§ 8.00.00. General.

8.00.01 Purpose and Intent. Pursuant to Article II, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution and F.S. § 380.0551, the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern (GSACSC) has been determined to be an area of statewide environmental value. In recognition of this, Lake County shall preserve the integrity of the Green Swamp as an intact ecosystem of statewide significance by protecting its natural resources, including but not limited to, hydrologic regimes, wetland and upland communities, floodplain, ecologic connectivity, wildlife, and aquifer recharge. Lake County shall also pursue a land use strategy within the GSACSC that emphasizes passive parks, agriculture, and very low density rural residential development protective of the natural environment. The County shall utilize the Conservation Future Land Use Category to designate preserved areas. Within the GSACSC, the County shall implement development criteria such as drainage patterns, soil types, flood types, flood zones and indigenous vegetation to protect natural resources. Lake County shall, through the implementation of these regulations and the Comprehensive Plan, preserve and protect the Green Swamp as a natural resource of critical state and regional importance.

8.00.02 Green Swamp Boundary. The GSACSC was designated in 1979 by the Florida Legislature pursuant to Florida Statutes. The boundary of the GSACSC is depicted on the Future Land Use Map and is legally described within Rule 28-26.002, Florida Administrative Code as adopted in Policy 1-4.1.1 of the Lake County Comprehensive Plan and shown on the Future Land Use Map.

(Ord. No. 2013-64, § 3, 12-17-13)