TALLAHASSEE, Florida — The Florida Chamber of Commerce is warning a federal judge that a halt to federal wetlands permitting in the state will create a “cascading economic calamity” unless action is taken.
The Chamber, developers and other business groups asked U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington to side with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in issuing a limited stay from his Feb. 15 ruling suspending federal wetlands permitting in Florida.
“Given the existing housing shortfall in Florida, vacatur without a stay will devastate Florida’s housing supply and the rest of the State’s economy,” the Chamber wrote in a brief filed Monday.
Other groups filing the brief include Associated Industries of Florida, the Association of Florida Community Developers, the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association, the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Lennar Corp. and G.L. Homes of Florida.