40th Environmental Permitting Summer School

In this popular session, a panel of subject matter experts will present the latest legal and scientific trends in the newest regulated contaminant, PFAS, as well as emerging contaminants such as microplastics. Panelists will discuss the latest litigation, the newest Florida and federal regulations, and the most recent scientific studies, strategies for conducting due diligence, and the status of remediation technologies. This session is relevant for agencies, municipalities, industry, attorneys, and consultants.

Come listen and learn from a panel of experts as they discuss the latest changes to federal environmental policies and regulations under the Trump Administration. This session examines how the policies and roles of the federal agencies are changing across a wide spectrum of issues such as WOTUS and other water issues, endangered species, enforcement, agency size, and climate change. The experts will also discuss how the regulated community, the state, and advocacy groups are responding to such changes including the potential for citizen enforcement. These and other federal issues will be discussed by our well-informed panel. Come prepared to listen, learn and participate.

Florida is faced with significant local and regional water supply, water quality and other water resource challenges in the coming decades unless proactive actions are taken. The need for new investments in water infrastructure is growing, while local governments and other governmental agencies are faced with fiscal, risk-based and capability constraints. Private sector expertise and financing is needed to play a key role in replacing and expanding Florida’s water infrastructure. Part of the solution may be public-private partnerships (P3) through the development of contractual arrangements. In 2019, federal, state, and local governments spent well over $500 billion to design, build, operate, and maintain transportation and water infrastructure in the United States. The panel will discuss P3 opportunities, legislative initiatives at the state and federal level, as well as case studies in meeting Florida’s future water resource needs. This is a timely and highly recommended course!

As regulatory frameworks and ecological markets continue to change and evolve, species' mitigation is entering a period of meaningful transition. This panel brings together key federal and state agencies to provide a forward-looking perspective on policy, program development, and implementation strategies shaping the next generation of species conservation. This session will explore how policy shifts, market mechanisms, and infrastructure innovation are converging to redefine how impacts are offset and how conservation value is created, measured, and monetized across Florida’s rapidly developing landscape.  Panelists will highlight advancements in species-focused mitigation tools, provide critical updates on species listing status, identify emerging trends influencing conservation banking, and showcase innovative approaches to integrating wildlife crossings and corridor design into infrastructure projects, including how these efforts are generating measurable ecological lift, mitigation credits, and quantifiable species protection outcomes.

Navigating land development approvals in Florida requires an understanding of the ever-evolving statutory framework, with a key focus on entitlement sequencing. Designed for developers, land use attorneys, planners, and environmental consultants, this course discusses recent rule changes and legislative actions that are molding the regulatory landscape for development projects.  Specific updates include Live Local Act, mitigation banking laws, Agricultural Enclaves, and cultural resource updates, among others.   The course includes strategies to achieve streamlined authorizations and permit compliance. Engage directly with industry experts through an integrated question-and-answer format for real-time audience participation.

Come listen and learn from a panel of experts as they discuss the latest changes to federal environmental policies and regulations under the Trump Administration. This session examines how the policies and roles of the federal agencies are changing across a wide spectrum of issues such as WOTUS and other water issues, endangered species, enforcement, agency size, and climate change. The experts will also discuss how the regulated community, the state, and advocacy groups are responding to such changes including the potential for citizen enforcement. These and other federal issues will be discussed by our well-informed panel. Come prepared to listen, learn and participate.

Updated for 2026, this highly popular course brings together practitioners, agency leadership, and industry experts to share real-world lessons learned from planning and implementing projects funded under Florida’s Resilient Florida Program. Drawing from direct project experience, panelists will provide practical insights into what works—and what doesn’t—when advancing resilience planning projects and initiatives from concept through design and construction. The discussion will highlight strategies for overcoming common challenges, with a focus on accelerating early project phases, navigating approvals, creating policies that facilitate project development, maintaining project momentum, and data management best practices to help communities before, during, and address and adapt to current and future flood risk. The panel will also explore what lies ahead for the Resilient Florida Program, including expectations for the coming year and the implications of the Florida Legislature’s funding levels for the program overall.  Panelists will also discuss key resilience projects, and data collection initiatives happening across the state, to prepare for current and future weather hazards.  Participants are encouraged to engage with panelists and come prepared with questions, as this session focuses on actionable insights, funding sources for future projects, and practical guidance for advancing resilience for coastal and inland projects in Florida. Plus Eddy is in the house!

Think Environmental Permitting in Florida is an old hat? Think again! This important area of law is constantly evolving, formally or otherwise. This extremely informative (and perhaps even a little fun) course combines the legal principles of ERP permitting, including policy and rulemaking updates, with practical tips for achieving compliance and avoiding process “pitfalls” from regulators and practitioners. The presentation will be led by lawyers and scientists from the public and private sector who will engage in free flowing dialogue with the audience whenever possible. Questions are highly encouraged! The course assumes a working knowledge of the ERP process and criteria, and it is intended to examine emerging issues that make or break applications, including those subjected to the extraordinary scrutiny of an administrative hearing, and what those issues mean for ERP applicants.

We use a roundtable/discussion approach, so there are no presentations to download for this course.