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Guest AuthorMarch 31, 2017

In my previous role as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, it wasn’t often I would find consensus on issues involving local water management districts, the state and federal government. But after years of studying the options to best reduce the occurrence of discharges used to lower Lake Okeechobee, those involved in these three […]

Associated PressMarch 28, 2017

Moving forward with a campaign pledge to unravel former President Barack Obama‘s sweeping plan to curb global warming, President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday that will suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. As […]

Les NeuhausMarch 15, 2017

Legislation requiring the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to give free access to the state’s parks for foster families was passed by legislators Wednesday. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources unanimously passed bill, CS-SB 64, sponsored by Sen. Aaron Bean, would waive, or offer discounted entry, into all state parks for […]

Florence SnyderMarch 14, 2017

Just in time for Sunshine Week, Tampa Bay Times environmental reporter Craig Pittman reminds us how focused, how ruthless, how relentless Gov. Rick Scott’s flacks are in their taxpayer-financed efforts to keep information out of the hands of taxpayers. Florida’s Ministries of Disinformation have been around since the Chiles administration, but “paranoia about the press” […]

Jim RosicaMarch 13, 2017

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection on Friday night released its response to the House of Representatives’ request for documentation of the legal billing in a longstanding river water use fight against Georgia. Interim DEP Secretary Ryan Matthews also sent a letter, saying his agency had “denied more than $3 million in expenses and hourly charges submitted […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday formally approved Ryan Matthews as interim Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Matthews will serve until Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam decide on a permanent replacement for outgoing Secretary Jon Steverson. Until then, Matthews will be […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 25, 2017

Ryan Matthews will serve as the interim Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Gov. Rick Scott announced Matthews appointment Tuesday, just days after FloridaPolitics.com first reported DEP Secretary Jon Steverson was resigning. Steverson’s last day is Feb. 3. Matthews joined the DEP in 2015, serving as the Director of Office of Water Policy and […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

The Department of Environmental Protection has withdrawn a request to lawmakers for more money to pay lawyers waging a water use fight against Georgia, its spokeswoman says. The department had planned to ask lawmakers for an additional $13 million to pay expected legal bills from the still-unresolved case. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission was scheduled to take up […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott suggested he wasn’t bothered by one of his agency heads overseeing the flow of millions of dollars to a law firm that he’s now going to work for. Scott spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s Florida Cabinet meeting. “We have people that come to work for the state and they work hard,” Scott […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran late Monday said his chamber won’t agree to hand over any more money for the Department of Environmental Protection to pay its legal bills until the agency gives a full accounting of what’s already been spent. Corcoran was reacting to the DEP’s request to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission for an additional $13 million to pay outside legal […]

Tag: Department of Environmental Protection

Herschel Vinyard Jr.: Listen to water experts in Lake Okeechobee debate

Donald Trump takes aim at Barack Obama’s efforts to curb global warming

Senate committee passes bill allowing free state park access to foster families

Florence Snyder: Ain’t no Sunshine where Scott’s gone

DEP responds to House records request, defends payment of legal bills

Rick Scott, state Cabinet OK Ryan Matthews as interim DEP secretary

Rick Scott taps Ryan Matthews as interim DEP chief

DEP withdraws request to pay lawyers in ‘water war’

Rick Scott not bothered by Jon Steverson’s departure

Richard Corcoran: House won’t OK legal money for DEP

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.