Florida Statutes Title XVIII Chapter 253 - State Lands

• 253.001 - Board Of Trustees Of The Internal Improvement Trust Fund; Duty To Hold Lands In Trust.
  The existence of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund is reaffirmed. All lands held in the name of the board of...
• 253.002 - Department Of Environmental Protection, Water Management Districts, Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, And Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services; Duties With Respect To State Lands.
  (1) The Department of Environmental Protection shall perform all staff duties and functions related to the acquisition, administration, and disposition of state lands, title to which...
• 253.01 - Internal Improvement Trust Fund Established.
  (1)(a) So much of the 500,000 acres of land granted to this state for internal improvement purposes by an Act of Congress passed March 3, A....
• 253.02 - Board Of Trustees; Powers And Duties.
  (1) For the purpose of assuring the proper application of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund and the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for the purposes of this...
• 253.025 - Acquisition Of State Lands For Purposes Other Than Preservation, Conservation, And Recreation.
  (1) Neither the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund nor its duly authorized agent shall commit the state, through any instrument of negotiated...
• 253.027 - Emergency Archaeological Property Acquisition.
  (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Emergency Archaeological Property Acquisition Act of 1988.”(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature that a program...
• 253.03 - Board Of Trustees To Administer State Lands; Lands Enumerated.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the state is vested and charged with the acquisition, administration, management, control, supervision, conservation,...
• 253.031 - Land Office; Custody Of Documents Concerning Land; Moneys; Plats.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, hereinafter called the “board,” shall establish and maintain a public land office to be located...
• 253.0325 - Modernization Of State Lands Records.
  (1) The Department of Environmental Protection shall initiate an ongoing computerized information systems program to modernize its state lands records and documents that relate to all...
• 253.033 - Inter-american Center Property; Transfer To Board; Continued Use For Government Purposes.
  (1) All real and personal property presently owned by the Inter-American Center Authority, pursuant to former s. 554.072 or otherwise, and all existing liabilities of said...
• 253.034 - State-owned Lands; Uses.
  (1) All lands acquired pursuant to chapter 259 shall be managed to serve the public interest by protecting and conserving land, air, water, and the state’s...
• 253.0341 - Surplus Of State-owned Lands To Counties Or Local Governments.
  Counties and local governments may submit surplusing requests for state-owned lands directly to the board of trustees. County or local government requests for the state...
• 253.0345 - Special Events; Submerged Land Leases.
  (1) The trustees may issue leases or letters of consent to riparian landowners, special event promoters, and boat show owners to allow the installation of temporary...
• 253.0346 - Lease Of Sovereignty Submerged Lands For Marinas, Boatyards, And Marine Retailers.
  (1) For purposes of this section, the term “first-come, first-served basis” means the facility operates on state-owned submerged land for which:(a) There is not a club membership,...
• 253.0347 - Lease Of Sovereignty Submerged Lands For Private Residential Docks And Piers.
  (1) The maximum initial term of a standard lease of sovereignty submerged lands for a private residential single-family dock or pier, private residential multifamily dock or...
• 253.035 - Coastal Anchorage Areas.
  On or after January 1, 1993, if an anchorage area at a deepwater port has been formally designated by the United States Coast Guard, it...
• 253.036 - Forest Management.
  All land management plans described in s. 253.034(5) which are prepared for parcels larger than 1,000 acres shall contain an analysis of the multiple-use potential...
• 253.037 - Use Of State-owned Land For Correctional Facilities.
  (1) The Department of Environmental Protection shall review, identify, and secure state-owned lands which may be used for correctional facilities subject to determination by the Department...
• 253.04 - Duty Of Board To Protect, Etc., State Lands; State May Join In Any Action Brought.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may police; protect; conserve; improve; and prevent trespass, damage, or depredation upon the lands and...
• 253.05 - Prosecuting Officers To Assist In Protecting State Lands.
  State attorneys, other prosecuting officers of the state or county, wildlife officers of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, conservation officers, together with the Secretary...
• 253.111 - Notice To Board Of County Commissioners Before Sale.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the state may not sell any land to which they hold title unless and...
• 253.115 - Public Notice And Hearings.
  (1) After receiving an application in compliance with such forms as may be required by this chapter requesting the board to sell, exchange, lease, or grant...
• 253.12 - Title To Tidal Lands Vested In State.
  (1) Except submerged lands heretofore conveyed by deed or statute, the title to all sovereignty tidal and submerged bottom lands, including all islands, sandbars, shallow banks,...
• 253.121 - Conveyances Of Such Lands Heretofore Made, Ratified, Confirmed, And Validated.
  All conveyances of sovereignty lands heretofore made by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund subsequent to the enactment of chapters 6451...
• 253.1221 - Bulkhead Lines; Reestablishment.
  All bulkhead lines heretofore established pursuant to former s. 253.122 are hereby established at the line of mean high water or ordinary high water. There...
• 253.1241 - Studies.
  The Department of Environmental Protection shall have a period of 90 days, after application therefor, in which to make the studies and surveys required by...
• 253.1252 - Citation Of Rule.
  In addition to any other provisions within this chapter or any rules promulgated hereunder, the permitting agency shall, when requesting information for a permit application...
• 253.126 - Legislative Intent.
  The limitations and restrictions imposed by this chapter as amended by chapter 67-393, Laws of Florida, upon the construction of islands or the extension or...
• 253.127 - Enforcement.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, the board of county commissioners or governing body of any municipality, or any aggrieved person,...
• 253.128 - Enforcement; Board Or Agency Under Special Law.
  In any county where the Legislature by special law or general law with local application has heretofore or hereafter transferred or delegated to any county...
• 253.1281 - Review By Board.
  (1) All special acts granting exceptions to the provisions of this chapter relating to issuance of dredge or fill permits shall provide that all action on...
• 253.129 - Confirmation Of Title In Upland Owners.
  The title to all lands heretofore filled or developed is herewith confirmed in the upland owners and the trustees shall on request issue a disclaimer...
• 253.135 - Construction Of Ss. 253.12, 253.126, 253.127, 253.128, And 253.129.
  (1) This law shall not be construed to be in conflict with any general or special law whereby the state has divested itself of title to...
• 253.14 - Rights Of Riparian Owners; Board Of Trustees To Defend Suit.
  (1) It is expressly provided that nothing contained in this chapter shall be so construed as to deprive any private riparian owner from bringing an injunction...
• 253.141 - Riparian Rights Defined; Certain Submerged Bottoms Subject To Private Ownership.
  (1) Riparian rights are those incident to land bordering upon navigable waters. They are rights of ingress, egress, boating, bathing, and fishing and such others as...
• 253.21 - Board Of Trustees May Surrender Certain Lands To The United States And Receive Indemnity.
  Whenever it may appear that any of the swamplands, granted by the United States to this state by Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850,...
• 253.29 - Board Of Trustees To Refund Money Paid Where Title To Land Fails.
  Any person having heretofore, or who may hereafter purchase in good faith and for value, any lands in the state from the Board of Trustees...
• 253.34 - Transfer Of Notes Owned By Board.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may endorse and transfer to any person, with or without recourse, any bills, notes or...
• 253.36 - Title To Reclaimed Marshlands, Wetlands, Or Lowlands In Board Of Trustees.
  The title to all marsh, wet or lowlands as have become permanently reclaimed, title to which is in the state, is vested in the Board...
• 253.37 - Survey To Be Made; Sale Of Lands; Preference To Buyers.
  When it shall be brought to the attention of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund that such lands exist as are...
• 253.38 - Riparian Rights Not Affected.
  Nothing in ss. 253.36 and 253.37 shall be construed as in anywise affecting the riparian rights now or heretofore existing under the laws of this...
• 253.381 - Unsurveyed Marshlands; Sale To Upland Owners.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the state is hereby authorized to make sales of unsurveyed marshlands to record owners...
• 253.382 - Oyster Beds, Minerals, And Oils Reserved To State.
  The state saves, reserves and excepts all natural oyster beds upon and all minerals and oils in or under the submerged lands until the same...
• 253.39 - Surveys Approved By Chief Cadastral Surveyor Validated.
  All surveys of lands into townships, sections or other regular land divisions, heretofore or hereafter made in this state, and which have or may hereafter...
• 253.40 - To What Lands Applicable.
  The provisions for land surveys in ss. 253.39 and 253.41 shall only apply to such lands as have not heretofore been surveyed by the Federal...
• 253.41 - Plats And Field Notes Filed In Office Of Board Of Trustees Of Internal Improvement Trust Fund.
  When such surveys, as provided for in ss. 253.39 and 253.40, shall have been made and approved by the chief cadastral surveyor, the plats and...
• 253.42 - Board Of Trustees May Exchange Lands.
  The provisions of this section apply to all lands owned by, vested in, or titled in the name of the board whether the lands were...
• 253.43 - Convey By Deed.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may execute and deliver a deed of conveyance, in its discretion necessary or proper, for...
• 253.431 - Agents May Act On Behalf Of Board Of Trustees.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may, by resolution duly recorded in the records of said board, authorize or employ agents...
• 253.44 - Disposal Of Lands Received.
  All lands conveyed to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, pursuant to ss. 253.42, 253.43, 253.44, or ratified by s. 253.43,...
• 253.45 - Sale Or Lease Of Phosphate, Clay, Minerals, Etc., In Or Under State Lands.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may sell or lease any phosphate, earth or clay, sand, gravel, shell, mineral, metal, timber...
• 253.451 - Construction Of Term “land The Title To Which Is Vested In The State.”
  For the purposes of ss. 253.45-253.61 the phrase “land the title to which is vested in the state” or words of similar import shall include...
• 253.47 - Board Of Trustees May Lease, Sell, Etc., Bottoms Of Bays, Lagoons, Straits, Etc., Owned By State, For Petroleum Purposes.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the state may lease for royalties or for other agreed compensation, or sell and...
• 253.51 - Oil And Gas Leases On State Lands By The Board Of Trustees.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund is hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate, sell, and convey leasehold estates in and to...
• 253.511 - Reports By Lessees Of Oil And Mineral Rights, State Lands.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall require from each lessee of public land under s. 253.45, s. 253.47 or s....
• 253.512 - Applicants For Lease Of Gas, Oil, Or Mineral Rights; Report As To Lease Holdings.
  Each applicant for a lease concerning oil, gas, or mineral exploitation or exploration in the state shall submit to the agency of the state issuing...
• 253.52 - Placing Oil And Gas Leases On Market By Board.
  Whenever in the opinion of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund there shall be a demand for the purchase of oil...
• 253.53 - Sealed Bids Required.
  All lands subject to this law shall be leased upon sealed bids. All bids shall be directed to the Board of Trustees of the Internal...
• 253.54 - Competitive Bidding.
  On the date specified in the advertisement of sale, the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall at a public meeting consider...
• 253.55 - Limitation On Term Of Lease.
  (1) Subject to the further provisions hereof, each lease shall be for a primary term prescribed by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust...
• 253.56 - Responsibility Of Bidder.
  Before the acceptance of any bid for such lease the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall establish to its satisfaction the...
• 253.57 - Royalties.
  The state’s royalties, a part of the consideration of every lease, shall be computed after deducting any oil or gas reasonably used for the production...
• 253.571 - Proof Of Financial Responsibility Required Of Lessee Prior To Commencement Of Drilling.
  The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may require a surety or property bond, an irrevocable letter of credit, or other proof...
• 253.60 - Conflicting Laws.
  The development of the lands leased by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for the production of oil and gas therefrom...
• 253.61 - Lands Not Subject To Lease.
  (1) Regardless of anything to the contrary contained in this law in any previous section or part thereof, no board or agency mentioned therein or the...
• 253.62 - Board Of Trustees Authorized To Convey Certain Lands Without Reservation.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund in making exchanges of land under ss. 253.42 and 253.43, is hereby authorized in its...
• 253.66 - Change In Bulkhead Lines, Pinellas County.
  (1) As soon as a county bulkhead line as provided in s. 253.1221 has been fixed by the water and navigation control authority of Pinellas County...
• 253.665 - Grant Of Easements, Licenses, And Leases.
  (1) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of this state is authorized and empowered to grant unto riparian owners as herein defined,...
• 253.67 - Definitions.
  As used in ss. 253.67-253.75:(1) “Aquaculture” means the cultivation of aquatic organisms and associated activities, including, but not limited to, grading, sorting, transporting, harvesting, holding, storing,...
• 253.68 - Authority To Lease Or Use Submerged Lands And Water Column For Aquaculture Activities.
  (1) To the extent that it is not contrary to the public interest, and subject to limitations contained in ss. 253.67-253.75, the board of trustees may...
• 253.69 - Application To Lease Submerged Land And Water Column.
  Any applicant desiring to lease a portion of the submerged lands of this state for the purpose of conducting aquaculture activities shall file with the...
• 253.70 - Public Notice.
  Upon receiving an application under this act that satisfactorily sets forth the information required by s. 253.69, the board shall give notice of the application...
• 253.71 - The Lease Contract.
  When the board has determined that the proposed lease is not incompatible with the public interest and that the applicant has demonstrated his or her...
• 253.72 - Marking Of Leased Areas; Restrictions On Public Use.
  (1) The board shall require all lessees to stake off and mark the areas under lease according to the conditions of the lease agreement and rules...
• 253.73 - Rules; Ss. 253.67-253.75.
  The board has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer the provisions of ss. 253.67-253.75.History.—s. 1, ch. 69-46; ss. 27,...
• 253.74 - Penalties.
  (1) A person who conducts aquaculture activities in excess of those authorized by the board or who conducts such activities on state-owned submerged lands without having...
• 253.75 - Studies And Recommendations By The Department And The Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission; Designation Of Recommended Traditional And Other Use Zones; Supervision Of Aquaculture Operations.
  (1) Prior to the granting of any form of authorization under this act, the board shall request comments by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission when...
• 253.763 - Judicial Review Relating To Permits And Licenses.
  (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:(a) “Agency” means any official, officer, commission, authority, council, committee, department, division, bureau, board, section, or other...
• 253.77 - State Lands; State Agency Authorization For Use Prohibited Without Consent Of Agency In Which Title Vested; Concurrent Processing Requirements.
  (1) A person may not commence any excavation, construction, or other activity involving the use of sovereign or other lands of the state, the title to...
• 253.781 - Retention Of State-owned Lands Along Former Cross Florida Barge Canal Route; Creation Of Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation And Conservation Area; Authorizing Transfer To The Federal Government For Inclusion In Ocala National Forest.
  (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to conserve and protect the natural resources and scenic beauty of the Oklawaha River Valley and all lands...
• 253.782 - Retention Of State-owned Lands In And Around Lake Rousseau And The Cross Florida Barge Canal Right-of-way From Lake Rousseau West To The Withlacoochee River.
  (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to conserve, protect, and maintain the natural resources, recreational values, and water management capabilities of Lake Rousseau and...
• 253.7821 - Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation And Conservation Area Assigned To The Office Of The Executive Director.
  The Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation and Conservation Area is hereby established and is initially assigned to the Office of Greenways Management within the Office...
• 253.7822 - Boundaries Of The Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation And Conservation Area; Coordination Of Management Activities.
  (1) The initial boundaries of the greenways shall be as follows, as described in the August 30, 1992, management plan published by the University of Florida...
• 253.7823 - Disposition Of Surplus Lands; Compensation Of Counties Located Within The Cross Florida Canal Navigation District.
  (1) The department may identify parcels of former barge canal lands that may be sold or exchanged. In identifying said surplus lands, the department shall give...
• 253.7824 - Sale Of Products; Proceeds.
  The department may authorize the removal and sale of products from the land where environmentally appropriate, the proceeds from which shall be deposited into the...
• 253.7825 - Recreational Uses.
  (1) The Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation and Conservation Area must be managed as a multiple-use area pursuant to s. 253.034(2)(a), and as provided in this...
• 253.7827 - Transportation And Utility Crossings Of Greenways Lands.
  (1) The Legislature recognizes that from time to time it may be necessary to serve statewide public needs by allowing transportation and utility uses to cross...
• 253.7828 - Impairment Of Use Or Conservation By Agencies Prohibited.
  All agencies of the state, water management districts, and local governments shall recognize the special character of the lands and waters designated by the state...
• 253.783 - Expenditures For Acquisition Of Land For A Canal Connecting The Waters Of The Atlantic Ocean With The Gulf Of Mexico via The St. Johns River Prohibited.
  The department shall make no expenditures for the purpose of acquiring land for constructing, operating, or promoting a canal across the peninsula of Florida connecting...
• 253.784 - Contracts.
  The department shall have the power and authority to enter into any and all contracts necessary or convenient to the exercise of any of the...
• 253.785 - Liberal Construction Of Act.
  It is intended that the provisions of this act shall be liberally construed for accomplishing the work authorized and provided for or intended to be...
• 253.80 - Murphy Act Lands; Costs And Attorney Fees For Quieting Title.
  No costs or attorney fees of any party adverse to the state may be charged to the state in any proceeding to quiet title in...
• 253.81 - Murphy Act; Tax Certificates Barred.
  The right to apply for a tax deed or to institute other action for recovery on, or enforcement of, tax sale certificates, and subsequent and...
• 253.82 - Title Of State Or Private Owners To Murphy Act Lands.
  (1)(a) The interest of the state in any land which was acquired by the state under chapter 18296, Laws of Florida, 1937, but which is listed...
• 253.83 - Construction Of Recodification.
  The recodification of the sections relating to chapter 18296, Laws of Florida, 1937, by chapters 72-268 and 84-197, Laws of Florida, shall not serve to...
• 253.86 - Management And Use Of State-owned Or Other Uplands; Rulemaking Authority.
  (1) The Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas of the Department of Environmental Protection shall have the authority to promulgate rules to govern the management...

Last modified: September 23, 2016