Gulf Coast Subscale Drone Facility
Environmental Permitting - Florida
Project Need
A federal design-build contractor required environmental permitting support for the development of a subscale drone operations facility on a military installation in Florida. The project site was located within a designated redevelopment zone and included anticipated impacts to up to 2.47 acres of wetlands and other jurisdictional waters. These impacts triggered the need for both federal and state environmental permits.
Services Completed
Lord & Winter led the preparation and coordination of individual permit applications for both the Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit and the state Environmental Resource Permit (ERP). This included agency consultation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Lord & Winter provided assistance with scoping and schedule planning, management of anticipated Requests for Information (RFIs), site inspections, and public notice requirements. The team also reviewed mitigation options, including the potential need for Permittee Responsible Mitigation (PRM), pending delineation of acceptable mitigation areas.
Issue Resolved
Lord & Winter’s early involvement ensured the permitting strategy was aligned with agency expectations and site-specific complexities. By clarifying regulatory jurisdiction—especially for federal land—and preparing for possible mitigation needs, the team helped streamline the review process and reduced the likelihood of costly delays during permitting.
Photo by the U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia Commons
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Environmental planning is critical to a development project's success
Compliance should be a top priority for any commercial development team. If you overlook local, state, or federal regulations, you could inadvertently violate pertinent environmental compliance laws, exposing your organization to civil liability and fines. Lord & Winter’s environmental planning services can help your team stay apprised of all relevant regulations.
Our experts ensure the completion of development projects in a manner that fully complies with pertinent local, state, and federal laws. This oversight can reduce your risk of incurring costly fines and insulate your organization from civil liability.
