40th Environmental Permitting Summer School

This panel will explore key strategies for environmental assessments during all phases of real estate acquisition and development, including due diligence, contract negotiation, pre-acquisition planning, and post-closing compliance. Speakers will discuss real life examples to illustrate best practices for site assessment, regulatory compliance, and environmental risk management in today’s development landscape.

The continued population growth in our State has triggered substantial challenges regarding land use, availability of water (quantity and quality), and clean, developable land with ready infrastructure. As part of an urban infill approach to preserve green lands, some of the alternatives to accommodate population growth are closed golf courses and available former agricultural land located near urban areas. However, these options present a unique set of challenges ranging from soil and groundwater contamination on and off property boundaries to comp plans changes, to administrative challenges by affected parties to land development. Another challenge is achieving environmental closure on contamination using Institutional Controls. Even in the face of these seemingly difficult challenges, opportunities to redevelop golf courses and former ag land exist. How can some of these issues be resolved? What does it take to achieve land development that is environmentally sustainable and protective of human health? The class is designed so the audience can learn to navigate the process and how some of these challenges are currently being met. The round table forum allows for plenty of audience participation and feedback.

Extremely timely and informative course will “cover the bases” from NEPA to permitting; critical environmental issues including ESA protected marine species and essential fish habitat, corals, sea turtles, and marine mammals; use of UMAM and HEA for determining mitigation requests; examples of lessons learned in dealing with and applying federal and state requirements to seaports, beach renourishment, and coastal development; discussion of emerging issues. Audience participation is encouraged!

Course updated for 2025! The panel of experts will provide an in-depth examination of watershed management as a means of comprehensively integrating a variety of planning and regulatory programs currently implemented by FDEP and the water management districts, including TMDLs, MS4s, NPDES, PLRGs, Water Quality Credit Trading, and both structural and non-structural floodplain planning and management. The discussion will also touch on the emerging role of Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs) as a component of green infrastructure in municipal watershed strategies. The panel will discuss practical considerations and any changes to current agency practices. Audience participation is encouraged, so bring your questions!