Senate Bill 1658 (2026) — Cattle grazing on state land
SB 1658
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1658 By Senator Truenow 13-01296-26 20261658__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to cattle grazing on state land; 2 amending s. 253.034, F.S.; requiring land managing 3 entities to consider the feasibility of leasing 4 portions of land to private entities for cattle 5 grazing when land management plans are being developed 6 or updated; providing requirements for the land 7 management plan; requiring land managing entities to 8 allow such lands to be leased for such purpose under 9 certain conditions; providing applicability; providing 10 an effective date. 11 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 14
Section 1. Present paragraphs (
d) through (
i) of subsection 15 (5) of
section 253.034, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 16 paragraphs (
e) through (j), respectively, a new paragraph (
d) is 17 added to that subsection, and subsection (4) and present 18 paragraph (
g) of subsection (5) of that
section are amended, to 19 read: 20 253.034 State-owned lands; uses.— 21
(4) A management agreement, lease, or other instrument 22 authorizing the use of lands owned by the board of trustees may 23 not be executed for a period greater than is necessary to 24 provide for the reasonable use of the land for the existing or 25 planned life cycle or amortization of the improvements, except 26 that an easement in perpetuity may be granted by the board of 27 trustees if the improvement is a transportation facility. If an 28 entity managing or leasing state-owned lands from the board of 29
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1658 13-01296-26 20261658__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. trustees does not meet the short-term goals under paragraph 30 (5)(
b) for conservation lands, the Department of Environmental 31 Protection may submit the lands to the Acquisition and 32 Restoration Council to review whether the short-term goals 33 should be modified, consider whether the lands should be offered 34 to another entity for management or leasing, or recommend to the 35 board of trustees whether to surplus the lands.
If an entity 36 managing or leasing state-owned lands from the board of trustees 37 does not meet the short-term goals under paragraph (5)(j) (5)(i) 38 for nonconservation lands, the department may submit the lands 39 to the board of trustees to consider whether to require the 40 managing or leasing entity to release its interest in the lands 41 and to consider whether to surplus the lands. If the state-owned 42 lands are determined to be surplus, the board of trustees may 43 require an entity to release its interest in the lands.
An 44 entity managing or leasing state-owned lands from the board of 45 trustees may not sublease such lands without prior review by the 46 Division of State Lands and, for conservation lands, by the 47 Acquisition and Restoration Council. All management agreements, 48 leases, or other instruments authorizing the use of lands owned 49 by the board of trustees shall be reviewed for approval by the 50 board of trustees or its designee. The council is not required 51 to review subleases of parcels which are less than 160 acres in 52 size. 53
(5) Each manager of conservation lands shall submit to the 54 Division of State Lands a land management plan at least every 10 55 years in a form and manner adopted by rule of the board of 56 trustees and in accordance with s. 259.032. Each manager of 57 conservation lands shall also update a land management plan 58
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1658 13-01296-26 20261658__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. whenever the manager proposes to add new facilities or make 59 substantive land use or management changes that were not 60 addressed in the approved plan, or within 1 year after the 61 addition of significant new lands. Each manager of 62 nonconservation lands shall submit to the Division of State 63 Lands a land use plan at least every 10 years in a form and 64 manner adopted by rule of the board of trustees.
The division 65 shall review each plan for compliance with the requirements of 66 this subsection and the requirements of the rules adopted by the 67 board of trustees pursuant to this section. All nonconservation 68 land use plans, whether for single-use or multiple-use 69 properties, must be managed to provide the greatest benefit to 70 the state. Plans for managed areas larger than 1,000 acres must 71 contain an analysis of the multiple-use potential of the 72 property which includes the potential of the property to 73 generate revenues to enhance the management of the property.
In 74 addition, the plan must contain an analysis of the potential use 75 of private land managers to facilitate the restoration or 76 management of these lands and whether nonconservation lands 77 would be more appropriately transferred to the county or 78 municipality in which the land is located for the purpose of 79 providing affordable multifamily rental housing that meets the 80 criteria of s. 420.0004(3).
If a newly acquired property has a 81 valid conservation plan that was developed by a soil and water 82 conservation district, such plan must be used to guide 83 management of the property until a formal land use plan is 84 completed. 85 (
d) When a land management plan is developed or updated, 86 the land managing entity must consider the feasibility of 87
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1658 13-01296-26 20261658__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. leasing portions of the land to private entities for cattle 88 grazing. Any lands determined to be suitable must be described 89 in the land management plan, and the land managing entity must 90 allow such lands to be leased for such purpose. If the land 91 managing entity determines no portions of the land are suitable 92 for such leases, the entity must include an explanation for its 93 determination in the land management plan. 94 (h)(
g) The Division of State Lands shall make available to 95 the public at least 30 days before the public hearing required 96 by paragraph (g) (
f) an electronic copy of each land management 97 plan for parcels that exceed 160 acres in size and for parcels 98 located within a state park. The division shall review each plan 99 for compliance with the requirements of this subsection, the 100 requirements of
chapter 259, and the requirements of the rules 101 adopted by the board of trustees pursuant to this section. The 102 Acquisition and Restoration Council shall also consider the 103 propriety of the recommendations of the managing entity with 104 regard to the future use of the property, the protection of 105 fragile or nonrenewable resources, the potential for alternative 106 or multiple uses not recognized by the managing entity, and the 107 possibility of disposal of the property by the board of 108 trustees.
After its review, the council shall submit the plan, 109 along with its recommendations and comments, to the board of 110 trustees. The council shall specifically recommend to the board 111 of trustees whether to approve the plan as submitted, approve 112 the plan with modifications, or reject the plan. If the council 113 fails to make a recommendation for a land management plan, the 114 Secretary of Environmental Protection, Commissioner of 115 Agriculture, or executive director of the Fish and Wildlife 116
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1658 13-01296-26 20261658__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Conservation Commission or their designees must submit the land 117 management plan to the board of trustees. 118
Section 2. The amendments made to s. 253.034, Florida 119 Statutes, by this act apply to land management plans developed 120 or updated on or after July 1, 2026. 121