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

(1) There is established within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund to be used exclusively for the purposes of this section.(2) The commission shall spend money from the fund and all interest derived from its invest…

(1) The Grants and Donations Trust Fund is created within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.(2) The fund is established for use as a depository for funds to be used for allowable grant and donor agreement activities. Moneys to be credited to the trust fund shall consi…

(1) There is established within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Lifetime Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund to be used for the purpose of supporting fish and wildlife conservation programs of the state in accordance with this section.(2) The principal of the fund shal…

(1) The Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shall serve as a broad-based depository for funds from various marine-related and boating-related activities. The commission may invest and reinvest the funds and the interest th…

(1) The Legislature recognizes the value of maintaining ecologically healthy and stable populations of a wide diversity of fish and wildlife species and recognizes the need for monitoring, research, management, and public awareness of all wildlife species in order to guarantee th…

The funds resulting from the operation of the commission and from the administration of the laws and regulations pertaining to birds, game, fur-bearing animals, freshwater fish, reptiles, and amphibians, together with any other funds specifically provided for such purposes, shall…

(1)(a) There is established within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to implement s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.(b) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or its designee shall manage such lands for the primary purpose …

(1) The Save the Manatee Trust Fund shall be administered by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.(2) The commission may invest and reinvest the funds and the interest thereof of the Save the Manatee Trust Fund. Funds to be credited to and uses of the trust fund shall be…

(1) The Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund shall be administered by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.(2) The commission may invest and reinvest the funds and the interest thereof of the Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund. Funds to be credited to and uses of the trust f…

(1) Except as provided in ss. 379.203 and 379.207, all saltwater license and permit fees collected pursuant to s. 379.354 shall be deposited into the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund, to be used as follows:(a) Not more than 7.5 percent of the total fees collected shall be…

Any moneys available pursuant to s. 379.2201(1)(c) may be expended by the commission within Florida through grants and contracts for research with research institutions including but not limited to: Florida Sea Grant; Florida Marine Resources Council; Harbour Branch Oceanographic…

(1) All moneys collected from fines, penalties, proceeds from unclaimed bonds, or forfeitures of bail of persons convicted under this chapter shall be deposited in the fine and forfeiture fund established pursuant to s. 142.01 where such convictions are had, except for the dispos…

The commission shall expend the revenue generated from the sale of the management area permit as provided for in s. 379.354(8)(g) or that pro rata portion of any license that includes management area privileges as provided for in s. 379.354(4)(h), (i), and (j) for the lease, mana…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with the approval of the Governor, may acquire, in the name of the state, lands and waters suitable for the protection and propagation of game, fish, nongame birds, or fur-bearing animals, or for hunting purposes, game farms, by purc…

(1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized to make, adopt, promulgate, amend, repeal, and enforce all reasonable rules and regulations necessary for the protection, control, operation, management, or development of lands or waters owned by, leased by, or othe…

No property acquired by purchase, lease, gift, contract to purchase or lease, or otherwise, under the provisions of this chapter, as state game lands, or any private lands used as game refuges, shooting grounds, privileges, hatcheries or breeding grounds for fish, game, birds or …

(1) PURPOSE.—It is the intent of the Legislature to provide for the development and management of recreational sites in the water conservation areas of the Florida Everglades when such development:(a) Can be accomplished without endangering the water quality and quantity of suppl…

(1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may authorize the establishment of citizen support organizations to provide assistance, funding, and promotional support for the programs of the commission. For purposes of this section, the term “citizen support organization” mea…

(1) As used in this section, the term “convicted” or “conviction” means any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal.(2) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a court may order a person who is convicted of a violation of this chapter or of a rule or orde…

A memorandum of agreement will be developed between the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which will detail the responsibilities of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute to the department, to include, at a minimum, the fol…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized and empowered to enter into cooperative agreements with the Federal Government or agencies thereof for the purpose of preserving saltwater fisheries within and without state waters and for the purpose of protecting again…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may enter into agreements of reciprocity with the fish commissioners or other departments or other proper officials of other states, whereby the citizens of the state may be permitted to take or catch shrimp or prawn from the waters u…

(1) FORM.—The Governor of this state is hereby authorized and directed to execute a compact on behalf of the State of Florida with any one or more of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, …

(1) FORM.—The Governor of this state is hereby authorized and directed to execute the compact on behalf of the State of Florida with any one or more of the States of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and with such other state as may enter into a compact, legal joining th…

The Wildlife Violator Compact is created and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:ARTICLE IFindings and Purpose(1) The participating states find that:(a) Wildlife resources are managed in trust by the respective st…

(1) LICENSING AND ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.—For purposes of this act and the interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the licensing authority for the State of Florida and shall enforce the interstate Wildlife Violator Compact and shall d…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized and empowered:(1) To enter into cooperative agreements with the United States Forest Service for the development of game, bird, fish, reptile, or fur-bearing animal management and demonstration projects on and in the Osc…

(1) The state hereby assents to the provisions of the Act of Congress entitled “An Act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in Wildlife Restoration Projects, and for other purposes,” approved September 2, 1937 (Pub. L. No. 415, 75th Congress), and the Fish and W…

(1) The state hereby assents to the provisions of the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act of August 9, 1950, as amended. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shall perform such activities as are necessary to conduct wildlife and sportfish restoration projects, as defined…

(1) This act may be known and cited as the “Florida Territorial Waters Act.”(2) It is the purpose of this act to exercise and exert full sovereignty and control of the territorial waters of the state.(3) No license shall be issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission …

(1) There is established a Harmful-Algal-Bloom Task Force for the purpose of determining research, monitoring, control, and mitigation strategies for red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida waters. The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute shall appoint to the task forc…

(1)(a) The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute shall implement a program designed to increase the knowledge of factors that control harmful algal blooms, including red tide, and to gain knowledge to be used for the early detection of factors precipitating harmful algal blooms fo…

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish an independent and coordinated effort among public and private research entities to develop prevention, control, and mitigation technologies and approaches to address the impacts of red tide on coastal environments and communit…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of the state is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement of the reciprocity with the game and fish commissioners or the appropriate officials or departments of the State of Georgia and the State of Alabama relative to the taking o…

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of the state is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement of reciprocity with the game and fish commissioner or the appropriate officials or departments of the State of Georgia relative to the taking of game and freshwater fish fro…

(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act.”(2) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—The Legislature recognizes that the State of Florida harbors a wide diversity of fish and wildlife and that it is the policy of this state to conserve and …

(1) There is established within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Endangered and Threatened Species Reward Program, to be funded from the Nongame Wildlife Trust Fund. The commission may post rewards to persons responsible for providing information leading to the a…

(1) The Legislature finds and declares that the ability of airports to manage wildlife hazards in a manner consistent with state and federal law is necessary to prevent jeopardy to human life or aircraft safety. It is the intent of the Legislature that actions taken by airports w…

(1) Consent of the State of Florida is hereby given, to the United States for acquisition of lands, waters, or lands and waters or interests therein, for the purpose of managing, protecting and propagating fish and wildlife and for other conservation uses in the state, providing …

(1) It is unlawful to import for sale or use, or to release within this state, any species of the animal kingdom not native to Florida unless authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.(2) A person in violation of this section commits a Level Three violation unde…

(1) As used in this section, the term “priority invasive species” means the following:(a) Lizards of the genus Tupinambis, also known as tegu lizards;(b) Species identified in s. 379.372(2)(a);(c) Pterois volitans, also known as red lionfish; and(d) Pterois miles, also known as t…

(1) OWNERSHIP.—All beds and bottoms of navigable rivers, bayous, lagoons, lakes, bays, sounds, inlets, oceans, gulfs and other bodies of water within the jurisdiction of Florida shall be the property of the state except such as may be held under some grant or alienation heretofor…

(1) The Legislature finds that the release into the atmosphere of large numbers of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases poses a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals.(2) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to …

The commission is given authority, from time to time in its discretion, to cause the statutory laws under its jurisdiction, together with any rules promulgated by it, to be published in pamphlet form for free distribution in this state. The commission is authorized to make charge…

(1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may enter into agreements to secure the private publication of public information brochures, pamphlets, audiotapes, videotapes, and related materials for distribution without charge to the public and, in furtherance thereof, is au…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—The Legislature finds that commercial and recreational fishing constitute activities of statewide importance and that the continuation of commercial and recreational fishing will benefit the health and welfare of the people of this state. The…