Environment

USFWS Ends Blanket ESA Protections for Newly Listed Threatened Species

Sep25

USFWS Ends Blanket ESA Protections for Newly Listed Threatened Species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ended automatic “blanket” protections for species newly listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Going forward, protections for a newly listed threatened species will depend on the species-specific Section 4(d) rule issued alongside its listing, rather than defaulting to the same broad prohibitions that apply to endangered species. What’s Changing Previously, a species listed as threatened automatically received the same take prohibitions as an

Sep16

EPA and Army Corps Publish Supplemental WOTUS Rulemaking Notice On September 9, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the updated definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The notice reopens comment on a handful of specific definitions from the agencies’ November 2025 proposal, while leaving the rest of that proposal unchanged. The comment period closes October 9, 2026. What’s Being Reconsidered The Supplemental Notice seeks input

Sep15

What Is an Environmental Resource Permit and Who Applies Most Nearly every construction or land development project in Florida that touches wetlands, surface waters, or stormwater systems needs an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP). New data from Sachs Media shows just how much permitting activity a handful of applicants have driven over the past two decades, and the results say a lot about who is shaping Florida’s built and natural landscape. What Is an Environmental Resource Permit An ERP is issued by the

May08

Wood Stork Delisted After Decades of Wetland Habitat Recovery The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on February 9, 2026 that the wood stork has been removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The delisting became final on March 9, 2026, marking a recovery milestone with deep ties to wetland conservation across Florida and the Southeast. A Recovery Built on Wetland Habitat When the wood stork was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1984, the population had

Mar05

The Balancing Act Between Growth and Wetland Conservation in Florida On March 10, 2026, Victoria Bruce, CEO of The Mitigation Banking Group, joined an expert panel at the Volusia County Association for Responsible Development (VCARD) seminar in DeLand, Florida to discuss how Florida manages the balance between growth and wetland conservation. The full presentation is now available to watch below. What Was Covered The program brought together regulatory professionals, environmental consultants, and industry leaders for a morning of discussion on wetland

Dec17

Florida Wetland Impacts: What They Are and Why They Matter In Florida, wetlands are legally protected ecosystems that support water quality, flood protection, and wildlife habitat. When these areas are disturbed—intentionally or not—there are consequences. Wetland impacts refer to any activity that alters the natural structure, function, or condition of a wetland. And in Florida, those impacts are highly regulated. What Counts as a Wetland Impact? Florida law defines wetland impacts broadly. Even routine land management or construction activities can fall under this category

Dec02

2025 Polk Landowner Expo Recap: What Florida Landowners Learned About Conservation and Mitigation Opportunities There’s something really special about being in a room full of people who care deeply about the land—not just as an asset, but as a legacy. At this year’s Polk Landowner Expo, I had the privilege of joining a lineup of passionate speakers and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Florida’s agricultural community. This event was a gathering of ranchers, citrus growers, consultants, and conservation professionals, all exploring the

Jul15

Investing in Florida’s Future: How RFLPP and Florida Forever Protect Land, Water, and Agriculture As Florida continues to grow, protecting our working lands and natural resources is not only an environmental priority—it’s an economic one. Two of the most powerful tools we have in this effort are the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) and the Florida Forever Program. These state-funded conservation initiatives are key to maintaining the balance between development and preservation. At MBG, we

Jul03

Florida Invests $1.4 Billion in Everglades Restoration and Water Quality Improvements for Fiscal Year 2025–26 The State of Florida is once again demonstrating strong leadership in environmental stewardship. As part of the newly approved 2025–26 state budget, more than $1.4 billion has been committed to Everglades restoration and water quality improvements, marking one of the largest single-year investments in the region’s history. This brings the total environmental investment during Governor DeSantis’s second term to an impressive $4.6 billion. These funds are

Apr16

Executive Order on Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting Puts Mitigation Banking at Risk On the heels of the recently issued Executive Order on Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting, serious concerns are emerging across the environmental and mitigation banking communities. This sweeping directive mandates that federal agencies—including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environmental Protection Agency—must assign expiration dates to nearly all environmental regulations unless re-justified and formally extended. What’s at Stake? The Order threatens the very legal

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