Everglades Land Acquisition Act of 2016

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, for the purpose of flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Everglades Land Acquisition Act of 2016 2. Land acquisition, south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida (a) Land acquisition authorized The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out land acquisition projects south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, for flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes. Not later than December 31, 2016, the Secretary shall identify all of the land proposed to be acquired under the authority of this subsection. (b) Consideration As consideration for the acquisition of land under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior may not pay more than the fair market value of the land. The Secretary may accept donations of land under such subsection. (c) Restoration and use Upon acquisition of land under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Chief of Engineers of the Army Corps of Engineers, shall provide for— (1) restoration of the acquired land for flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes; and (2) utilization of the acquired land in conjunction with projects implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. (d) Land transfer authority (1) In general The Secretary of the Interior may transfer or sell the land acquired under subsection (a) to the Army Corps of Engineers, the State of the Florida, a political subdivision of the State, or a nonprofit conservation organization. (2) Operation and maintenance If the Secretary transfers or sells the land under this section, the Secretary of the Interior and the entity that receives or purchases the land shall execute a written agreement relating to the operation and maintenance of the land and any improvements to the land. (e) Supplemental appropriations For an additional amount for fiscal year 2016, to remain available until December 31, 2019, there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $500,000,000 to the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of purchasing and restoring land south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, for flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes: Provided,

Summary: Everglades Land Acquisition Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out, south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, land acquisition projects for flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes. The bill prohibits Interior from paying more than the land's fair market value. Upon the acquisition of such land, Interior, in consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers, shall provide for: the restoration of the acquired land for flood damage reduction and water storage, treatment, and conveyance purposes; and the utilization of the land in conjunction with projects that implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Interior may transfer or sell the land acquired under this Act to the Army Corps of Engineers, the state of Florida, a political subdivision of the state, or a nonprofit conservation organization.