(1) The department is authorized to acquire by gift or purchase the fee simple absolute title or any lesser interest in land, including easements, for the purposes of this chapter pursuant to the provisions of chapter 375, except that:

(a) The department’s power of eminent domain shall be limited to curing defects in title accepted by the board pursuant to subsection (2).

(b) Lists of proposed acquisitions for the Florida Greenways and Trails Program shall be prepared according to procedures adopted by the department.

(c) Projects acquired under this chapter shall not be subject to the evaluation and selection procedures of s. 259.035, regardless of the estimated value of such projects. All projects shall be acquired in accordance with the acquisition procedures of chapter 259, except that the department may use the appraisal procedure used by the Department of Transportation to acquire transportation rights-of-way.

(2) For purposes of the Florida Greenways and Trails Program, the board may:

(a) Accept fee simple title or any lesser interest in lands through methods, including, but not limited to, purchase, donation, grant, dedication, lease, easement, license, or other agreement, to facilitate the establishment of a statewide system of greenways and trails.

(b) Accept title to abandoned railroad rights-of-way which is conveyed by quitclaim deed through purchase, dedication, gift, grant, or settlement, notwithstanding s. 253.025.

(c) Enter into an agreement or, upon delegation, the department may enter into an agreement, with a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 253.025, to assume responsibility for acquisition of lands pursuant to this section. The agreement may transfer responsibility for all matters which may be delegated or waived pursuant to s. 253.025.

(3) Easements, licenses, and use agreements upon, over, under, across, or along any land, the fee title of which has been acquired for the purposes of this chapter, may be granted by the department so long as the use of the easement, license, or use agreement does not interfere with the purposes of this chapter.

History.—s. 5, ch. 79-110; s. 4, ch. 87-328; s. 5, ch. 89-174; s. 8, ch. 92-288; s. 18, ch. 94-240; s. 12, ch. 96-389; s. 11, ch. 97-164; s. 7, ch. 2005-87; s. 35, ch. 2016-233.