Florida Administrative Code › 62 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › 62 - Departmental › Chapter 62-816 - AREA OF CRITICAL STATE CONCERN PROGRAM › Section 62-816.003 - General Requirements and Eligibility Standards

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
The following constitutes the general requirements and
				  eligibility standards for the Area of Critical State Concern Program of the
				  Florida Communities Trust.
(1)
				Meetings of the Trust. The fiscal year of the Trust is July 1-June 30. The
				Trust governing body will hold public meetings at least quarterly during each
				fiscal year. All meetings of the Trust shall be conducted consistent with Rule
				Chapter 9K-1, F.A.C.
(2) Purpose of
				Matching Grants. All matching grants from the Area of Critical State Concern
				Program shall be used for land acquisitions that assist an Area of Critical
				State Concern county to implement or further the conservation, recreation and
				open space, or coastal management elements of the local comprehensive plan, to
				conserve natural resources, to resolve land use conflicts, and to implement
				land development regulations which further the principles for guiding
				development established for that Area of Critical State Concern.
(3) Award, Use and Disbursement of Matching
				Grants. Funds awarded under this program shall be awarded as matching grants to
				counties that submit proposal(s) for land acquisitions or land acquisition
				programs within an Area of Critical State Concern. Funds awarded under this
				program shall be matched by the recipient county on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
				Matching grants shall be awarded after an evaluation of timely submitted
				complete proposals. Preservation 2000 funds shall only be used for the land
				acquisition project costs set forth in complete proposals that are selected for
				funding by the governing body of the Trust. The Trust is not obligated to award
				funds if proposals submitted do not fulfill the purpose of the Area of Critical
				State Concern Program. All funds not awarded during a proposal cycle shall be
				reserved and added to the funds available for the next Area of Critical State
				Concern Program funding cycle.
(4)
				Eligible Applicants. County governments that contain areas designated as an
				Area of Critical State Concern pursuant to Section
				 380.05, F.S., are eligible to
				apply for matching grants from this program. Prior to awarding funds the local
				comprehensive plan of a grantee must either be found in compliance by the
				Department or the county must have executed a stipulated settlement agreement
				with the Department to resolve all of the issues raised by the Department in a
				statement of intent to find a plan not in compliance issued pursuant to Section
				 163.3184, F.S.
(5) Proposal Form. Proposal Form FCT/ACSC-2
				is prescribed for use with these rules and is incorporated by reference.
				Proposals for funding must be submitted with Proposal Form FCT/ACSC-2. A copy
				may be obtained after the publication of the Request for Grant Proposals by
				writing to the Program Manager, Florida Communities Trust, 3900 Commonwealth
				Boulevard, MS #103, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000, or by calling
				(850)245-2669.
(6) Request for
				Grant Proposals. The Trust shall announce the amount of Preservation 2000 bond
				funds available for matching grants under the Area of Critical State Concern
				State Program and applicable deadlines in the Request for Grant Proposals
				published in the Florida Administrative Register. Pursuant to Section
				 259.101(3)(c),
				F.S., the amounts published shall be calculated on ten percent (10%) of the
				total Preservation 2000 funds allocated to the Trust from each bond series plus
				interest accrued to that ten percent (10%) portion of the total allocation as
				of the date of preparation of the Request for Grant Proposals.
(7) Eligible Sources of Local Match.
				Applicants may use funds generated by a county, land authority, state or
				federal agency, grants, loans, or private cash donations for all or part of any
				local match. Applicants may not use any Preservation 2000 Trust Funds allocated
				pursuant to Section  259.101(3),
				F.S., for any part of an applicant's dollar-for-dollar
				match.
Rulemaking Authority
					  259.101,
					 374.045,
					 380.507(11) FS.
					 Law Implemented 120.55(1)(a)4.,
					 259.101,
					  375.045,
					  380.505,
					  380.508,
					  380.510 FS.
New 6-30-93, Amended 11-14-94, Formerly
					  9K-5.003.