Florida Legislature Passes Comprehensive Wetlands Protection Legislation

For nine years, Florida environmentalists have been working to strengthen the state's wetlands protection laws. In 1984, they succeeded. On June 1st, Florida Governor Bob Graham signed into law the Warren D. Henderson Wetlands Protection Act of 1984, legislation containing comprehensive wetlands protection reforms. The Act, named after a retiring state senator who made major contributions to the environmental movement, significantly expands the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), the state agency charged with regulating dredge and fill activities in wetlands. Representative John Mills, chairman of the Florida House's Committee on Natural Resources, drafted and spearheaded the bill through the legislative process.