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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 carbon sequestration; creating s. 2
403.945, F.S.; providing definitions; providing 3
legislative findings; creating the Carbon 4
Sequestration Task Force adjunct to the Department of 5
Environmental Protection; providing for task force 6
membership and duties; requiring the task force to 7
submit specified reports to the Secretary of 8
Environmental Protection and to the Governor and 9
Legislature by specified dates; providing an 10
appropriation; providing for expiration of the task 11
force; providing an effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. Section 403.945, Florida Statutes, is created 16
to read: 17
403.945 Carbon Sequestration Task Force .— 18
(1) As used in this section, the term: 19
(a) "Blue carbon" means carbon sequestered by marine and 20
coastal ecosystems. 21
(b) "Carbon sequestration" means the long -term storage of 22
carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean 23
through land and aquatic habitat management. 24
(2) The Legislature finds that: 25
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(a) Maintaining coastal and freshwater wetlands, nearshore 26
and offshore aquatic ecosystems, conservation lands, healthy and 27
sustainable agriculture, shellfish a quaculture, and timber and 28
silvicultural industries is vital to the state's economy, 29
environment, and natural resources, including significant 30
environmental contributions to water quality and quantity, air 31
purification, carbon sequestration, blue carbon, c oastal 32
resilience, and habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife. 33
(b) The continued expansion of urban sprawl and the 34
development of coastal areas have led to losses of the state's 35
natural and agricultural lands and decreases in water quality 36
and quantity that have harmed coastal ecosystems and industries, 37
including imperiled wetlands, coral reefs, seagrasses, and 38
shellfish aquaculture. 39
(c) To ensure healthy and sustainable agriculture, 40
shellfish aquaculture and silvicultural industries, and natura l 41
and working lands and waters, a statewide program is necessary 42
to provide incentives for landowners and managers to continue 43
activities and land uses that sequester carbon. 44
(3) The Carbon Sequestration Task Force, a task force as 45
defined in s. 20.03, i s created adjunct to the department to 46
provide recommendations for the development of a statewide 47
carbon sequestration program. The task force shall operate in a 48
manner consistent with the requirements of s. 20.052. 49
(4)(a) The task force shall be compose d of the following 50
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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
members: 51
1. The Secretary of Environmental Protection, or his or 52
her designee. 53
2. The Commissioner of Agriculture, or his or her 54
designee. 55
3. The executive director of the Fish and Wildlife 56
Conservation Commission, or his or her designee. 57
4. The Chief Resilience Officer, or his or her designee. 58
5. A representative from the National Estuary Program, 59
appointed by the Secretary of Environmental Protection. 60
6. A member of an environmental not -for-profit, appointed 61
by the Secretary of Environmental Protection. 62
7. A landowner of working agricultural lands, appointed by 63
the Commissioner of Agriculture. 64
8. A representative from a state university with expertise 65
in energy or sustainability, appointed by the Secretary of 66
Environmental Protection. 67
9. A representative from the University of Florida 68
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences , appointed by the 69
Commissioner of Agriculture. 70
10. A representative from the Florida Sea Grant Program , 71
appointed by the Commissioner of Agri culture. 72
(b) Appointments to the task force must be made by August 73
1, 2024. 74
(c) Each appointed member serves at the pleasure of the 75
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appointing official. 76
(d) A vacancy on the task force must be filled in the same 77
manner as the original appointment. 78
(e) The task force shall elect a chair from among the 79
members. 80
(f) The task force shall convene no later than September 81
1, 2024. The task force shall meet quarterly or upon the call of 82
the chair. The task force shall hold its meetings in person or 83
through teleconference or other electronic means. 84
(5) The duties of the task force shall include all of the 85
following: 86
(a) Identify and inventory terrestrial and aquatic 87
environments suitable for carbon sequestration in this state. 88
(b) Consider possible m ethods of increasing carbon 89
sequestration within the natural environment through state land 90
and marine resource use policies; agricultural, aquacultural, 91
and silvicultural practices; and other practices to achieve 92
restoration of natural resources and long -term conservation. 93
(c) Develop a standardized methodology, including 94
appropriate technology and existing research, to establish 95
baseline carbon levels and account for increases in carbon 96
sequestration over time. 97
(d) Evaluate additional ecosystem servic es and benefits of 98
terrestrial and aquatic environments that may promote 99
conservation and ecosystem restoration success, including water 100
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recharge, stormwater filtration, threatened or endangered 101
wildlife habitat, nutrient reduction, flood mitigation and 102
protection, coastal resilience, air quality, soil health, and 103
food security. 104
(e) Recommend short -term and long-term benchmarks for 105
increasing carbon sequestration in terrestrial and aquatic 106
ecosystems. 107
(f) Identify existing carbon markets and other 108
considerations relevant to participation by the state in such 109
markets. 110
(g) Identify potential funding mechanisms to encourage 111
carbon sequestration practices and activities in this state. 112
(6) By October 1, 2025, the task force shall submit to the 113
Secretary of Environmental Protection a report summarizing the 114
task force activities and findings in its first year, including 115
a nonrecurring budget request for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year. 116
(7) By October 1, 2026, the task force shall submit to the 117
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 118
House of Representatives a report that compiles the findings and 119
recommendations of the task force. The task force shall 120
terminate on April 30, 2027. 121
Section 2. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of 122
$350,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the 123
Operating Trust Fund to the Department of Environmental 124
Protection for the purpose of providing administrative and 125
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support services to the Carbon Sequestration Task Force pursuant 126
to s. 403.945, Florida Statutes. 127
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 128