External Environmental Compliance Department – Environmental Protection Office

The External Environmental Compliance Department (EEC) primarily works with federal and state agencies on major civil works projects and federally guided initiatives, but also monitors projects initiated by third parties, that are located off Seminole Tribe Reservations. EEC staff engage with these complex projects by acting as a cooperating agency and through consultation and informal workshops, which means they are part of the planning and decision-making process for these projects. Through this work, EEC ensures the Tribe’s long-term water supply allotment through fulfilling the objectives of the Tribe’s Water Rights Compact, Criteria Manual, and related agreements. Finally, the Department is proactive in identifying and participating in opportunities that guide policies and projects that could impact Tribal Lands with the goal to assert and enhance Tribal sovereignty.

Department Responsibilities

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, agencies and participating entities evaluate the environmental and related social and economic effects of federally proposed actions. Agencies also provide opportunities for public review and comment on those evaluations. The EEC Department utilizes consultations and workshops to engage with regional and federally sponsored initiatives and projects and ensure the Tribe’s Reservations receive their fair share of clean and plentiful resources while also protecting the Tribe from potential external threats. In addition, discussions under NEPA allow Department to monitor and guide projects as they develop, and that holistic point of view allows us to connect how projects relate and impact each other now and into the future.

Everglades Restoration: EEC is directly involved with the scoping, planning, and development of Everglades Restoration efforts to ensure the objectives of regional plans include the Tribe’s priorities, such as water supply, flood control, and tree island health. Primarily, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the single largest restoration program underway in the South Florida Ecosystem. Components of the CERP will provide direct benefits to the Tribe by conveying water treated by Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) and re-establish ecological connectivity, reduce the severity and frequency of wildfires, and restore low nutrient conditions to the Big Cypress Native Area. EEC staff regularly engage with Federal and State technical staff to provide feedback on planning tools and NEPA environmental assessments across numerous ongoing projects.

EEC acts as the main interface between the Seminole Tribe and Federal, State, and Local Governments, along with non-government organizations on environmental and water resource issues. The Department is responsible for ensuring that the Environmental Protection Office’s messaging is aligned with the Tribal Council’s positions while updating the community about off-Reservation issues. As such, our staff strive to be effective communicators where we are consistent and clear when delivering the Tribe’s priorities through our work. Over time, building our ongoing relationships with external agencies will result in increasing the Tribe’s presence, reputation, and level of influence, which will ensure the Tribe’s voice and input be heard and incorporated into the decision-making process. Additionally, EEC regularly hosts visits from agencies and external partners (such as Directors of Federal Departments or members of Congress) to the various locations within the Tribe’s Reservations. These visits provide a perfect setting for Tribal Leadership to get acquainted with the external partners, advance the Tribe’s environmental concerns and interests, and obtain support for the development of various projects or funding opportunities.

Key Projects

EEC is assisting the Tribal Community Development (TCD), Water Resources Department (WRD) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) on the future construction of a new boat lock for the S-71 water control structure and G-207 pump station on the Harney Pond Canal. With it, the Tribe will receive new recreation opportunities and additional water supply capabilities from Lake Okeechobee during dry conditions.

Due to ongoing demands for freshwater in Florida, the Tribe began the development of the Water Supply Masterplan for the Brighton Reservation in late 2019 to obtain its water rights volumes for supplemental irrigation needs with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). In recent months, EEC has been working with the Environmental Resources Department (ERD) on reservation of supplemental irrigation water with significant increases for the Big Cypress Reservation. EEC is expecting the Seminole Tribe to begin negotiations with SFWMD in early 2026.

EEC and WRD are working on drainage options for the Immokalee Reservation to the Barron Collier Canal adjacent to SR 29 in Immokalee. Currently, drainage for the Reservation drains west to Lake Trafford, which no longer provides sufficient stormwater capacity to meet the growth of the Reservation. These new connection(s) will provide significant improvements in the Tribe’s ability to route stormwater away from the Reservation during severe storm events.

In 2021, the Seminole Tribe of Florida joined an intergovernmental team known as the Silver Jackets to propose an effort examining water supply deliveries and a holistic approach to mitigate flooding on the Seminole Tribe’s Immokalee Reservation, as well as other water resources needs in the region. As new development continues to grow and expand across all of Florida, it is timely for the Seminole Tribe to enlist as a team member on the Silver Jacket’s Charter to help reduce risks from floods and other natural hazards across all Reservations and Tribal lands in Florida.

G-409 is the crucial and sole feature that provides supplemental irrigation water from the regional water management system to the Big Cypress Reservation during dry conditions. As the structure is nearing end of life, the Seminole Tribe’s WRD and EEC Departments have the opportunity to coordinate with SFWMD to upgrade and potentially relocate the structure to an optimal location with higher elevation to mimic and functionally replace the natural gravity flow that used to supply the Reservation with its water supply before man-made diversions upstream depleted that source of water.

Key Resources

Water Rights Compact

Criteria Manual

Fla. Stat. 285.165 - Water Rights Compact with Seminole Tribe

NEPA

Mission

Assert the Tribe’s sovereignty through engagement with federal, state, and local agencies and offices facilitated through government-to-government consultation, informal technical workshops, and leadership-level coordination.

Contacts