Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-815.008 - Project Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of complete applications shall be based on the criteria set forth in this section. Trust staff will be responsible for evaluating applications and recommending point scores to the governing body. Trust staff shall utilize the information contained in the application and information obtained during its review of the application for scoring recommendations to the governing body. Personnel from other state agencies, regional planning councils, water management districts, nonprofit organizations, and other public and private groups may assist the Trust staff in project evaluation as needed on an application-by-application basis. Unless otherwise noted, an application shall receive all the points assigned to a particular criterion if the criterion is met; no partial scores will be given for a criterion. If a criterion does not apply to the proposed acquisition, the applicant should state "Not Applicable" in the response to the criterion. Criterion that are missing or not answered will not be evaluated, will not be considered incomplete in the Notice of Completeness, and no points will be awarded.

(1) Furtherance of Growth Management and Comprehensive Plan Implementation (up to 100 points, as follows, based on whether one or more of the following criteria are met:)

(a) Growth Management Objectives. The project supports and furthers growth management objectives as they relate to conservation, coastal management, and outdoor recreation and open space. Up to 30 points based on whether:

1. The proposed project will assist the applicant in ensuring the proper location and distribution of development by redirecting development away from a coastal or other high hazard area or a 100-year flood plain (10 points),

2. The proposed project will help rectify land use conflicts associated with antiquated subdivisions or vested land uses that became non-conforming as a result of adoption of the local comprehensive plan (10 points),

3. The proposed project will provide additional outdoor recreation opportunities within the existing urban service area (10 points).

(b) Local Comprehensive Plan Provisions for Conservation, Coastal Management, and Outdoor Recreation and Open Space. Acquisition of the project site will assist the local government in furthering the local comprehensive plan directives set forth in the objectives and policy statements contained in the plan elements that provide for conservation, coastal management, and outdoor recreation and open space. When used in this part, the term "furthered" means that proposed projects will assist the local government in realizing goals, objectives, or policy directives of the comprehensive plan. For each criterion that is furthered by an objective or policy of the local government comprehensive plan, the objective or policy number is to be cited in the response to the criterion and a copy of the objective or policy, and any associated exhibits or documents, shall be included as an exhibit as described in subparagraph 62-815.004(5)(b) 4., F.A.C. If a copy of the entire objective or policy that is cited in response to a crierion is not included in the exhibit, that objective or policy will not be evaluated as to whether it is furthered by that criterion. Up to 70 points based on whether:

1. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the protection of natural areas or open space through public acquisition are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

2. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the preservation of native vegetative communities are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

3. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the protection of listed animal species or habitats of listed species are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

4. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the protection or enhancement of beach or shoreline ecosystems, are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

5. Comprehensive plan directives that restore or enhance degraded natural areas (including, but not limited to, removal of non-native vegetation, reforestation, shoreline or dune restoration, or restoration of natural hydrology) are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

6. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the protection or enhancement of surface and groundwater quality are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

7. Comprehensive plan directives that protect or restore aquatic vegetation (including, but not limited to, aquatic weed control, restoration or creation of aquatic grass beds, or shoreline restoration) are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

8. Comprehensive plan directives that provide for additional public access to publicly-owned or publicly accessible natural areas (including, but not limited to, water bodies, saltwater beaches, and to existing protected areas) are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

9. The proposed project will provide for acreage or outdoor recreational facilities necessary to maintain or improve adopted levels of service standards established in the comprehensive plan for outdoor recreation areas (10 points),

10. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the provision of facilities for outdoor recreation activities (including, but not limited to, nature trails or boardwalks, waterway trails, interpretive displays, educational programs, wildlife observation areas, or picnic areas) are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

11. Future land use designations or comprehensive plan directives with the purpose of creating greenways consisting of environmentally sensitive lands or outdoor recreation opportunities are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

12. Comprehensive plan directives that ensure the preservation of historical sites are furthered by the proposed project (5 points),

13. Comprehensive plan directives that provide for coordination with existing resource protection plans, such as aquatic preserve management plans, SWIM plans, habitat conservation plans, manatee protection plans, and estuarine sanctuary plans are furthered by the proposed project (5 points).

(2) Furtherance of Conservation, Coastal Management, and Outdoor Recreation and Open Space (up to 100 points, as follows, based on whether one or more of the following criteria are met):

(a) Protection of Vegetative Communities. Ecologically viable natural vegetative communities occur on the project site. Up to 20 points based on whether:

1. The project site contains predominantly native forested or non-forested vegetative communities that have not been subjected to significant disturbances or alteration as a result of current or past human activities (5 points),

2. The project site contains a viable population of one or more listed plant species (5 points),

3. The project site contains one or more natural communities recognized by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory as "imperiled" or "critically imperiled" (5 points),

4. Degraded or altered vegetative communities that occur on the project site will be restored or enhanced to their natural state in terms of biological composition and ecological function (5 points).

(b) Protection of Wildlife. The project site protects wildlife populations or their habitat. Up to 15 points, based on whether:

1. The project site contains habitat recognized by appropriate state or federal agencies as typically suitable for one or more listed animal species (5 points),

2. One or more listed animal species have been recently documented by professionally accepted methods to use all or a portion of the project site as habitat (5 points),

3. The project site, alone or in conjunction with other adjacent conservation lands, supports the recovery or maintenance of a significant population (as recognized by the appropriate agency) of one or more listed animal species (5 points).

(c) Protection of Water Resources. The project site protects the quality and quantity of surface and groundwater resources. Up to 15 points, based on whether:

1. The quality of surface waters occurring on the project site is proposed to be improved through programs including, but not limited to, the elimination of pollution sources, or restoration of aquatic habitat (5 points),

2. Surface water resources occurring on or adjacent to the project site are designated as Class II waters, Outstanding Florida Waters, a National Estuary or Marine Sanctuary, aquatic preserve, wild and scenic river, or other local or state government special status designation intended to protect the natural resources and water quality of the water body (5 points),

3. The project site protects high aquifer recharge areas or potable water supply areas as recognized by the applicable water management district, United States Geological Survey, or (with appropriate support documentation) other local, state, or federal agencies (5 points).

(d) Providing Outdoor Recreation. The project site provides for outdoor recreation opportunities. Up to 50 points, based on whether:

1. The project site will be utilized as urban open space, is located within a built-up urban area and will be managed with as minimal disturbances as possible to the natural resources on the project site (10 points),

2. The proposed project will provide nature trails, boardwalks, waterway trails, wildlife observation areas, scenic overlooks, interpretive displays or other such facilities to promote outdoor recreation with as minimal disturbances as possible to the natural resources on the project site (10 points),

3. The acquisition of the project site will provide for new or enhanced access for outdoor recreational or management purposes to other natural areas used for outdoor recreation including, but not limited to existing parks, greenways and waterways (10 points),

4. The project site contains an intact salt or freshwater beach that will be managed for recreation uses while preserving the natural character and functions of the site (10 points),

5. The proposed project will provide regularly scheduled and ongoing educational programs on the project site to promote protection of natural resources (10 points).

(3) Innovative, Unique, and Outstanding Project Elements (up to 115 points, as follows, based on whether one or more of the following criteria are met).

(a) Acquisition. The proposed project provides for alternatives to the acquisition of fee interests in land, including, but not limited to, acquisition of less than fee interest in a portion of the project site through conservation easements (5 points).

(b) Management. The proposed project will provide for innovative and outstanding land and/or water management techniques or facilities design that promote natural resource conservation, coastal protection, or outdoor recreation (5 points).

(c) Special Planning Initiatives.

1. Areas of Critical State Concern. The project site is located within an Area of Critical State Concern as designated pursuant to Section 380.05, F.S. (5 points).

2. Sustainable Florida Communities. The project site is located within a municipality or county that was designated as a Sustainable Florida Community, pursuant to Section 163.3244, F.S., and has executed a contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity (5 points).

3. Eastward Ho! Initiative. The project site is located within the boundary of the Eastward Ho! Corridor, pursuant to Executive Order 94-54, and as determined and approved by the corridor counties, South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning councils, and the Department of Economic Opportunity (5 points).

4. Waterfronts Florida. The project site is located within the boundry of a Waterfront Florida Community: said boundary must be described in a current contract between the applicant and either the Department or the Department's subcontracting grantee (5 points).

5. Local Mitigation Strategy. The project site is located within an area identified in the local government's Local Mitigation Strategy as a mitigation priority (5 points).

(d) Unique and/or Historical Site Features. The project site contains unique natural features, or historical, archeological or cultural sites as recognized by an appropriate agency or expert in the field (10 Points).

(e) Multiple Benefits. The acquisition of the project site is being pursued in conjunction and collaboration with other state, federal, local, or non-profit agencies acquiring adjacent lands. The multiple acquisition of these sites by multiple agencies will provide synergistic benefits for resource conservation and/or outdoor recreation (5 points).

(f) Neighborhood Park. The entire site is proposed for use as a neighborhood park less than 10 acres and located along streets where people can walk or bike without encountering heavy traffic, or is of a size defined as a neighborhood park in the local plan (10 points).

(g) Urban Core Park. The project site is surrounded by built up commercial, industrial, or mixed use areas and functions to intersperse congested urban core areas with open areas (10 points).

(h) Providing a Greater Share of the Match. The applicant is committed to providing a greater percentage of a local match for an award. Up to 20 points based on whether:

1. The applicant provides a local match for 50 percent or more of the project costs (10 points), or

2. The applicant provides a local match for 55 percent or more of the project costs (15 points), or

3. The applicant provides a local match for 60 percent or more of the project costs (20 points).

(i) Greenway Network. The project will enhance a local or regional network of linked greenways by connecting two or more greenways, by extending existing greenways, or by contributing to closing gaps in existing greenways (10 points).

(j) Project Excellence. The proposed project furthers natural resource conservation, coastal protection, outdoor recreation or growth management in a manner that cannot be adequately evaluated with the criteria established elsewhere in this rule chapter (up to 10 points).

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-815.008

Rulemaking Authority 380.507(11) FS. Law Implemented 259.101, 375.045(3), 380.510 FS.

New 11-3-91, Amended 11-1-92, 2-9-98, Formerly 9K-4.008.

New 11-3-91, Amended 11-1-92, 2-9-98, Formerly 9K-4.008.