BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill he said will block dredging tied to a proposed commercial cruise ship terminal in the Terra Ceia area of Manatee County.
DeSantis said he signed Senate Bill 302, which he described as providing additional coastal protections and strengthening coastal resiliency statewide. He said the measure would not allow dredging needed to convert the area into a commercial cruise terminal, but would allow dredging for “passive recreational fishing, boating, water quality purposes.”
DeSantis said the bill also requires permits to be approved by the state and subject to public notice. He said it expands the state’s ability to use nature-based methods for coastal resiliency and allows the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to implement new technologies, including “3D printing,” to support efforts such as mangrove planting, oyster reef restoration and wetland rehabilitation.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert said SB 302 adds protections for the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which she said was created in 1984.
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DeSantis also said he would sign House Bill 1417, which he and Lambert said streamlines environmental rulemaking by repealing the Environmental Regulation Commission. Lambert said the bill changes the payment schedule for Title V air permits and is expected to save about $500,000 a year in administrative costs while maintaining the current fee structure. She also said the bill ratifies a rule establishing minimum flows and water levels for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers. In a separate announcement, DeSantis said the state plans to rebuild and improve the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier, a popular spot spanning Manatee and Pinellas counties. He said part of the pier was damaged by Hurricane Milton in 2024 and was closed.
“Today, I’m happy to announce that we will be constructing a new pier adjacent to where the pier currently stands on the Manatee County side and then improving the existing pier on the Pinellas County side to extend its lifetime for another 20 years,” DeSantis said.
He said work has begun on parking-area improvements and wider sidewalks, with demolition and permitting steps planned for later this spring. He said the state aims to complete the project quickly so the public can again use the pier.
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