DISCUSSION ITEM
FROM: City Council President Brian Spencer
SUBJECT:
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DISCUSSION OF REQUEST FOR LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR HB 6019 AND SB 214 REGARDING PRESERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES.
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REQUEST:
recommendation
That City Council have a discussion regarding the submission of a letter of support for HB 6019 and SB 214 regarding the preservation of archeological sites.
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SUMMARY:
In 1996 the legislature created authority for The Florida Department of Historical Resources to permit divers to take artifacts presumably “isolated” from their context, report them to the state and with permission retain the artifacts. Only a small percentage of finds were actually reported and there was a concomitant increase in site destruction. In 2005 the Florida Department of Historic Resources discontinued the program. However, the provision that empowers the department to operate this program remains in statute. In the 2016 Florida legislature, two bills (SB 1054 and HB 803) reviving the failed “isolated finds program” were introduced and defeated. City Council adopted Resolution No. 04-16 opposing the adoption of those bills. Those bills would have permitted excavation of artifacts from Florida’s submerged lands for purposes of private collection and sale.
The Florida Archaeological Preservation Association (FAPA) expects the state’s cultural resources to again be under attack by collectors and antiquity dealers and are taking a proactive approach. Two good bills have been introduced in the 2017 legislature which would remove the troublesome “isolated finds” provision from the statute altogether, HB 6019 by Representative Cyndi Stevenson and SB 214 by Senator Greg Steube.
Support in the form of a resolution or letter for these two (2) items is requested.
PRIOR ACTION:
February 11, 2016, Council adopted Resolution No. 04-16
STAFF CONTACT:
Don Kraher, Council Executive
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Pensacola_Res 04_16
2) FAPAFAASt. Aug Talking Points for SB 214 and HB 6019
PRESENTATION: No