Florida has a long history of wrestling with the competing interests of growth management, economic development and the protection of natural resources. As an attorney practicing land use and environmental law for the past 22 years, I read with great interest last month’s Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s 2012 Annual Report.
A major focus of this relatively new state agency is to meld the interests of planning and economic development in a manner in which Florida’s nationally-recognized growth management efforts do not impede the business of the regulated community. While this report makes great strides in attempting to reconcile competing interests, unfortunately, by failing to bring the correct players to the table, the state once again misses its mark.
