38th Environmental Permitting Summer School

Efforts to grant “rights” to nature and natural systems have been attempted with varying degrees of success in several states and some foreign countries, and efforts to spread this legal concept to Florida have been increasing in recent years. An amendment to the Orange County Charter was adopted in 2020 to grant rights to certain natural systems there, and a state law preempting such efforts was passed by the legislature in the same year. Both are now being litigated. This course will review the history of the concept, the results of the policy where it has been implemented, the 2020 Florida law preempting its proliferation at the local government level, potential constitutional amendments, and pending litigation. Whether you think this is just regulation, or absolutely necessary to protect Florida’s environment, you will not want to miss this new course!