Florida Senate - 2024                               CS for SB 32
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and
       Senators Garcia and Avila
       
       
       
       
       592-01782-24                                            202432c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to mangrove replanting and
    3         restoration; amending s. 403.9324, F.S.; requiring the
    4         Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules
    5         for mangrove replanting and restoration; providing
    6         requirements for the rules; requiring the department,
    7         in consultation with the Division of Insurance Agent
    8         and Agency Services, to conduct a statewide
    9         feasibility study regarding the use of mangroves and
   10         other nature-based solutions in order to improve a
   11         local government’s community rating for flood
   12         insurance purposes; requiring a report to the Governor
   13         and the Legislature by a specified date; providing an
   14         effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsections (7) and (8) are added to section
   19  403.9324, Florida Statutes, to read:
   20         403.9324 Mangrove protection rule; delegation of mangrove
   21  protection to local governments.—
   22         (7) The department shall adopt rules for mangrove
   23  replanting and restoration. The rules must do all of the
   24  following:
   25         (a) Address significant erosion in areas of critical state
   26  concern.
   27         (b) Protect barrier and spoil islands.
   28         (c) Assist Everglades restoration and Biscayne Bay
   29  revitalization efforts, including the development of living
   30  shoreline design options for the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve
   31  which are ecologically acceptable and consistent with s.
   32  258.397.
   33         (d) Promote public awareness of the value of mangroves
   34  statewide and support mangrove education campaigns conducted by
   35  local governmental entities.
   36         (e) Identify vulnerable public and private properties along
   37  the coastline and encourage partnerships with local governmental
   38  entities to create local mangrove protection and restoration
   39  zone programs for implementing the rules developed by the
   40  department pursuant to this subsection.
   41         (f) Protect and maintain access to and navigation of the
   42  marked channel and the right-of-way of the Florida Intracoastal
   43  Waterway as defined in s. 327.02.
   44         (g) Create permitting incentives and approve of and
   45  encourage the use of new strategies for living shorelines and
   46  nature-based features, such as mangroves for coastal protection.
   47         (h) Encourage partnerships with local governmental entities
   48  to create projects for coastal protection through the Resilient
   49  Florida Grant Program pursuant to s. 380.093(3)(b)1.c.
   50         (8) The department, in consultation with the Division of
   51  Insurance Agent and Agency Services, shall conduct a statewide
   52  feasibility study to determine the value of mangroves and other
   53  nature-based solutions for coastal flood risk reduction within
   54  coastal communities to reduce insurance premiums and improve
   55  local governments’ community ratings in the National Flood
   56  Insurance Program Community Rating System. The department shall
   57  submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
   58  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by July 1, 2025.
   59         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.