SB 546 — Conservation Lands

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 546 By Senatorthe MayfieldCommittee 19-00386C-26on 2026546__Environment Aand billNatural toResources; be entitled An act relating to conservation lands;

and Senators Mayfield and Harrell 592-01913-26 2026546c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to conservation lands;

requiring the Division of State Lands to publish certain information on its website before the Acquisition and Restoration Council or the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund meets to review the proposed sale of conservation lands;

deleting provisions requiring the division to submit certain requests to the Acquisitioncouncil and Restoration Council for review;

requiring the division to publish certain information on its website before the council or the board meets to review a proposed land exchange;

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Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 546 19-00386C-26592-01913-26 2026546__2026546c1 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

Present subsections (8)(7) through (19) of section 253.0341, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (9)(8) through (20), respectively, and a new subsection (8)(7) is added to that section, and present subsection (11) of that section is amended, to read:

253.0341 Surplus of state-owned lands.— (8)(7) At least 30 days before any meeting of the Acquisition and Restoration Council or board of trustees meets to review the proposed sale of conservation lands, the Division of State Lands mustshall publish the following information on its website:

and (b) A statement from the division explaining why the lands are no longer needed for conservation purposes,purposes. for consideration by the board of trustees.

(12)(11) Requests to surplus lands may be made by any public or private entity or person and shall be determined by the board of trustees.

All requests to surplus conservation lands shall be submitted to the lead managing agency for review and recommendation to the Acquisition and Restoration Council, and all requests to surplus nonconservation lands shall be submitted to the Division of State Lands for review and recommendation to the board of trustees.

The lead managing agencies shall review such requests and make recommendations to the council within 90 days after receipt of the requests.

Any requests to surplus conservation lands that are not acted upon within the 90-day period shall be immediately scheduled for hearing at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the council.

Requests to surplus lands shall be considered by the board of Page 2 of 6 CODING:

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Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 546 592-01913-26 2026546c1 trustees within 60 days after receipt of the requests from the council or division.

Requests to surplus lands pursuant to this subsection are not required to be offered to state agencies as provided in subsection (8) (7).

(4)(a) A person who owns land contiguous to state-owned land titled to the board of trustees may submit a request to the Division of State Lands to exchange all or a portion of the privately owned land for all or a portion of the state-owned Pageland, 2whereby the state retains a permanent conservation easement over all or a portion of 5the CODING:exchanged state-owned land and a permanent conservation easement over all or a portion of the exchanged privately owned land.

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 546 19-00386C-26 2026546__ land, whereby the state retains a permanent conservation easement over all or a portion of the exchanged state-owned land and a permanent conservation easement over all or a portion of the exchanged privately owned land.

253.025(8)(e) If the division elects to proceed with a request, the division must submitPage the3 requestof to6 theCODING: Acquisition and Restoration Council for review and the council must provide recommendations to the division.

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 546 592-01913-26 2026546c1 submit the request to the Acquisition and Restoration Council for review and the council must provide recommendations to the division.

(b) At least 30 days before any meeting of the Acquisition and Restoration Council meetsor board of trustees to review the proposed land exchange of conservation lands, the Division of State Lands shall publish the following information on its website:

A statement from the division explaining how the Pageexchange 3will ofresult 5in CODING:a conservation benefit to the state;

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 546 19-00386C-26 2026546__ exchange will result in a conservation benefit to the state;

Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section 373.089,Page Florida4 Statutes,of is6 amendedCODING: to read:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 546 592-01913-26 2026546c1 373.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 546 19-00386C-26 2026546__ 2.