Federal Government Seeks Review in Florida Section 404 Case
The U.S. Department of Justice has petitioned the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to rehear a March 2026 ruling that upheld the vacating of the EPA’s 2020 approval of Florida’s Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting program. The petition argues the panel’s decision conflicts with existing precedent and threatens the framework for state-administered environmental permitting nationwide.
A Recipe for Restoration: How Collaboration, Innovation and Nature are Helping the IRL Recover
The St. Johns River Water Management District highlights how regional collaboration, restoration projects, and science-based planning are improving water quality and supporting the recovery of the Indian River Lagoon and Upper St. Johns River Basin.
Florida’s Proposed Expansion of the Homestead Tax Exemption Creates Budgetary Challenges, May Not Survive Legal Scrutiny
Sean Parker and Owen Parker examine the potential impacts of Florida’s proposed property tax amendment, warning that while it would expand homestead tax exemptions, it could significantly reduce municipal revenue and force local governments to cut essential public services.
Earned Optimism: What 40 Years at EPSS Says About Florida’s Environmental Future
A new Sachs Media survey finds that Environmental Permitting Summer School attendees are generally optimistic about Florida’s environmental future, while highlighting their priorities for permitting reform and key differences between environmental professionals and the public on major environmental issues.
Milkweed, Monarchs and Maintenance: How FDOT Is Using Transportation Corridors to Support Florida’s Pollinators
The Florida Department of Transportation is expanding its pollinator conservation efforts by using highway rights of way to establish native wildflower and milkweed habitat, helping support monarch butterflies and other pollinators through strategic partnerships and science-based land management.
Environmental Highlights of Florida’s Proposed 2026-2027 State Budget
Gov. Ron DeSantis finalized Florida’s 2026–2027 state budget, vetoing more than $800 million in projects while approving a $117.6 billion spending plan that includes significant investments in environmental, infrastructure, and agricultural priorities.
The Wrong Debate on Landfill Leachate
State Rep. Bill Conerly discusses how deep underground injection of landfill leachate, when properly regulated, can be a safe and effective waste management method, emphasizing that disposal decisions should be guided by science, engineering, and comparative risk.
Protecting Florida Agriculture for the Next Generation
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson highlights Florida’s record investment in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, emphasizing its role in preserving working agricultural lands, supporting farm families, and ensuring the long-term future of the state’s agricultural industry.
Build the American Dream by Restoring Permitting Accountability
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis argues that streamlining the federal permitting process through the PERMIT Act would reduce unnecessary delays, restore more authority to states like Florida, and accelerate infrastructure and development projects while maintaining environmental protections.
EPA Proposes New PFAS Drinking Water Rules
The EPA’s proposed rule changes would give public water systems more time to meet PFAS standards while dropping restrictions on four of six regulated chemicals, part of a broader $10 billion federal push to address PFAS contamination.
Hurricane Season: Officials Urge Preparedness, Coastal Community Mitigation
NOAA predicts a lighter-than-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with 8-14 named storms, but Florida emergency management officials and DEP are urging residents and coastal communities to prepare early using new nature-based resiliency guidelines and state mitigation funding.
We Asked the Experts: What Will the Final WOTUS Rule Look Like?
Florida practitioners with WOTUS experience weighed in on the EPA and Army Corps’ proposed rule implementing Sackett v. EPA, predicting the core jurisdictional framework will survive largely intact while the proposed wet-season methodology is the piece most likely to change before finalization.
