We’ve Changed Our Name!
The Environmental and Land Use Law Center is now …
The Everglades Law Center
For 12 years, the Environmental and Land Use Law Center has represented clients in the Keys, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, Lee and Martin Counties because these communities and others are defined and profoundly impacted by the greater Everglades ecosystem. Whether it’s the coral reefs or hardwood hammocks of the Keys, Biscayne Bay, the Loxahatchee River watershed, western Martin County, the St. Lucie River estuary or dozens of other special places, it’s all part of the same ecosystem. We think the new name will help tie it all together in the eyes of the public. Our use of the word “Everglades” also reflects the broad range of jurisdictions in which we work. - from county court to federal court, from city councils to the United States Congress, the Everglades Law Center covers the vast range of legal authorities that govern this vast ecosystem. Finally, we seek to increase public awareness across the country of our work, as the protection of America’s Everglades and connected natural and built areas is important to all Americans.
We did not make this change lightly. After much thought, we determined that our current name is too long and hard to remember, and it tells the world nothing about our mission: to defend Florida’s communities and ecosystems. To those concerned that our new name will reduce the scope of our work to exclude areas not traditionally thought of as part of the Everglades, be assured that we view our new name as reflecting the expansion of our work throughout the region. The fact is that every place where we work today is tied together by the expansive, diverse Everglades ecosystem, its rivers, estuaries and bays, and we have always taken a system-wide approach to our work. In addition, the Everglades itself has become a catalyst for ideas like sustainability, connectedness, long-term planning and preservation all themes central to our mission.
A shorter name for a bigger role.
Our firm has spent a decade fighting to protect the Everglades ecosystem and to enforce Florida’s growth management laws. We take only the most important cases – cases that result in large scale protection like Homestead Air Reserve Base or Scripps; cases that produce important precedent, like Pinecrest Lakes and Ambrose; and cases that create entirely new mechanisms for protection like the Florida Keys Carrying Capacity Study. But litigation is only a part of the work we do. We also use advocacy and negotiation to persuade the private sector and local, state and federal governments to act in the interest of preserving ecosystems and wisely managing growth. And we bring our expertise to bear on the effort to restore the Everglades, a process that grows larger and more diffuse every year. As development pressure on the Everglades increases and as the restoration process becomes increasingly governed by specific permitting and planning decisions, we expect the demand for our services to expand. As the amount of development pressure on the Everglades increases, so must our efforts to defend them. Most significantly, we know that the next 5 to 10 years of planning and growth will determine the fate of this very special region. That means that as the stakes get higher, our caseload will increase and we expect to be in court more often. In part, our name change reflects a move towards becoming a more “full service” law firm, with expanding expertise and experience in the federal programs and laws that play a key role in the protection of south Florida. We are currently building the resources to add an additional litigating attorney and laying the ground work for gradual but steady growth that meets the increasing demand for our services.
We are excited about meeting the challenges ahead with the support and teamwork of all of our friends.
The Everglades Law Center Staff
Richard Grosso
Lisa Interlandi
Robert Hartsell
Jane Grosso
Angie Greico