FL S0976

Creates the "Florida Wildlife Corridor Act" (s. 259.1055, F.S.), establishing the Florida wildlife corridor as a geographically defined area of more than 18 million acres, including 10 million acres of conservation lands, to protect habitat connectivity for wide-ranging wildlife such as the Florida panther

Directs the Department of Environmental Protection to encourage state, regional, and local agencies to acquire opportunity areas within the corridor, promote voluntary conservation easements with private landowners, and seek new federal funding sources and novel financing mechanisms including public-private partnerships

Aims to prevent habitat fragmentation, protect major watershed headwaters (including the Everglades and St. Johns River), support flood and sea-level rise resiliency, sustain working ranches and farms, and promote nature-based ecotourism

Requires the St. Johns River Water Management District, in consultation with DEP, Seminole County, FWC, and DOT, to issue a report by December 31, 2021, on the implementation status of the Little Wekiva Watershed Management Plan Final Report (November 2005), including completed projects, costs, permit violations contributing to sediment buildup north of S.R. 436, and recommendations for future projects

Requires DEP and the water management district to immediately review permits potentially contributing to sediment accumulation in the Little Wekiva River and take enforcement action under Chapter 373, F.S., against any noncompliant permittees, including reviewing known violations since 2018