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Ecosystem management is the flexible management of Florida's biological and physical environments using unique combinations of tools such as planning, design, pollution prevention and economic incentives. One tool, team permitting, is an innovative ecosystem management approach to the review of large-scale project proposals. Created by the Florida Legislature, the ecosystem management initiative provides more productive working relationships between regulatory agencies, Florida businesses and the public. This process enables the public to have a more active and earlier role in the permitting process. Team permitting streamlines the permitting of a project by coordinating the review of a company's proposal by involved federal, state, regional and local agencies and jurisdictions. Businesses and regulatory agencies work together toward maintaining the area's economic welfare and at the same time protect and enhance Florida's environment. Cargill is required to submit a Consolidated Development Application, also known as the “CDA.” The CDA asks all of the regulatory questions an applicant must answer for an agency to address the issuance of a permit or land use approval. This CDA consolidates the questions of 8 different agencies: Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management, the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Community Affairs, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. In order to complete the CDA, Cargill must collect and analyze a large amount of data. Methodologies are developed by the applicant to describe how they will collect the data to answer the questions. The agencies review and approve the methodologies to ensure that the data is collected in a scientifically appropriate manner. Click here to go to The Florida Department of Environmental Protection web site.
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A New, Innovative
Approach