Title: Cost-share Program for Agriculture, Shellfish Aquaculture, and Timber Operations

Summary: Establishes cost-share program within DACS to provide specified reimbursements to agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, & timber operations; requires DACS to conduct specified study, promote cost-share program & prioritize distributions to certain communities, update certain materials, & adopt rules.

Full Text:
An act relating to a cost-share program for agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber operations; providing a short title; creating s. 570.891, F.S.; providing legislative findings; establishing a cost-share program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; requiring the program, subject to legislative appropriation, to provide funds equal to a specified percentage of th evalue of environmental services that the agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber industries provide; requiring the department to conduct a study to determine the value of such environmental services, in consultation with certain entities; requirin gthe department to cooperate with certain entities to promote the cost-share program and prioritize distributions to certain communities; requiring the department to update certain materials with information on participation in the cost-share program; req uiring the department to adopt rules; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Protecting HB 1013 2022 Florida's Natural Resources Act." Section 2. Section 570.891, Flo rida Statutes, is created to read: 570.891 Agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber operations cost-share program.-(1) The Legislature finds that: (a) Maintaining healthy and sustainable agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber industrie sis vital to this state's economy, environment, and natural resources, including making significant environmental contributions to water quality and quantity, air purification, carbon sequestration, coastal resilience, and habitat for threatened and endan gered wildlife species. (b) The continued expansion of urban and coastal areas has increased pressure on the agriculture and timber industries, and in recent years there has been a significant decrease in agricultural and timber acreage. (c) Water qual ity and quantity problems in this state's coastal waters have harmed the aquaculture industry, specifically shellfish farming. Filter feeder shellfish, such as oysters, hard clams, and sunray venus clams, are beneficial to this state's imperiled seagrass. (d) To ensure healthy and sustainable agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber industries, a cost-share program is necessary to provide incentives to the owners within HB 1013 2022 these industries to continue activities that are beneficial to water quality and quantity, air purification, carbon sequestration, nutrient remediation, coastal resilience, and habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife species. (2) A cost-share program is established within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Subject to the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, the program shall reimburse the owners of agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber operations for up to percent of the value of the environmental resources and services provided by such industries. (3) The department shall do all of the following: (a) In consultation with the Florida Sea Grant and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, conduct a study to determine the value of environmental services, such a swater recharge, stormwater filtration, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, nutrient remediation, coastal resilience and flood protection, and air quality benefits, provided by the agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber industries. (b) In cooperation with the University of Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Research and Extension Program, the Wakulla Environmental Institute, and the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, promote the cost-share program and prioritize HB 1013 2022 distribution of assistance to low-income communities, historically under-resourced communities of color, and rural communities impacted by Hurricane Michael in 2018. (c) Update all relevant brochures, websites, and marketing materials to provide information on participation in the cost share program. (d) Adopt rules to implement this section. Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.