(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).

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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 260.015

  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Board: means the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. See Florida Statutes 260.013
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Department: means the Department of Environmental Protection. See Florida Statutes 260.013
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Trails: means linear corridors and any adjacent support parcels on land or water providing public access for recreation or authorized alternative modes of transportation. See Florida Statutes 260.013
(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.