The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a revised definition of “waters of the United States” to align with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. The proposal revises major components of the federal jurisdictional framework—including “relatively permanent” waters, adjacency, continuous surface connection, and several key exclusions—while laying out multiple alternative regulatory approaches for public consideration.
In Florida, Manatee Deaths Edge Up Slightly in 2025 | Miami Herald
Slightly more manatees died this year in Florida than in previous years, although the number was not as high as the record die-offs of 2021 and 2022. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 587 manatee deaths through Nov. 7, compared with 565 in 2024 and 555 in 2023.
Florida Makes Millions Available for Lower-Emission Garbage Trucks | Central Florida Public Media
Florida is offering $10 million for counties, cities, and contracted waste haulers to replace up to three garbage trucks with lower-emission models powered by diesel, CNG, propane, or electricity. The funding comes from the state’s remaining Volkswagen settlement money, with priority given to communities recovering from disasters, areas disproportionately affected by severe weather, and designated rural areas of opportunity.
Trump’s Favored Nuclear Start-Ups Soar to Riches | The Washington Post 💲
Investors are pouring money into politically connected nuclear start-ups, including Texas-based Fermi America, whose founders have become billionaires despite not yet building a reactor. The company is seeking federal approval for the “Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus,” a project aimed at supplying power to AI data centers.
Poachers Brave Dangerous Florida Swamps for Imperiled Ghost Orchid | Naples Daily News
Florida wildlife officials are investigating a rise in ghost orchid thefts from protected habitats in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve and Big Cypress National Preserve. The rare native plant, prized by collectors for its delicate white blooms, is being targeted by poachers willing to navigate remote and hazardous swamp terrain.
Ron DeSantis Appoints Tom Morgan to Northwest Florida Water Management District | Florida Politics
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Tom Morgan to the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. Morgan, who owns Apalach Outfitters in downtown Apalachicola and previously served as president of Residential Development for the St. Joe Co., brings experience in both real estate development and small-business management to water policy oversight in the region.
North Florida Utility Providers Awarded $98 Million Grant to Improve Water Infrastructure | WCTV
The City of Perry, Big Bend Water Authority, and the Taylor Coastal Water and Sewer District received a combined $98 million federal grant to improve storm resilience and modernize water infrastructure. Officials said the projects will replace aging systems and support growth without increasing local utility rates, with more funding possible over the next five years.
800th Bald Eagle Released from Audubon Center for Birds of Prey | Audubon Florida
The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey released its 800th rehabilitated Bald Eagle on November 21 in Sorrento, Florida—an achievement more than four decades in the making since the Center opened in 1979. Although Bald Eagles are no longer federally listed as threatened, they continue to face dangers from habitat loss, nest destruction, vehicle collisions, poisoning, and nesting on man-made structures.
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