Senate Bill 0592c1
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 592
By the Committee on Natural Resources and Senators
Brown-Waite, Cowin and Latvala
312-1766-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to water management; creating
3 the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council;
4 providing for its membership, powers, and
5 duties; requiring the Southwest Florida Water
6 Management District to provide staff for the
7 council and to award contracts subject to an
8 appropriation of funds; providing an effective
9 date.
10
11 WHEREAS, Lake Panasoffkee is a waterbody of historic,
12 hydrologic, and ecological significance, and
13 WHEREAS, Lake Panasoffkee is a major tributary to the
14 Withlacoochee River, and
15 WHEREAS, Lake Panasoffkee is plagued by fluctuating
16 water levels and sedimentation and excessive growth of aquatic
17 plants, which are degrading its water quality and recreational
18 values and adversely affecting the Withlacoochee River, and
19 WHEREAS, Lake Panasoffkee continues to provide wildlife
20 habitat for fish, birds, and game, and offers recreational
21 opportunities for the residents of Sumter County and Central
22 Florida and visitors to the area, despite its current
23 problems, and
24 WHEREAS, the economic potential of Lake Panasoffkee has
25 yet to be tapped, and
26 WHEREAS, the Southwest Water Management District, in
27 cooperation with several state, regional, and local entities,
28 has developed proposals to restore Lake Panasoffkee, NOW,
29 THEREFORE,
30
31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 592
312-1766-98
1 Section 1. Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council--There
2 is created within the Southwest Florida Water Management
3 District the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council.
4 (1)(a) The council shall consist of seven voting
5 members: two representatives of lakefront property owners, one
6 environmental engineer, one person with training in biology or
7 another scientific discipline, one person with training as an
8 attorney, one person with training as an engineer, and one
9 representative of the sport fishing industry, all to be
10 appointed by the Sumter County Commission. No person serving
11 on the council may be appointed to any of the council advisory
12 group agencies' councils, board, or commission. The council
13 members shall serve as advisors to the governing board of the
14 Southwest Florida Water Management District. The council is
15 subject to the provisions of chapter 119 and chapter 120,
16 Florida Statutes.
17 (b) The council advisory group to the council shall
18 consist of: one representative each from the Southwest Florida
19 Water Management District, the Florida Department of
20 Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of
21 Transportation, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish
22 Commission, the Withlacoochee River Basin Board, and the
23 United States Army Corps of Engineers, to be appointed by
24 their respective agencies, all of whom must have training in
25 biology or another scientific discipline.
26 (2) Immediately after their appointment, the council
27 shall meet and organize by electing a chair, a vice chair, and
28 a secretary, whose terms shall be for 2 years each. Council
29 officers shall not serve consecutive terms. Each council
30 member shall be a voting member.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 592
312-1766-98
1 (3) The council shall meet at the call of its chair,
2 at the request of six of its members, or at the request of the
3 chair of the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water
4 Management District.
5 (4) The council shall have the powers and duties to:
6 (a) Review audits and all data specifically related to
7 lake restoration techniques and sport fish population recovery
8 strategies, including data and strategies for shoreline
9 restoration, sediment control and removal, exotic species
10 management, floating tussock management or removal,
11 navigation, water quality, and fisheries habitat improvement,
12 particularly as they may apply to Lake Panasoffkee.
13 (b) Evaluate whether additional studies are needed.
14 (c) Explore all possible sources of funding to conduct
15 the restoration activities.
16 (d) Advise the governing board of the Southwest
17 Florida Water management District regarding the best approach
18 to restoring Lake Panasoffkee, and make a recommendation as to
19 which techniques should be part of the restoration program.
20 The governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management
21 District shall respond in writing to the council if any
22 recommendations from the council require re-evaluation. The
23 response shall detail reasons for re-evaluation.
24 (e) Report to the Legislature before November 25 of
25 each year on the progress of the Lake Panasoffkee restoration
26 plan and any recommendations for the next fiscal year.
27 (5) The Southwest Florida Water Management District
28 shall provide staff to assist the council in carrying out the
29 provisions of this act.
30 (6) Members of the council shall receive no
31 compensation for their services, but are entitled to be
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 592
312-1766-98
1 reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred during
2 execution of their official duties, as provided in section
3 112.061, Florida Statutes. State and federal agencies shall be
4 responsible for the per diem and travel expenses of their
5 respective appointees to the council and the Southwest Florida
6 Water Management District shall be responsible for per diem
7 and travel expenses of other appointees to the council.
8 Section 2. Lake Panasoffkee restoration program.--
9 (1) The Southwest Florida Water Management District,
10 in conjunction with the Department of Environmental
11 Protection, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission,
12 the Sumter County Commission, and the Lake Panasoffkee
13 Restoration Council, shall review existing restoration
14 proposals to determine which ones are the most environmentally
15 sound and economically feasible methods of improving the
16 fisheries and natural systems of Lake Panasoffkee.
17 (2) The Southwest Florida Water Management District,
18 in consultation and by agreement with the Department of
19 Environmental Protection, the Game and Fresh Water Fish
20 Commission, and pertinent local governments, shall develop
21 tasks to be undertaken by those entities necessary to initiate
22 the Lake Panasoffkee restoration program recommended by the
23 Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council. These agencies shall:
24 (a) Evaluate different methodologies for removing the
25 extensive tussocks and build up of organic matter along the
26 shoreline and of the aquatic vegetation in the lake; and
27 (b) Conduct any additional studies as recommended by
28 the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council.
29 (3) Contingent on the Legislature appropriating funds
30 for the Lake Panasoffkee restoration program and in
31 conjunction with financial participation by federal, other
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 592
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1 state, and local governments, the appropriate agencies shall
2 through competitive bid award contracts to implement the
3 activities of the Lake Panasoffkee restoration program.
4 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
5 law.
6
7 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
8 SB 592
9
10 Provides that the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council shall
consist of 7 voting members: two representatives of lakefront
11 property owners, one environmental engineer, one person with
training in biology or another scientific discipline, one
12 person with training as an attorney, one person with training
as an engineer, and one representative of the sport fishing
13 industry. Members are to be appointed by the Sumter County
Commission instead of the Governor.
14
The council is subject to the provisions of chapters 119 and
15 120, F.S.
16 Creates a council advisory group to the restoration council
consisting of representatives from the Southwest Florida Water
17 Management District, the Department of Environmental
Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Florida Game
18 and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the Withlacoochee River Basin
Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
19
Provides powers and duties of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration
20 Council.
21 Provides that the Southwest Florida Water Management District
develop tasks to be undertaken by certain specified entities
22 to initiate the Lake Panasoffkee restoration program
recommended by the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council.
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