Fla. Stat. § 582.02
Legislative policy and findings; purpose of districts
Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2016
As of January 1, 2011
The farm, forest and grazing lands of the state are among the basic assets of the state and the preservation of these lands is necessary to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its people; improper land use practices have caused and have contributed to, and are now causing and contributing to a progressively more serious erosion of the farm and grazing lands of this state by fire, wind and water; the breaking of natural grass, plant, and forest cover has interfered with the natural factors of soil stabilization, causing loosening of soil and exhaustion of humus, and developing a soil condition that favors erosion; the top soil is being burned, washed and blown out of fields and pastures; there has been an accelerated washing of sloping fields; these processes of erosion by fire, wind and water speed up with removal of absorptive topsoil, causing exposure of less absorptive and less protective but more erosive subsoil; failure by any landowner or occupier to conserve the soil and control erosion upon her or his lands causes destruction by burning, washing and blowing of soil and water from her or his lands onto other lands and makes the conservation of soil and control erosion of such other lands difficult or impossible.
(1) It is the policy of the Legislature to promote the appropriate and efficient use of soil and water resources, protect water quality, prevent floodwater and sediment damage, preserve wildlife, protect public lands, and protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of this state.
(2) The Legislature finds that the farm, forest, and grazing lands; green spaces; recreational areas; and natural areas of the state are among the basic assets of the state and the conservation of these lands is necessary to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its people and is in the public interest.
(3) The Legislature further finds that to ensure the conservation of the state’s farm, forest, and grazing lands; green spaces; recreational areas; and natural areas, and to conserve, protect, and use soil and water resources, it is necessary that appropriate land and water resources protection practices be implemented.
(4) The purpose of the soil and water conservation districts is to provide assistance, guidance, and education to landowners, land occupiers, the agricultural industry, and the general public in implementing land and water resource protection practices. The Legislature intends for soil and water conservation districts to work in conjunction with federal, state, and local agencies in all matters that implement the provisions of this chapter.
Official source: Online Sunshine (Florida Legislature). Reproduced from public-domain Florida statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.