DEP Highlights 2025 Environmental Achievements Supporting Florida’s Economy and Way of Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 31, 2025

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, [email protected]

DEP Highlights 2025 Environmental Achievements

Supporting Florida's Economy and Way of Life

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Alexis A. Lambert highlighted the department's continued success in conserving and protecting Florida's natural resources. In 2025, DEP advanced forward-thinking policies and strategic investments while supporting the communities and industries that depend on them. From restoring America's Everglades and conserving working lands to improving water quality and air protections, DEP strengthened the natural resources that drive Florida's economy, protect communities and infrastructure, and preserve the state's iconic landscapes.

"Florida's environment is not separate from our economy; it is the foundation of it," said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. "Under Governor Ron DeSantis' leadership, Florida has made strategic, forward-thinking investments that protect our air, water and land while ensuring Florida remains a place where both communities and commerce can thrive. I look forward to working with the Governor and the Florida Legislature in the coming year to continue turning Florida's environmental commitments into measurable results."

Here are some of DEP's most significant environmental accomplishments from 2025:

RESTORING NATURAL FLORIDA

Florida Accelerates Everglades Restoration with Landmark Agreement

• In July 2025, the state of Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army reached a landmark agreement allowing the state to take the lead on constructing key components of the federally funded Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. The agreement also accelerates the completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, often called the "crown jewel" of Everglades restoration, by five years, from 2034 to 2029.
• Key milestones in 2025 include completion of the 10,000-acre Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir; groundbreaking for the Blue Shanty Flow Way to deliver clean water south across the Tamiami Trail and into Florida Bay; the Lake Hicpochee Project to reduce harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee Estuary; and the EAA Reservoir Inflow Pump Station, one of the largest in Florida, capable of moving approximately 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee.

Seafloor Mapping Completed for Entire Florida Coast

• DEP has largely completed mapping the seafloor along the entire Florida coast, from nearshore to the continental shelf. Funded with $100 million in 2021, the project will also produce a statewide high-resolution digital elevation model, the first of its kind for any state, to guide coastal management, emergency response, navigation, environmental science, habitat restoration and resilience planning.

DEP Advances Water Quality with Updated Basin Management Action Plans

• DEP updated 28 nutrient Basin Management Action Plans across the state, providing a science-driven, adaptive framework to reduce nutrient pollution in Florida's rivers, lakes, estuaries, springs and aquifers. Developed in collaboration with local governments, state agencies, utilities and other key stakeholders, each plan sets clear pollution-reduction goals and identifies targeted projects and strategies to improve water quality over the long term.

CONSERVING FLORIDA'S LANDSCAPES

DEP Marks 25^th Anniversary of Florida Forever, Securing 200^th Conservation Easement

• 2025 marked the 25^th anniversary of Florida Forever, the state's landmark program dedicated to conserving Florida's native landscapes, watersheds, working landscapes and critical wildlife habitats.
• Since 2019, Florida has invested more than $1.4 billion in land conservation, protecting over 390,000 acres and completing 21 Florida Forever projects. In 2025 alone, DEP protected nearly 107,000 acres across 42 projects through 98 conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions, totaling nearly $433 million.
• This year, DEP secured its 200^th conservation easement through the Florida Forever program. DEP now protects nearly 400,000 acres of working farms, forests and ranches through conservation easements that allow private landowners to retain ownership while permanently limiting development.

Florida's Award-Winning State Parks Attracts Millions of Visitors

• The Florida Park Service is the only park system in the nation to win the National Gold Medal for Excellence in the Field of Park and Recreation Management four times. In 2025, Florida's 175 state parks welcomed more than 25 million visitors.
• Florida State Parks continue to grow thanks to the Florida Forever program. In Walton County, 2,480 acres within the Upper Shoal River Florida Forever Project will become a new state park and connect nearby conservation lands, including buffer areas around Eglin Air Force Base. In Polk County, 74 acres within the Catfish Creek Florida Forever Project will expand Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park with more than 6,000 feet of frontage along Lake Pierce.
• Two of Florida's state parks made Beach's Top 10 Beaches List for 2025: Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples at No. 4 and St. Andrews State Park in Panama City at No. 7. Both feature sugar-white sand, abundant wildlife and top-tier amenities for visitors to enjoy.

PROTECTING FLORIDA'S NATURAL RESOURCES

Florida Marks Fifth Straight Year of Clean Air

• Florida has met all National Ambient Air Quality Standards for the fifth consecutive year, making it the most populous state in the nation to achieve this distinction. This milestone reflects the success of strong air quality monitoring, effective pollution controls and collaboration with partners at every level. Florida also is on track to meet the new national standards for fine particulate matter based on current monitoring data.

Expanding Safe Drinking Water Supplies Through Potable Reuse

• In 2025, DEP completed rulemaking to implement the recommendations of the Potable Reuse Commission, establishing a regulatory framework for advanced treated water to be safely used as a supplemental source for public drinking water systems. As Florida's population grows, these rules ensure treated water meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards, supporting a reliable and sustainable supply for communities across the state.

Investigations to Protect Florida's Natural Resources

• In 2025, DEP's Environmental Crimes Unit made 36 felony and 78 misdemeanor arrests, issued 48 resource warnings, and recorded three civil infractions. Notable cases included a multi-agency investigation in Nassau County into illegal dumping and burning near wetlands, and the dismantling of an unauthorized sewage disposal operation in Polk County.

PFAS Removal at Fire Training Facilities

• DEP completed large-scale removal actions at Hillsborough Community College and Palm Beach State College to address PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater. The projects were prioritized to reduce exposure risks and protect nearby surface water bodies.

Petroleum Restoration Program Expands Funding

• In 2025, Florida significantly expanded cleanup efforts at petroleum-contaminated sites statewide. By opening funding eligibility to all program-qualified discharges, DEP's Petroleum Restoration Program made more than 19,000 sites eligible for state-funded rehabilitation. As a result, over 6,000 new sites are now actively moving through cleanup, and more than 13,000 sites, which represent 67% of all eligible discharges, have achieved closure, helping protect groundwater, support redevelopment and accelerate environmental restoration across Florida.