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CS/CS/HB 981, Engrossed 1 2026
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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 tributaries of the St. Johns River; 2
providing a short title; creating s. 373.464, F.S.; 3
requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, 4
by a specified date, to hire a project lead to oversee 5
the implementation of the act; requiring that the 6
project lead have certain expertise; requiring the 7
department to develop, by a specified date, a project 8
plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River; 9
specifying requirements for the project plan; 10
providing that the project plan is an environmental 11
restoration or enhancement project subject to a 12
general permit from the department and water 13
management districts; requiring the department to 14
complete the project plan by a specified date, subject 15
to the provision of funds; creating the Northeast 16
Florida River and Springs Recreation and Economic 17
Development Advisory Council by a specified date; 18
assigning the council to the Department of 19
Environmental Protection; providing that the project 20
lead is the chair of the council; providing for 21
council membership, meetings, and duties; requiring 22
the council to submit an advisory report to the 23
Governor, the Legislature, and the department by a 24
specified date; specifying requirements for the 25
CS/CS/HB 981, Engrossed 1 2026
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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
advisory report; providing for future repeal; 26
requiring the department to develop an outdoor 27
recreation plan, in collaboration with certain 28
commissions, councils, and local governments of river 29
communities; specifying requirements for the outdoor 30
recreation plan; requiring the department to implement 31
the plan by a specified date; requiring the department 32
to complete projects on state-owned lands in the 33
outdoor recreation plan by a specified date, subject 34
to certain funding and the commencement of specified 35
plans; requiring the department to develop a grant 36
program for a specified purpose; requiring that the 37
grant program be compatible with certain plans; 38
requiring the department to implement the grant 39
program contingent on the commencement of the project 40
plan; requiring the Department of Commerce to develop 41
guidelines and processes for and implement an economic 42
development program for Marion and Putnam Counties for 43
a specified purpose by a specified date; requiring 44
that the economic development plan be compatible with 45
certain plans and programs; requiring the Department 46
of Commerce to implement the economic development 47
program contingent on the commencement of the project 48
plan; providing an effective date. 49
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
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 51
52
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Northeast Florida 53
Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act." 54
Section 2. Section 373.464, Florida Statutes, is created 55
to read: 56
373.464 Ocklawaha River restoration, recreation, and 57
economic development.— 58
(1) PROJECT LEAD.—The department shall, no later than 59
August 31, 2026, hire a full-time equivalent contractor or 60
employee, whose position title will be project lead, to oversee 61
the implementation of this act. The project lead must have 62
subject matter expertise in conservation and recreation 63
planning. 64
(2) PROJECT PLAN.— 65
(a) By July 1, 2027, the department shall develop a 66
project plan for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River with the 67
goal of restoring the river's natural flow, hydrology, and 68
floodplain function to the approximate conditions that existed 69
before the construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project 70
and its associated project works. The project plan must provide 71
for restoration and increased resiliency and recreation benefits 72
of the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers and Silver Springs. The 73
project plan must incorporate the best available science and 74
include engineering and design updates, including topographic 75
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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
and bathymetric surveys, and precise estimates of material to be 76
dredged or excavated. In addition, the project plan must provide 77
recommendations for road and bridge construction which are 78
compatible with the restoration plan and ensure continued access 79
for the communities west of the project. The project plan must 80
include estimates by fiscal year of the cost of implementing the 81
project plan and potential sources of funding for such costs. 82
(b) Notwithstanding any law or rule, the project plan for 83
the restoration of the Ocklawaha River is an environmental 84
restoration or enhancement project subject to a general permit 85
from the department and water management districts for 86
environmental restoration or enhancement pursuant to rule 62-87
330.405, Florida Administrative Code, and rule 62-330.485, 88
Florida Administrative Code. 89
(c) Subject to the provision of state, federal, or other 90
funds, the department shall complete the restoration project 91
plan by December 31, 2032. 92
(3) NORTHEAST FLORIDA RIVER AND SPRINGS RECREATION AND 93
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 94
(a) Establishment of the council.— 95
1. By October 31, 2026, the Northeast Florida River and 96
Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory Council, an 97
advisory council as defined in s. 20.03(7), shall be established 98
and assigned to the department. The council shall be 99
administratively housed within the department. The project lead 100
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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
shall serve as the council chair, and the members shall meet at 101
the call of the project lead. Members shall serve without 102
compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and 103
travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061. Council members shall 104
serve 4-year terms, except that the initial terms shall be 105
staggered. 106
2. In addition to the project lead, the council shall be 107
composed of the following 19 members: 108
a. Six members of the council shall be appointed by and 109
serve at the pleasure of the Governor and shall include 110
representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection, 111
the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the Department of 112
Commerce. 113
b. Six members of the council shall be appointed by the 114
Legislature, with 3 members appointed by the Senate and 3 115
members appointed by the House of Representatives. The 116
appointees must include: 117
(I) A representative of river recreation-related 118
businesses local to Putnam County. 119
(II) A representative of recreation-related businesses 120
local to Marion County. 121
(III) A representative local to the Town of Welaka. 122
(IV) Two representatives local to Putnam County. 123
(V) One representative of an environmental community-124
supporting organization who has subject matter expertise in 125
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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
springs or rivers. 126
c. Six members of the council shall be appointed by the 127
boards of county commissioners for the following counties: 128
(I) Putnam County shall appoint two members, one of whom 129
oversees parks and recreation for the county. 130
(II) Marion County shall appoint two members, one of whom 131
oversees parks and recreation for the county. 132
(III) Clay County shall appoint one member. 133
(IV) St. Johns County shall appoint one member. 134
d. One member shall be the commanding officer of Naval Air 135
Station Jacksonville or his or her designee. 136
(b) Report.—The council shall submit an advisory report to 137
the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the 138
House of Representatives, and the department by February 1, 139
2027, and annual progress reports each February 1 thereafter. 140
The report must include all of the following: 141
1. Recommendations for projects to be included in the 142
outdoor recreation plan created in subsection (4), including 143
priorities for state-funded land projects. 144
2. Recommendations to the department for the creation of 145
guidelines to govern the grant program created in subsection 146
(5). 147
3. Recommendations to the Department of Commerce for the 148
creation of guidelines to administer the economic development 149
program created in subsection (6). 150
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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
4. Recommendations for measures to minimize the impact of 151
the restoration plan on property owners or businesses directly 152
affected by the restoration project. 153
(c) Repeal.—In accordance with s. 20.052(8), this 154
subsection is repealed October 2, 2032, unless reviewed and 155
saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 156
(4) OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN.— 157
(a) The department, in collaboration with the Fish and 158
Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Northeast Florida River 159
and Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory 160
Council, and the local governments of river communities in Clay, 161
Marion, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, shall develop an outdoor 162
recreation plan. 163
(b) The outdoor recreation plan must identify and 164
implement projects for enhanced and expanded river and springs 165
access for recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting, 166
swimming, wildlife viewing, paddling, and hiking. Such projects 167
must be compatible with the project plan and applicable 168
statutes. The outdoor recreation plan must be made available for 169
public comment before its implementation. 170
(c) The department shall implement the outdoor recreation 171
plan by January 1, 2028. 172
(d) Subject to the provision of state, federal, or other 173
funds and the commencement of the project plan developed 174
pursuant to subsection (2), the department shall complete 175
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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
projects on state-owned lands identified in the outdoor 176
recreation plan by December 31, 2035. 177
(5) GRANT PROGRAM.— 178
(a) By January 1, 2028, the department shall develop a 179
grant program for river communities in Clay, Marion, Putnam, and 180
St. Johns Counties to implement the outdoor recreation plan. 181
(b) The grant program must be compatible with the project 182
plan and outdoor recreation plan. 183
(c) The department shall implement the grant program upon 184
the commencement of the project plan developed pursuant to 185
subsection (2). 186
(6) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.— 187
(a) The Department of Commerce shall develop guidelines 188
and processes for an economic development program for Marion and 189
Putnam Counties. The economic development program must support 190
projects that encourage job creation, capital investment, and 191
strengthening and diversification of each county's economy. 192
(b) The economic development program must be compatible 193
with the project plan, the outdoor recreation plan, and the 194
grant program. 195
(c) The Department of Commerce shall implement the 196
economic development program upon the commencement of the 197
project plan pursuant to subsection (2). 198
Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 199