Developers Say They Need Wetland Permits Faster

BRADENTON – The Southwest Florida Water Management District says it wants to make it faster for developers to get permits to destroy wetlands. SWFWMD officials, including local-developer Carlos Beruff, made the case at a meeting Tuesday.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that the board said it would like to take over some or all of the federal permitting process, in addition to the state permits for wetland/destruction mitigation that it already issues.

Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is designated by the Clean Water Act as the agency in charge of federal permitting for wetlands. The Corps has consistently approved nearly 100 percent of the permit applications in Florida, but Beruff and company think they take too long for developers and could be pushed through faster if SWFWMD was in charge.