Natural Resources
Group Members
Water. Trees. Rock. Citrus. Cattle. Sugar. Fish. Beaches. Wildlife. Florida has abundant natural resources. They form the basis of our economy. Naturally, even the tourists come for our resources. Natural resource issues involve water allocation and quality, wetlands impacts and protection, mangroves, aquatic preserves, beaches, submerged lands, and listed, threatened and endangered species.
Here’s how we see it: natural resources are there for our use, but we have a responsibility to respect the rules that protect them. We have effectively managed the tension between these two sides of the same coin. We’re able to do so because of our experience as regulators, engineers and scientists and because we’re problem solvers. It makes us different.
We work with your team to ensure any specific issues at every level of government are efficiently managed. Whether you need approval or relief from the government we will be there to help walk you through the process. That includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service as well as state and local governmental and regulatory agencies. If you need a permit or a biological opinion, or if you need to resolve compliance issues, we can assist you with those problems. The creation of a solid administrative record during the permitting process has become an essential aspect of natural resource permitting and defense.
Our natural resources team draws knowledge and experience from our litigation team which defends and challenges permits and enforcement actions.
Our natural resources team will help you understand how the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the seemingly infinite array of state and local environmental laws and regulations affect your property.
For more information on this practice area, contact Michelle Diffenderfer, Chair – Natural Resources.