Florida Statutes Title XXVIII. Natural Resources; Conservation, Reclamation, and Use § 375.065. Public beaches;  financial and other assistance by Department of Environmental Protection to local governments

(1) The Department of Environmental Protection is authorized, within the limits of appropriations available to the department for such purposes, to utilize any one or more of the following procedures in establishing and operating a program of financial assistance to local governments for the acquisition of public beach properties:

(2) The Department of Environmental Protection may acquire waterfront property and may lease, sell, or grant acquired land, water areas, and related resources or improvements thereon to the governing body of any county or municipality upon such terms and conditions as the department may require in order to assure that such property will be reserved for public use and benefit in the future.

(3) The department is authorized to promulgate such rules and forms as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section and to ensure that all projects to which assistance is rendered hereunder are for the purpose of providing public beaches for recreation purposes.

(4) In addition to the authorized assistance procedures provided by this section, the Legislature urges the Department of Environmental Protection to give priority to applications relating to the acquisition of public beaches in urban areas, and to make full use of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended, or other applicable federal programs.  This section is supplemental to and shall not limit or repeal any provision of the Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Act of 1963.