(1) An area containing or having a significant impact upon environmental 

 or natural resources of regional or statewide importance, including, 

 but not limited to. State or Federal parks, forests, wildlife 

 refuges, wilderness areas, aquatic preserves, major rivers and estu- 

 aries. State environmentally endangered lands, outstanding Florida 

 waters and aquifer recharge areas, and the uncontrolled private or 

 public development of which could cause substantial deterioration of 

 such resources. 



(2) An area containing, or having significant impact upon, historical or 

 archaeological resources, sites, or statutorily defined historic or 

 archaeological districts. The private or public development of 

 which could cause substantial deterioration or complete loss of such 

 resources, sites, or districts. 



(3) An area having a significant impact upon, or being significantly 

 impacted by, an existing or proposed major public facility or other 

 area of major public investment including, but not limited to, high- 

 ways, ports, airports, energy facilities and water management 

 projects [380.05 (2)(a), (b) and (c), F.S.]. 



The procedure for designating an ACSC is detailed and lengthy and re- 

 quires substantial preliminary analysis. As part of designating an ACSC, a 

 set of development principles applicable to the area must be prepared. There- 

 after, any developments taking place within the critical area must be in 

 confomance with the development principles. The main thrust of the ACSC pro- 

 vision of the Act is to protect certain important resources of the State from 

 uncontrolled development. To date, the three ACSC's in Florida that have been 

 so designated by the legislation are the Big Cypress Swamp Area, the Green 

 Swamp Area, and the Florida Keys Area. 



INDUSTRIAL PERMITS 



Industrial development, including power plant siting, often conflicts 

 with other land and water uses such as housing, recreation, and conservation. 

 These conflicts are especially pronounced in coastal areas where competition 

 for land is intense. Industry is a necessary concomitant of economic develop- 

 ment, however, and provisions must be made to accommodate it at suitable 

 locations. The processes involved for industry to comply with Florida's 

 environmental and siting laws have been onerous and frequently in a state of 

 disarray, prompting the enactment in 1979 of a streamlined Industrial Siting 

 Act (ch. 288 F.S.). The act was passed in response to a desire to attract to 

 Florida new industry that is consistent with the protection of the State's 

 natural resources and environment. 



A "Catalogue of Regulatory Procedures" was prepared by the State in 

 response to the confusion surrounding the State's multiple regulatory programs 

 (Florida Department of Administration 1979). Among the regulations covered in 

 the catalogue are those that deal with environmental issues and industry. 



This process of meeting numerous regulations for the issuance of indus- 

 trial permits is commonly referred to as the "old method," with the "new 

 method" referring to Florida's newly enacted (1979) "Florida Industrial Siting 



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