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Florida Administrative Code (Last Updated: April 18, 2024) |
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5. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services |
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5I. Florida Forest Service |
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5I-7. Rural And Family Lands Protection Program |
1(1) The Commissioner will designate a Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee of no fewer than five (5) members drawn from divisions and offices within the Department with expertise in various agricultural activities.
34(2) Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee members shall independently evaluate Projects based on consideration of the Project Evaluation Report detailed in Rule 575I-7.006, 58F.A.C., giving preference to ranch and timberlands managed using practices that provide multiple use and sustained yield of the renewable surface resources with the goal of sustaining the economic and ecological integrity of the property while allowing the agricultural business to operate and prosper, 102in accordance with 105Section 106570.71(10), F.S., 108or other priorities established in the Notice of Application Review Cycle119.
120(3) The Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee shall consider the list of Projects at public meeting(s) conducted pursuant to Section 141120.525, F.S. 143The purpose of the meeting(s) shall be to receive public comment, consider the eligibility of new applications and Projects on the existing Project acquisition list, and after the final meeting by majority vote approve a list of Projects in priority order that qualify for acquisition under the Program. 191The Department will establish the time limit for public comment in advance of the public meeting(s).
207(4) 208Upon approval of the Project acquisition list 215by the Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee, 223the Department shall present 227Projects on the Project acquisition 232list 233to the Council 236for review at a regularly scheduled public meeting, 244as provided in Section 248259.105(14), F.S250.
251(5) The Department shall present the 257Project acquisition 259list to the Board for approval, 265along with supporting information 269outlined in subsection (6) below. 274The Board is authorized to remove Projects from the list, but may not add Projects or change Project rankings, as provided in Section 297259.105(14), F.S.
299(6) The Department shall submit to the Board, with its 309Project acquisition 311list, a report that includes, but is not limited to, the following information for each Project listed:
328(a) A summary of the Project evaluation, including the type of agricultural activities currently on the property, the natural resource benefits of the project, and the current threat of conversion to non-agricultural uses; and
362(b) A map delineating Project boundaries, and, where applicable, proximity to other protected lands.
376(7) The combined value of all projects recommended to the Board by the Department may exceed the amount of money available for acquisition.
399(8) Upon approval of the 404Project acquisition 406list by the Board and subject to the availability of funds, the Department may proceed 421with the acquisition process for Perpetual Easements, including appraisals, survey and title review.
434(9) All acquisition Projects approved by the Board shall be eligible for funding, with available resources targeted initially toward the highest ranked Projects. However, the Board is authorized to approve the purchase of any Project from the list, pursuant to Section 475259.105, F.S., 477as well as boundary amendments to completed Projects previously ranked and acquired pursuant to prior lists. The boundary amendment shall not exceed 15% of the total Project acreage previously approved and does not need to be independently ranked. Such amendments must benefit both the Landowner and the Program, create a cohesive and consistent Project, and resolve issues such as title defects, road and plat abandonment, and in-holdings acquired subsequent to closing on the original Project acreage.
553(10) A Project acquisition list approved by the Board shall replace all prior lists.
567(11) In the event there is no application review cycle initiated during the calendar year, the previously-approved Project acquisition list may be used, subject to the availability of funds, until the Board approves a Project acquisition list. The Board may also re-approve the previous Project acquisition li614st.
615Rulemaking Authority 617570.07(23), 618570.71(10), 619259.105(3)(i) FS. 621Law Implemented 623570.71, 624259.105 FS. 626History‒New 11-3-08, Amended 4-14-15, 6-12-23.
