(1) There is created a Land Acquisition Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection. The Land Acquisition Trust Fund is designated by s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution for receipt of certain documentary stamp tax revenue for the uses prescribed therein. The Land Acquisition Trust Fund shall be held and administered by the department. The Land Acquisition Trust Fund shall continue for as long as bonds are outstanding pursuant to s. 215.618 or s. 215.619, or any bonds secured on a parity basis with such bonds, or until the requirement of s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution expires, whichever is later. All moneys deposited into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund shall be trust funds for the uses and purposes herein set forth, within the meaning of s. 215.32(1)(b); and such moneys shall not become or be commingled with the General Revenue Fund of the state, as defined by s. 215.32(1)(a).
(2) All moneys and revenue from the sale or other disposition of land, water areas, or related resources acquired on or after July 1, 2015, for the purposes of s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution shall be deposited into or credited to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, except as otherwise provided pursuant to s. 253.0341.
(3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
(a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
(b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated, pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project subject to congressional authorization; the Long-Term Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595. From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the planning, design, engineering, and construction of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the purpose of performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this paragraph shall be added to the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration, protection, and management projects. For the purpose of performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this paragraph shall be added to the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St. Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in subparagraph 1. and must be used in accordance with laws relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually to the South Florida Water Management District for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project in accordance with s. 373.4599. This distribution must be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2021, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
6. The sum of $100 million shall be appropriated annually to the Department of Environmental Protection for the acquisition of land pursuant to s. 259.105.
(4) Any remaining moneys in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund which are not distributed as provided in subsection (3) may be appropriated from time to time for the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.
(5) Moneys accruing to other agencies for the purposes designated in subsection (1) shall be transferred pursuant to nonoperating budget authority under s. 216.181(12). Agencies shall maintain the integrity of such transferred moneys. Any transferred moneys available from reversions or reductions of budget authority in the other agencies shall be transferred back to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund in the Department of Environmental Protection within 15 days after such reversion or reduction and must be available for future appropriation pursuant to s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.
(6) When the Legislature has authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to condemn a specific parcel of land and such parcel already has been approved for acquisition through the fund, the land may be acquired in accordance with the provisions of chapter 73 or chapter 74, and the fund may be used to pay the condemnation award and all costs, including reasonable attorney fees, associated with condemnation.
History.—s. 4, ch. 63-36; s. 4, ch. 67-351; ss. 25, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 4, ch. 80-356; s. 3, ch. 83-80; s. 9, ch. 86-294; s. 2, ch. 87-96; s. 284, ch. 94-356; s. 18, ch. 96-420; s. 17, ch. 99-4; s. 176, ch. 99-13; ss. 27, 79, ch. 2002-402; s. 8, ch. 2004-6; s. 36, ch. 2004-269; s. 27, ch. 2005-71; s. 30, ch. 2006-26; s. 10, ch. 2007-6; s. 12, ch. 2008-5; s. 43, ch. 2008-153; s. 12, ch. 2010-4; s. 25, ch. 2010-153; s. 32, ch. 2011-47; s. 14, ch. 2012-88; s. 25, ch. 2012-119; s. 21, ch. 2013-41; s. 32, ch. 2014-53; s. 50, ch. 2015-229; s. 2, ch. 2016-201; s. 40, ch. 2016-233; s. 5, ch. 2017-10; s. 37, ch. 2017-71; s. 66, ch. 2018-10; s. 86, ch. 2019-116; s. 77, ch. 2020-114; s. 42, ch. 2021-37; s. 2, ch. 2021-40; s. 62, ch. 2022-157; s. 10, ch. 2023-169.
