Environmental Permitting & Environmental Project Assistance
In Florida, the statewide Environmental Resource Permitting system was established as a means to protect environmental resources, to prevent storm water pollution to Florida’s rivers, lakes and streams, and to help prevent potential flooding impacts to adjacent properties which may result from new impervious surface / development. ERPs regulate the management and storage of surface waters, and provide protection for the vital functions of wetlands / other surface waters, submerged aquatic vegetation, listed wildlife and plant species, and cultural / historic resources.
The ERP process is a multi-agency review, with the regulatory authority shared between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the regional Water Management Districts of Florida. The nature of your project will determine which agency has permitting authority. For example, the Water Management Districts typically have jurisdiction over multi-unit residential, new subdivisions, and commercial developments, while the FDEP has jurisdiction for most single family residential, utilities, and over water projects (i.e., docks, boatlifts, etc.). These agencies also typically solicit comments from other statewide regulatory agencies such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Division of Historic Resources (DOH) to help assess how the proposed development may impact listed wildlife or cultural / archaeologic resources.
