Environment (Conservation)

Release of Conservation Easements; Requires certain water management districts, upon application by fee simple owner of parcel subject to conservation easement, to release conservation easement if specified conditions are met; specifies that land released from conservation easement may be used for development consistent with certain zoning; requires property owners to assume responsibility for stormwater requirements in certain circumstances; requires property owners to comply with specified ordinances & seek approval for modification of certain permits; provides applicability.

Conservation Easements; Requiring a water management district to release a conservation easement upon application of the fee simple owner of a parcel of land if certain conditions are met; requiring that the ad valorem taxes of the property be based on the just value of the property; authorizing such property to be used for development consistent with the zoning designation of the adjacent lands; providing that the property owner assumes responsibility for any stormwater requirements if the property is developed, etc.

Conservation Lands; Requires Division of State Lands to publish certain information on its website before Acquisition & Restoration Council or Board of Trustees of Internal Improvement Trust Fund meets to review proposed sale of conservation lands; requires that certain parcels proposed for exchange be appraised in accordance with certain criteria; removes provisions requiring division to submit certain requests to Acquisition & Restoration Council for review; removes provisions requiring division to provide certain recommendations to board of trustees; requires division to publish certain information on its website before council or board of trustees meets to review proposed land exchange; requires division to submit certain requests to council for review & requiring council to provide recommendations to division in certain circumstances; requires division to provide certain recommendations to board of trustees in certain circumstances; requires governing board of water management district to publish certain information on its website before meeting to review proposed sale or exchange of certain lands.

Land and Water Management; Prohibits counties & municipalities from adopting laws, regulations, rules, policies, or ordinances that prohibit adjacent upland activities that are outside certain wetland buffers; repeals provisions relating to land management review teams.

Special Districts; Abolishes certain soil & water conservation districts; transfers assets & liabilities of such districts to DACS; provides that independent special district that grants public access to district lands or water areas for outdoor recreational purposes owes no duty of care to perform specified actions; provides that independent special district is not responsible for injury to persons or property caused by act or omission of such person upon such lands or water areas; provides certain protection to owner of private land if independent special district secures easement or other access right through such private land to district lands or water areas that independent special district makes available to public for outdoor recreational purposes; provides that special district may purchase commodities & contractual services from purchasing agreements of this state; provides that independent special district may require, by resolution, criminal history screening for certain persons; revises qualifications of supervisor of soil & water conservation district; requires DACS to monitor specified soil & water conservation districts & ensure that each district is winding up administrative & fiscal matters in timely manner & using certain practices.

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Prohibits counties & municipalities from enacting or enforcing any law that restricts or prohibits use of gasoline-powered farm equipment or gasoline-powered landscape equipment or that distinguishes such equipment from any other equipment; requires Acquisition & Restoration Council to determine whether certain surplused lands are suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes; prohibits local governmental entity from transferring future development rights for surplused lands determined to be suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes; requires DEP, in coordination with DACS, to determine whether state-owned conservation lands are suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes; authorizes DEP to surplus specified state-owned lands determined to be suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes; establishes Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation, Inc., as a DSO of DACS; prohibits person from wearing or displaying item that displays words "concealed weapon permit" or "concealed weapon permit holder" with intent to mislead another to believe that person is authorized to wear or display such item; prohibits possession, manufacture, sale, importation, distribution, or use of signal jamming device.