Minor changes to ERP Joint Application

IMPORTANT: Several minor changes have been made to the Joint Application form, 62-346.900(1) which include a new signature block has been added to Part 7 Section C allowing co-applicants to sign and date the application and an updated US Army Corps of Engineers coverage map for their offices in the panhandle.  Please take time to review the changes to the application and make sure that you are using the correct, updated version when submitting an application to the District.

Full Environmental Resource Permitting has been implemented in the Northwest District

Full ERP was implemented by the District and the Department of Environmental Protection on Monday, November 1, 2010.   This completes the phased implementation of the Environmental Resource Permitting Program in the Panhandle.  Regulation of activities which result in the creation of a surface water management system (including stormwater) and activities occurring in, on or over wetlands or other surface waters is now covered under one rule.

Users can now find copies of Chapter 62-346, F.A.C., the full Applicants Handbook, and all of the new forms associated with full ERP on the Resources page.  Updates to the resources page will be made daily so check it often.

E-Permitting is Up and Running for Full ERP

The District’s Electronic Permitting Application, or E-Permitting, has been updated and enhanced.  Users can submit requests for authorizations using the new forms for full ERP.  Other enhancements to the Document Search and Electronic Noticing for Applications Received tools, make using the E-permitting application quick and simple.

Some of the new components to look for:

New Document Search – Visitors to the District’s ERP page will be able to navigate directly to the document search application without having to create an Electronic Permitting user account.  Users can reach the document search page by using the green navigation bar at the top of the page, selecting “electronic permitting,” and then moving down the new menu and selecting “ERP Document Search.”  Once there you may view all documents that have been submitted by the applicant and those that have been generated by the District for almost any application or permit in the ERP program.

Joint Application for Individual Permits – The enhanced E-permitting application enables users to submit applications for individual permits including activities that occurred in, on or over wetlands and other surface waters.  Once an application is submitted, the system automatically notifies other state and federal agency having regulatory authority over the activity instead of the user having to submit multiple applications to multiple agencies.  (Please see Chapter 62-346, F.A.C. for the specific state and federal agencies.

Locating Latitudinal and Longitudinal Coordinates – Applicants using the E-permitting application can now identify and download the GPS coordinates for their project by simply clicking on a map.

Additional exemptions available in the Exemption Self-Certification (Self-Cert) Module – The District has expanded the Self-Cert module to include 9 additional statutory exemptions.  Remember, there is no application fee when using the Exemption Self-Certification process.

Public Notification of Applications Received -  The on-line Notice of Receipt web page is designed to provide a central location where visitors to our website can see the applications for ERP permits received by the District.  Visitors can access this page by using the navigation bar at the top of the page and selecting “E-permitting.”  In the new drop down window, select “Notice of Receipt” to be directed to the new page. 

Fee Schedule Changes

The fees for specific individual permit categories have changed to reflect the new requirements of Full ERP.  Please make sure to take a look at the new fee schedule in Rule 62-346.071, F.A.C.   Click here to view the new Fee Schedule.

On-line Submittal of Regulatory Complaints

Residents of the panhandle can now submit information concerning activities in their area 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by using the District on-line complaint submission process.   Submit a complaint

New ERP Brochure

A new full Environmental Resource Permitting Brochure is available for download on the Resources page.  The brochure provides general information about the new aspects of Full ERP and the operating agreement.

Operating Agreement Flow Chart

Not sure where to send your application?  The District has developed a flow chart designed to help applicants determine which agency is responsible for the review of their requests for authorizations.  Users will navigate the flow chart by answering questions about their project.  Future versions will include an interactive module.

Click here to try it out

The Northwest Florida Water Management District’s Environmental Resource Permitting Program is administered out of 2 offices: one located in Tallahassee just off of Thomasville Road the other located in Crestview on Hospital Drive.  Both offices have been open and operational since the program became effective on October 1, 2007.  A map showing the locations of the District offices and the counties each office generally serve can be found by clicking here.  However, either office can serve a project located in any of the 16 counties of northwest Florida.

Each ERP office is staffed by stormwater engineers, environmental scientists/biologists, field inspectors, and administrative professionals.  The District’s Employment Opportunities web page has information about any vacant positions. Please visit our employment page at http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/employment.html, or contact our human resources department via email at human.resources@nwfwmd.state.fl.us.

Tallahassee Field Office Northwest Florida Water Management District Delaney Center, Suite 2-D 2252 Killearn Center Blvd. Tallahassee, FL  32309 Telephone (850) 921-2986 Fax (850) 921-3082 Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Crestview Field Office Northwest Florida Water Management District 800 Hospital Drive Crestview, FL  32539 Telephone (850) 683-5044 Fax (850) 683-5050 Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time

In the early 1990’s, the Department of Environmental Protection and the other four water management districts began the process of implementing the Environmental Resource permitting program throughout the northeast, central and peninsular counties of Florida.  It wasn’t until House Bill 7163, (Chapter 2006-228, Laws of Florida), effective July 1, 2006, that authority was given to the Northwest Florida Water Management District and the Department of Environmental Protection to develop the Environmental Resource Permitting Rules for Northwest Florida.  The adoption of the ERP stormwater rules in October of 2007, brought the first part of Florida’s Environmental Resource Permit program to the Panhandle.  The subsequent adoption of the full Rule in November of 2010, which included the regulation of activities in, on or over wetlands and other surface water finalize the Panhandles transition. 

Regulatory authority for the program is split between the DEP and the District and is defined in the operating agreement found in Appendix A of the Applicant’s Handbook Volume I.