FL S1440

Adds Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and removes water management districts from entities required to cooperate in implementing rural land development assistance.

Allows landowners to petition local governments for rural land stewardship area designations and exempts landowners and local governments from demonstrating need for such designations.

Adds economic development and protection of private property rights as planning goals for rural sustainability areas.

Replaces "transferable rural land use credits" with "stewardship credits" and establishes rural land stewardship overlay zoning districts to implement development strategies within designated areas.

Authorizes compensation to landowners for specified land management activities of public benefit including water conservation, environmental restoration, listed species protection, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Repeals administrative rules 9J-5.026 and 9J-11.023 and provides that implementation occur pursuant to law rather than through future rulemaking.