Natural Resources Committee

The Natural Resources Committee’s goal is to provide a forum for interested practitioners across the full spectrum of the Section’s practice areas in order to provide networking and other opportunities of common interest. Any attorney or affiliate member with an interest in the use and conservation of Florida’s natural resources are welcome to participate.

Contacts

Harold G. “Bud” Vielhauer, Co-Chair
FWCC
620 S. Meridian St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850.487.1764
bud.vielhauer@myfwc.com

Anthony J. Cotter, Vice-Chair for Publications
Orange Co. Atty’s Office
P. O. Box 1393
Orlando, FL 32802-1393
407.836.5888
E-mail: anthony.cotter@ocfl.net

Kelly K. Samek, Vice Chair for CLE
FWCC
620 S. Meridian St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
(850) 617-9444
Email: kelly.samek@myfwc.com

Mailing List

Click here to join the Committee Listserv.

The Natural Resources Committee observes the rules and protocol established by ELULS for its general email list.

Current Projects

What’s New and What’s Next for Clean Water Act Jurisdiction – Free Webinar held on April 16, 2014

On March 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a proposed rule to clarify Clean Water Act jurisdiction, with the intent of resolving confusion stemming from the SWANCC and Rapanos Supreme Court decisions. What could the ramifications of a rule change be for you and your clients? View the webinar put on by the Natural Resources Committee of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of The Florida Bar held on Wednesday, April 16 to find out.

Speakers:

Susan Stephens, Hopping, Green & Sams, P.A. – Materials
Shannon Gonzalez, Flatwoods Consulting Group – Materials
Philip Mancusi-Ungaro, EPA

Download the April 16 2014 Natural Resources Committee Webinar
Please note – to play this GoToMeeting slideshow & audio, you will need to install the GoToMeeting software from GoToMeeting website. First, download the slideshow/audio file and then install the GoToMeeting software (hitting cancel when it asks for a meeting ID). You should then be able to play the slideshow/audio file. If you have preciously viewed a GoToMeeting program on your computer, you should not have to download their software.

CLE credit available for Section members.

Past Projects

The committee hosted these free lunchtime webinars:

“New Statewide Environmental Resource Permit Rules: The Fundamentals for Lawyers, Engineers, and Consultants”

Originally held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

After over a year of rulemaking process, new statewide environmental resource permitting rules, intended to promote consistency and reduce regulatory burdens, went into effect on October 1, 2013. New activities affecting wetlands and surface waters are subject to ERP regulation, so what does this new rule mean for you? Panelists will review the history and changes to the regulations and discuss practical aspects of application to developers, consultants and legal representatives. This no-cost program is presented by the Natural Resources Committee, Affiliate Membership, and CLE Committee of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of The Florida Bar.

Panelists:

Susan Roeder Martin, Senior Specialist Attorney, South Florida Water Management District

Michael A. Register, P.E., Director, Division Of Regulatory Services, St. Johns River Water Management District

Michelle Reiber, Bureau Chief, Environmental Resource Regulation, St. Johns River Water Management District

Mark Thomasson, Director, Division Of Water Resource Management, Florida Department Of Environmental Protection

Moderator:

Robert W. Higgins, P.E., President, Higgins Engineering, Inc.

Download the Webinar Materials: FINAL SWERP Presentation for ELULS 11-5-13 handouts

Download the GoToMeeting slideshow & audio for New Statewide Environmental Resource Permit Rules_ The Fundamentals for Lawyers, Engineers, and Consultants (Right-click and select download or save link as)

Please note – to play this GoToMeeting slideshow & audio, you will need to install the GoToMeeting software from GoToMeeting website. First, download the slideshow/audio file and then install the GoToMeeting software (hitting cancel when it asks for a meeting ID). You should then be able to play the slideshow/audio file. If you have preciously viewed a GoToMeeting program on your computer, you should not have to download their software.

“After Deepwater Horizon : Recovery for Natural Resources in Florida.”

Learn about the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, activities of the State of Florida’s trustee agencies, early restoration efforts, and the recent consent decree proposed to settle Clean Water Act penalties against one of the responsible parties.

Originally held on Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Presenters: Larry Morgan, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Russell S. Kent, Office of the Attorney General

Kelly Samek, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Moderator: Bud Vielhauer, WWWB Co-Chair

GoToMeting slideshow and audio file available. (right-click and choose “Save As” to download)

Please note – to play this GoToMeeting slideshow & audio, you will need to install the GoToMeeting software from GoToMeeting website. First, download the slideshow/audio file and then install the GoToMeeting software (hitting cancel when it asks for a meeting ID). You should then be able to play the slideshow/audio file. If you have preciously viewed a GoToMeeting program on your computer, you should not have to download their software.