CS/CS/HB 7063 - Natural Resources

• Requires counties, municipalities, and water management districts to return proceeds from sales of conservation lands purchased with state funds to the respective state conservation funds within 3 years, with amount based on percentage of state funds used for original purchase.

• Revises beach management funding criteria to include economic benefit measured by tourist development tax revenue ratios and requires Department of Environmental Protection to develop strategic beach management plans, critically eroded beaches reports, and statewide long-range budget plans with public meetings before finalization.

• Eliminates certain local government requirements to develop work plans for building public and private water supply facilities, with exemptions for rural areas of opportunity and governments served by large water utilities.

• Reorganizes Florida Forever Trust Fund distribution, reducing allocations to water management districts and increasing allocations to other conservation programs, while specifying minimum annual appropriations for Everglades restoration, spring restoration, and Lake Apopka restoration through fiscal year 2035-2036.

• Requires public water systems and domestic wastewater treatment systems to develop asset management plans by August 1, 2020, and mandates new infrastructure in flood hazard areas be built to withstand respective flood conditions with elevated control panels and submersible components.

• Takes effect July 1, 2018.