the said board and to the district, out of the proceeds of the taxes levied and imposed by this chapter and out of any other moneys in the treasurer’s possession belonging to the district, which moneys s…

(1) Whenever the owner of any coupon bond issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall present such bond and all unpaid coupons thereof to the treasurer of the district with request for the conversion of such bond into a registered bond, such treasurer shall cut off an…

(1) In addition to issuing general obligation bonds as provided in s. 373.563, districts may also, from time to time, issue revenue bonds to finance the undertaking of any capital or other project for the purposes permitted by the State Constitution, to pay the costs and expenses…

If any warrant issued under this chapter is not paid when presented to the treasurer of the district because of lack of funds in the treasury, such fact shall be endorsed on the back of such warrant, and such warrant shall draw interest thereafter at a rate not exceeding 6 percen…

(1) Beginning July 1, 1999, funds shall be reserved annually by a governing board, during the development of its annual operating budget, for payments in lieu of taxes for all actual ad valorem tax losses incurred as a result of all governing board acquisitions for water manageme…

If a water management district has made a payment in lieu of taxes to a governmental entity and subsequently suspended such payment, the water management district shall reinstate appropriate payments and continue the payments for as long as the county population remains below the…

(1) To determine whether conservation, preservation, and recreation lands titled in the names of the water management districts are being managed for the purposes for which they were acquired and in accordance with land management objectives, the water management districts shall …

The Department of Environmental Protection or the governing board of any water management district and any officer or agent thereof may enforce any provision of this law or any rule or regulation adopted and promulgated or order issued thereunder to the same extent as any peace o…

The governing board of any water management district may adopt and implement a program of meritorious service awards for district employees who make proposals which are implemented and result in reducing district expenditures or improving district operations, who make exceptional…

The governing board of a water management district may provide group insurance for its employees, and the employees of another water management district, in the same manner and with the same provisions and limitations authorized for other public employees under ss. 112.08, 112.09…

(1) A water management district that has structures or facilities identified as critical infrastructure by the Regional Domestic Security Task Force created pursuant to s. 943.0312 shall conduct a fingerprint-based criminal history check for any current or prospective employee an…

Each water management district, as created in this chapter, may implement the recommendations from any study conducted pursuant to chapter 91-162, Laws of Florida, to achieve minority business enterprise procurement goals.History.—s. 1, ch. 96-412.

A water management district may purchase commodities and contractual services, excluding services subject to s. 287.055, from the purchasing contracts of special districts, municipalities, counties, other political subdivisions, educational institutions, other states, nonprofit e…

Each district may, in its own name:(1) Perform all things necessary to secure letters of patent, copyrights, and trademarks on any work products of the district and enforce its rights therein. Each district shall consider contributions by district personnel in the development of …

It shall be the duty of every state and county attorney, sheriff, police officer, and other appropriate city and county official, upon request, to assist the department, the governing board of any water management district, or any local board, or any of their agents in the enforc…

The district may suspend a contractor on a temporary or permanent basis from doing work with the district if such contractor has materially breached its contract with the district. The district shall adopt rules to administer the provisions of this section to specify the circumst…

In order to promote the cost-effective procurement of commodities and contractual services by the water management districts, a district may enter into contracts to limit or alter the measure of damages recoverable from a vendor or contractor by a district when procuring commodit…

Any person who violates any provision of this law or any rule, regulation or order adopted or issued pursuant thereto is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.History.—s. 18, ch. 57-380; s. 325, ch. 71-136; s. 25, ch. 73-…

The governing board of the district shall have the power, and is authorized, to offer and pay rewards of up to $1,000 to any person furnishing information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who has committed an unlawful act or acts upon the rights-of-way, land, or…

The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed in order to effectively carry out its purposes.History.—s. 4, part VI, ch. 72-299.

This chapter shall be construed liberally for effectuating the purposes described herein, and the procedure herein prescribed shall be followed and applied with such latitude consistent with the intent thereof as shall best meet the requirements or necessities therefor.History.—s…

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:(a) “Agency” means any official, officer, commission, authority, council, committee, department, division, bureau, board, section, or other unit or entity of state government.(b) “Permit” means any permit or licen…

The Legislature believes it is in the public interest that all water management districts created pursuant to s. 373.069 own, acquire, develop, construct, operate, and manage public information systems. Public information systems may be located on property owned by the water mana…