Polk Times

WASHINGTON, DC—Rep. Scott Franklin announced today that his initiatives aimed at curbing federal government overreach and protecting Florida’s authority to regulate its own natural resources were approved by the House Appropriations Committee. The approval came during the committee's markup of the FY25 House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which passed with a vote of 29 to 25.

“DC bureaucrats believe they are best positioned to manage a state’s unique environmental needs,” Rep. Franklin said. “Instead of pursuing one-size-fits-all, big government ‘solutions,’ the federal government should allow states to retain their own autonomy. This is critical in states like Florida, where the resilience and health of the economy and environment are so closely linked. These initiatives put Florida back in the driver’s seat, and I thank my colleagues for their support.”

The bill includes several specific initiatives from Rep. Franklin:

Protecting Big Cypress & Miccosukee Tribe Of Florida: Section 158 prevents the National Park Service (NPS) from designating or managing Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness without congressional approval.

Background: The NPS has been maintaining parts of Big Cypress as a wilderness area without required congressional designation or approval. In April, Rep. Franklin joined Reps. Donalds, Diaz-Balart, and 15 other Florida colleagues in writing to Interior Secretary Haaland to urge the Biden administration to halt any proposed federal wilderness designation for the national preserve. In May, Rep. Franklin introduced H.R. 8206 alongside nine other colleagues; Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The full text reads:

"Sec. 158. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the National Park Service to designate or manage Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System."

Preserving Florida’s 404 Program: Section 492 restores Florida’s ability to regulate its own state waterways through a dredge and fill permitting program consistent with section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

Background: A Trump-era policy allowed Florida to administer a dredge and fill permitting program within state waters if it was consistent with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. In 2018, the State legislature authorized the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop such a program. On Feb. 15, 2024, a federal judge issued an order divesting DEP of its authority to continue issuing State 404 Program permits in Florida, halting more than 1,000 permit applications.

The full text reads:

"Sec. 492. The notice of the Environmental Protection Agency approving the State of Florida's request to carry out a permit program for the discharge of dredged or fill material pursuant to Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344), published on December 22, 2020, and titled 'EPA's Approval of Florida's Clean Water Act Section 404 Assumption Request' (85 Fed. Reg. 83553) shall have the force and effect of law."

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