This public-safe catalog records the provenance and limits of the July 22, 2026 public comment on Florida's proposed mitigation-banking rule amendments. The comment itself is published in full as an answer guide.
The comment
Subject
Proposed amendments to Chapter 62-342, F.A.C. (Mitigation Banks), July 2026 draft — use of mitigation-bank credits to offset wetland impacts in South Walton.
Submitted to
Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Submitted by
Doug Liles, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Date submitted
July 22, 2026 (confirmed by Doug Liles; published on this site the same day).
Authorities cited
Chapter 62-342, F.A.C.; Rule 62-342.600, F.A.C.; § 373.4136(6)(d), Florida Statutes (reenacted by Chapter 2026-60, Laws of Florida, effective July 1, 2026); § 373.414, Florida Statutes.
What it requests
Six clarifications to the draft rule — a written project-specific functional-equivalency finding; a defined scope for that analysis; clarification that shared watershed or service area alone does not establish ecological equivalence; priority for local, in-kind mitigation; public disclosure of the credit determination and equivalency analysis before permit approval; and preservation of applicable avoidance, minimization, and § 373.414 permitting requirements — plus a request for an additional public workshop on out-of-service-area and out-of-kind mitigation in geographically distinct coastal communities.
Date checked
2026-07-25.
Next review
2026-10-01, or upon publication of the Department's next rule draft or the final rulemaking record, whichever is earlier.
Doug Liles confirms that he submitted the comment to FDEP on July 22, 2026. The comment text was published on this site the same day, stating the concerns, authorities, and six requests cataloged above, and each cited public source existed at the linked location as of the date checked.
What it does not prove
The public sources linked here do not independently establish the Department's receipt of the comment, its inclusion in the rulemaking record, any Departmental response, or any effect on the draft or final rule. No outcome is claimed.
Integrity reference
Pending — a SHA-256 reference will be added when the retained submission artifact (the transmittal or the Department's acknowledgment) is cataloged.
Evidence custodian
Good Samaritan Institute (retained submission materials); the published comment and public sources are open.