HB 1013 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to a cost -share program for 2
agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber 3
operations; providing a short title; creating s. 4
570.891, F.S.; providing legislative findings; 5
establishing a cost-share program within the 6
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; 7
requiring the program, subject to legislative 8
appropriation, to provide funds equal to a specified 9
percentage of the value of environmental services that 10
the agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber 11
industries provide; requiring the department to 12
conduct a study to determine the value of such 13
environmental services, in consultation with certain 14
entities; requiring the department to cooperate with 15
certain entities to promote the cost -share program and 16
prioritize distributions to certain communities; 17
requiring the department to update certain materials 18
with information on participation in the cost -share 19
program; requiring the department to adopt rules; 20
providing an effective date. 21
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Protecting 25
HB 1013 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Florida's Natural Resources Act." 26
Section 2. Section 570.891, Flo rida Statutes, is created 27
to read: 28
570.891 Agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and timber 29
operations cost-share program.— 30
(1) The Legislature finds that: 31
(a) Maintaining healthy and sustainable agriculture, 32
shellfish aquaculture, and timber industrie s is vital to this 33
state's economy, environment, and natural resources, including 34
making significant environmental contributions to water quality 35
and quantity, air purification, carbon sequestration, coastal 36
resilience, and habitat for threatened and endan gered wildlife 37
species. 38
(b) The continued expansion of urban and coastal areas has 39
increased pressure on the agriculture and timber industries, and 40
in recent years there has been a significant decrease in 41
agricultural and timber acreage. 42
(c) Water quality and quantity problems in this state's 43
coastal waters have harmed the aquaculture industry, 44
specifically shellfish farming. Filter feeder shellfish, such as 45
oysters, hard clams, and sunray venus clams, are beneficial to 46
this state's imperiled seagrass. 47
(d) To ensure healthy and sustainable agriculture, 48
shellfish aquaculture, and timber industries, a cost -share 49
program is necessary to provide incentives to the owners within 50
HB 1013 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
these industries to continue activities that are beneficial to 51
water quality and quantity, air purification, carbon 52
sequestration, nutrient remediation, coastal resilience, and 53
habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife species. 54
(2) A cost-share program is established within the 55
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. S ubject to the 56
appropriation of funds by the Legislature, the program shall 57
reimburse the owners of agriculture, shellfish aquaculture, and 58
timber operations for up to 75 percent of the value of the 59
environmental resources and services provided by such 60
industries. 61
(3) The department shall do all of the following: 62
(a) In consultation with the Florida Sea Grant and the 63
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural 64
Sciences, conduct a study to determine the value of 65
environmental services, such a s water recharge, stormwater 66
filtration, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, nutrient 67
remediation, coastal resilience and flood protection, and air 68
quality benefits, provided by the agriculture, shellfish 69
aquaculture, and timber industries. 70
(b) In cooperation with the University of Florida 71
Shellfish Aquaculture Research and Extension Program, the 72
Wakulla Environmental Institute, and the Florida Agricultural 73
and Mechanical University College of Agriculture and Food 74
Sciences, promote the cost -share program and prioritize 75
HB 1013 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
distribution of assistance to low -income communities, 76
historically under-resourced communities of color, and rural 77
communities impacted by Hurricane Michael in 2018. 78
(c) Update all relevant brochures, websites, and marketing 79
materials to provide information on participation in the cost -80
share program. 81
(d) Adopt rules to implement this section. 82
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 83