40th Environmental Permitting Summer School

Florida's environmental policies are shaped by a dynamic balance of conservation, economic growth, infrastructure needs, water resource protection, and regulatory reform. Join current members of the Florida Legislature for a candid discussion on the environmental initiatives, legislative accomplishments, and policy decisions that have influenced Florida's environmental landscape in recent years. Panelists will reflect on key achievements, discuss current priorities before the Legislature, and share their perspectives on emerging challenges and opportunities facing the state. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the future of environmental policy, natural resource management, permitting, resilience, water quality, land conservation, and sustainable growth in Florida.

Over the last decade, the definition of “Waters of the United States” has become one of the most frequently revised, litigated, and closely watched terms in federal environmental law. After years of regulatory whiplash, multiple presidential administrations, the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, and continuing federal court challenges, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are once again redefining the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction. By mid-2026, practitioners are expected to be working under—or preparing to work under—a new WOTUS rule built around the Supreme Court’s “relatively permanent” and “continuous surface connection” standards. But as with every recent WOTUS definition, finality on paper may not mean certainty in the field. This course will bring together a former EPA General Counsel, a current EPA Regional Administrator, and a Florida environmental consultant with extensive Corps jurisdictional experience to discuss the latest legal, regulatory, and practical status of WOTUS. The panel will address what has changed, what remains unclear, how the new definition is being implemented, what litigation may mean for permit applicants, and how practitioners in Florida should approach jurisdictional determinations, wetlands, ditches, tributaries, adjacent wetlands, and project planning under the new regime. Come with your questions. Audience participation is encouraged!

Always a timely and useful course to provide updates on the most current information and activities with the Department of Environmental Protection which we feel will be of most interest to our attendees; includes review and analysis of rules and policies recently adopted or under development, including the latest updates on the Stormwater Rule, OSTDS and domestic wastewater rules, and any published reports; key/practical tips for all private/public regulated interests; course format is designed for extensive audience participation.

This interactive session tackles the communication dynamics that increasingly influence permitting outcomes. Participants will gain insights into how communication strategies can support regulatory success, reduce project risk, and improve stakeholder trust in complex environmental projects. Drawing on real-world experience supporting complex environmental, water, energy, and infrastructure initiatives across Florida, this course explores how communications strategies can support permitting success from both regulator-facing and public-facing perspectives.