Florida Communities Trust Governing Board

The Florida Communities Trust (FCT) is governed by a five-member board with the Secretary of DEP or their designee serving as chair. The board includes four members appointed by the Governor, which includes a former elected official of a metropolitan municipal government, a former elected official of a county government, a representative of a nonprofit organization that has among its principal goals the conservation of natural resources or protection of the environment, and a representative of the development industry. The governing board meets at least quarterly to conduct business. The DEP Land and Recreational Grants section serves as staff to accomplish the purposes of the trust.

 

Under Florida Forever, FCT awards grants to local governments and nonprofit environmental organizations through a competitive application cycle to help acquire parks, greenways and open space land to further local comprehensive plans. FCT staff provides technical assistance for application development, functional support for management plans and project liaisons with state and federal entities. In addition, FCT serves as a partner in the negotiation and acquisition process during purchases.