38th Environmental Permitting Summer School

Join us for a panel discussion on business, ethics and technology for the modern environmental professional! 

Whether you are an engineer, lawyer, or consultant, and whether you practice in the public or the private sector, your clients rely on you to provide adaptable, ethical, effective, quality work. This panel is designed to help all types of environmental professionals adapt to ever-changing work environments and constantly-updating technologies while working within the existing ethical paradigms and standards of practice. 

The first half of this year’s panel will include an increased focus on security and best practices for securing and ensuring access to work outside the office, and will discuss the use of new technology, including chatbots and AI. It will also provide you with tools, tips, tricks, and resources to be able to provide that work whether you work in the office, in the field, or in a coffee shop, and will include a discussion of how the various ethical requirements for attorneys and other environmental professionals interplay with the increasing use of technology. It will also discuss the intricacies of moving between the public and private sectors and analyze various ethical rules related to switching from public to private clients, working in a remote locations, and various public records laws. Panelists will provide practical pointers to address each of these issues and offer tried-and-true advice to help professionals become more organized and effective by using digital devices to their full capabilities in light of ethical responsibilities. Part I of the session will finish with a discussion on troubleshooting your most vexing and everyday annoyances problems encountered using technology. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions for the panelists.

After the break, the second half of the session will focus on the online technology tools created by environmental agencies that environmental professionals can use to find answers to client questions and research queries. Part II will explore a variety of database tools provided by water management districts and DEP including DEP’s Geospatial Open Data Portal and StoryMaps. The panel will feature agency personnel and experienced users to learn the latest tips and tricks to make online information searches yield the best results. This will be an interactive experience and dialogue to explore and hone the skills environmental professionals need to effectively use these online resources. The session is designed to educate both the novice and the experienced technology user and is expected to generate Florida Bar CLE credits for ethics and technology. BYOD – Bring Your Own Device and Follow Along!

Part I – Using Technology to Work Effectively in and out of the Office  Instructors: Kathryn B. Rossmell,  F. Joseph Ullo, Jr., Danielle Irwin

Part II – Government Agency Resources and Databases  Instructors: Carlyn Kowalsky, Akin Owosina, Julia Lomonico

An excellent course designed to provide insight into the regulatory, planning, and water supply development programs of Florida’s five water management districts; includes a discussion of water resource development and water supply planning; adoption and implementation of MFLs; development of water reservations; Environmental Resource Permitting updates; secondary and cumulative impacts; discussion of changes to water management district budgeting and cooperative funding for water quality and water supply; and other emerging programs and issues; audience participation encouraged. 

Practical and informative course designed to address strategies for obtaining environmental and growth management approvals for land development projects under Florida’s current laws and agency practices; consideration of effects of recent legislation and administrative actions taken by the Executive Branch; discussion of successful approaches to processing and obtaining environmental permits from regulatory agencies, determinations of when to obtain the required permits and in what order, and the level of specificity and procedural requirements of each agency. Course to also cover tracking and managing activities for compliance with permit conditions, tips for gaining the respect of regulatory agencies, and steps that should be taken to avoid costly enforcement litigation. Audience participation is encouraged.

This session will provide an overview of policies and regulations that link disaster mitigation policy to climate resiliency issues. The presentation will explore these linkages as well as room for improvement in them.  With major storms continuing to impact Florida every few years, agency orders are also a policy implication to be considered, both in short-term response and long-term planning factors. Case studies will be presented that harmonize the concepts of planning for, or responding to, disasters and incorporating aspects of future resiliency into projects. Finally, the session will also explore an important relationship with insurance and funding mechanisms, some of which provide dual benefits in the disaster mitigation and recovery realm as well as the flexibility to add components that address future resiliency.

This panel is organized as a “How-To,” with experts discussing the latest tools and emerging programs at the State and Federal levels to implement more resilient infrastructure, including resiliency elements that are being added or required to funding programs and projects. Federal and state planning, funding, evaluation tools, and technical assistance programs to support resiliency will also be discussed. Evolving linkages with programs and funding resources for planning and project implementation will be highlighted, along with case studies and recommended best practices. Come prepared with your questions for the panel as we grapple with Florida’s future in an ever-changing climate.

Come listen and learn from a panel of experts as they discuss the latest changes to federal environmental policies and regulations under the Biden Administration. This session examines how the policies and roles of the federal agencies are changing across a wide spectrum of issues such as enforcement, agency size, the extent of federal authority over wetlands and waters, and climate change. The experts will also discuss how the regulated community, the state, and advocacy groups are responding to such changes including the potential for citizen enforcement. These and other federal issues will be discussed by our well-informed panel. Come prepared to listen, learn and participate. 

The panelists will discuss appropriate scoping of the environmental due diligence process, taking into consideration current and prior land uses and the user’s project objectives; the panelists will also discuss the importance of the environmental professional’s opinion and when and how to recommend additional investigation;  in closing land transactions when there are unresolved issues and how to address those issues and much more; audience participation encouraged.

Florida is faced with significant local and regional water supply, water quality and other water resource challenges in the coming decades unless proactive actions are taken. The need for new investments in water infrastructure is growing, while local governments and other governmental agencies are faced with fiscal, risk-based and capability constraints. Private sector expertise and financing is needed to play a key role in replacing and expanding Florida’s water infrastructure. Part of the solution may be public-private partnerships (P3) through development of contractual arrangements. In 2019, federal, state, and local governments spent well over $500 billion to design, build, operate, and maintain transportation and water infrastructure in the United States. The panel will discuss P3 opportunities, legislative initiatives at the state and federal level, as well as case studies in meeting Florida’s future water resource needs. This is a timely and highly recommended course! 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) work in partnership to conserve Florida’s imperiled species. The FWC has developed the Imperiled Species Management Plan to address the needs of state listed species and includes approved Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines to clarify the requirements for obtaining take permits. The USFWS has developed Consultation Guidelines and/or Determination Keys to assist with streamlining project reviews for federally listed species and to provide regulatory clarity while detailing recommendations for avoiding and minimizing potential negative effects. These state and federal guidelines are occasionally updated to address emerging information regarding imperiled species’ range, specific habitat needs, survey methodologies, and recommended best management practices. This guidance has the potential to profoundly affect the way we conduct business in Florida while minimizing impacts from known threats, improving habitat, and strengthening conservation and recovery efforts for imperiled species. Experienced members of this panel will offer a review of the regulatory guidance that is in place or is currently being developed for imperiled species, discuss key species issues, and provide insight into the current industry efforts and best management practices to benefit wildlife and their habitats. Come prepared with questions. Audience participation is encouraged!

This course provides an overview and analysis of state and federal legislation and other initiatives, rule changes, and litigation having a potential impact on energy policies and programs in Florida. The panel will also discuss specific efforts related to electrical power plant siting and generation, pipeline siting and development, oil and gas exploration and production, energy efficiency, alternative fuel sources, alternative energy development, alternative vehicle technologies, and the status of EPA’s rulemaking. This course is designed for extensive audience participation, so come prepared with your questions for this panel of experts!