The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced that it will be revising the boundaries of the six FDEP regulatory District Offices.  According to FDEP, Secretary Herschel Vinyard authorized the changes as part of the FDEP’s efforts of streamlining and consistency.  The moves were approved as a means of dividing the workload between the six District Offices and increasing efficiency.  The modified District boundaries should provide shorter drives times between the regulated businesses and the public to the appropriate District Office.

Changes are as follows:

• Sarasota and Desoto counties will be served from the South District office instead of the Southwest District.
• Sumter County and all of Marion County will be served from the Central District office instead of the Southwest District.
• Indian River County will be served from the Southeast District office instead of the Central District.
• All of Jefferson County will be served from the Northwest District office instead of the Northeast District.

Therefore, if you, or your project, are located in one of the affected counties, you will have to change the FDEP District Office with which you interact on all FDEP matters, including permit applications, compliance assistance or enforcement cases.  These shifts in boundary lines will become effective Jan. 1, 2013.  However, any outstanding matters will be handled by the current district where it resides until completion.  Any work that comes in after Jan. 1, 2013 will be directed to the new district.

A conservation easement is a method that allows conservation organizations (governmental or non-governmental) to purchase the development rights of a land owner.

This method allows land owners, that do not want to develop their lands, to gain monetary value for their lands without having to sell them to developers.  Depending on the conservation easement, the land owner can still continue traditional land uses such as agriculture, ranching, and hunting.

Conservation easements also allow for the creation of large protected corridors for the protection of “listed species”.

BKI has assisted many large land owners acquire conservation easements for the their properties.  we look forward to assisting more land owners take advantage of this land protection strategy.

Mitigation banking is when a land owner completes a large-scale habitat restoration project and places the land under a conservation easement.  These activities produce “credits” for the restoration of the habitats on-site.  These “credits” can be sold to private and public entities and offset allowable wetland impacts within the watershed.

BKI is intimately acquainted with all aspects of wetland mitigation banking.  If you have any questions regarding the suitability of land as a mitigation bank or the State and Federal permitting process please give us a call.  We love to discuss potential projects in this exciting industry.