Managing our air, water and land

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for protecting our state’s air, water and land. 

Its mission is to protect, conserve and manage the state’s natural resources and enforce its environmental laws. The agency’s current secretary is Noah Valenstein, who was recently appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. 

This agency is very large and encompasses many programs ranging from state park management to waste management. 

DEP is the main agency that oversees Florida’s 175 state parks and trails, 12 million acres of public lands and 4 million acres of coastal uplands and submerged lands. The agency does this by acquiring and protecting public lands, overseeing permitting that protects natural resources and compliance activities that protect air quality, as well as managing waste cleanups. 

The agency website is also a useful source of information on Florida’s springs, coral reefs and sinkholes.  

What can the DEP help me with? 

• Finding or obtaining various permits. 
• Finding medication disposal sites. 
• Reporting an algae bloom 
• Viewing pollution notices 
• Reporting a violation of beach access.  

Because the DEP is so large, it is divided into various divisions that manage different issues. See below for a sampling.  

• Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection– Manages more than 4.9 million acres of submerged lands and coastal uplands in Florida. One of the current initiatives of this office is to help communities prepare for sea level rise.  
• Florida Geological Survey– Collects and uses geologic and hydrogeologic data as well as mapping and modeling tools to improve understanding of water and mineral resources, and geological hazards such as sinkholes. 
• Environmental Assessment and Restoration– Monitors and assesses Florida’s surface water and groundwater quality to identify pollution problems and develop strategies to resolve the them.   
• Florida Park Service– Provides appropriate resource-based recreational opportunities, interpretation and education that help visitors connect to the Florida’s 175 state parks, trails and historic sites. 
• Waste management– Implements laws to protect the environment from the improper handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes. 
• Water resource management– Implements laws to protect drinking water quality, ground water, rivers, lakes, estuaries, wetlands and beach and dune systems. 
• Florida’s Water Management Districts– Manages water resources within the state’s five regions. If you would like to get involved with your region’s water management district, read our post: 5 Reasons to Get Involved with Your Regional Water Management District 
• Environmental Accountability and Transparency– Ensures water quality objectives are clearly communicated to the public and coordinates with agency resources and scientific information to solve complex environmental challenges. This office is led by Tom Frazer, the state’s chief science officer. 

View other divisions in DEP by visiting: https://floridadep.gov/divisions 

How do I get involved? 

The DEP keeps a calendar of educational events and public meetings at: https://floridadep.gov/events 

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