By Tyler Treadway
March 19, 2018
TC Palm
Whom would you rather have in charge of protecting Florida’s wetlands: the state or the feds?
Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign recently approved legislation to shift responsibility for issuing permits for development on wetlands from the Army Corps of Engineers to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The proposed change has been lauded by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida League of Cities and Associated Industries of Florida as a way to streamline an often costly and time-consuming stumbling block to development.
“The less we deal with the feds the better,” said Joseph A. Catrambone, president and CEO of the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce. “I’m a big fan of home rule. Taking something out of the feds’ hands and giving it to the state isn’t exactly home rule, it’s a start. The more locally these decisions can be made, the better.”
The move has been criticized by a number of environmental groups, who see it as removing one more layer of protection for the environmentally vital wetlands.
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