Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1128
       
       
        
       By Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       
       25-01119-22                                           20221128__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to aquatic plant management; requiring
    3         the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in
    4         consultation with the Institute of Food and
    5         Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida and
    6         the Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University, to
    7         implement and study certain nutrient removal
    8         technologies and mechanical aquatic plant management
    9         techniques within the Lake Okeechobee watershed;
   10         providing study requirements; authorizing the
   11         commission to consult and contract with entities for
   12         such implementation and study; directing the
   13         commission to submit a report to the Governor and
   14         Legislature by a specified date; providing report
   15         requirements; providing an appropriation; providing an
   16         effective date.
   17  
   18         WHEREAS, the health of the state’s water bodies is
   19  intricately connected to the well-being of our state, its
   20  residents, wildlife, and economy, and
   21         WHEREAS, legacy nutrients derived from the treatment of
   22  invasive vegetation and unconsolidated biomass can contribute to
   23  degraded water quality, and
   24         WHEREAS, removing legacy nutrients by physically removing
   25  invasive plants and biomass will improve water quality and help
   26  combat algal blooms, and
   27         WHEREAS, innovative pilot projects involving extraction of
   28  nutrient-rich matter and biomass harvesting technologies have
   29  demonstrated success in significantly reducing the amount of
   30  undesirable nutrients in the state’s waters, and
   31         WHEREAS, physically removing unwanted vegetation and the
   32  nutrients contained therein will improve the health and ecology
   33  of the state’s waters, benefit anglers and other fishing
   34  enthusiasts, and encourage tourism, and
   35         WHEREAS, repurposing legacy nutrients trapped in our
   36  waterways will improve local economies by allowing for a new,
   37  natural, and local source of soil amendments or compost for
   38  agricultural purposes that will also give way to innovation and
   39  job creation in the state, NOW, THEREFORE,
   40  
   41  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   42  
   43         Section 1. (1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation
   44  Commission, in consultation with the Institute of Food and
   45  Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida and the Water
   46  School at Florida Gulf Coast University, shall implement and
   47  study the strategic use of innovative biomass nutrient removal
   48  technologies and mechanical aquatic plant management techniques
   49  where ecologically and technically feasible within the Lake
   50  Okeechobee watershed.
   51         (2) At a minimum, the study must:
   52         (a) Document the reduction in chemical control for each
   53  aquatic plant acre mechanically harvested on an acre-for-acre
   54  basis.
   55         (b) If hay has been applied, analyze the harvested hay to
   56  provide data on nutrient content and soil nutrient content.
   57         (c) Provide traceability and accountability for total
   58  nutrient removal.
   59         (d) Determine the feasibility and sustainability of
   60  increased scalability of biomass nutrient removal technologies
   61  and mechanical aquatic plant management techniques statewide.
   62         (3) The commission may consult and contract with entities
   63  for the implementation and study of the strategic use of
   64  innovative biomass nutrient removal technologies and mechanical
   65  aquatic plant management techniques.
   66         (4) The commission shall submit to the Governor, President
   67  of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives by
   68  February 1, 2023, a report on the implementation and study of
   69  the strategic use of innovative biomass nutrient removal
   70  technologies and mechanical aquatic plant management techniques,
   71  including recommendations for statutory changes.
   72         Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of
   73  $500,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
   74  appropriated to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to
   75  implement and study the strategic use of innovative biomass
   76  nutrient removal technologies and mechanical aquatic plant
   77  management techniques pursuant to this act.
   78         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.