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Environmental Win: Stronger protections advance in Miami-Dade

Friends of the Everglades is making sure the environment has a strong voice as Miami-Dade County updates its development plan to guide the county’s growth and land-use decisions.  The county’s Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) Task Force, convened by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, is preparing recommendations on changes to Miami-Dade’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP), a process required by state law every seven years. Friends of the Everglades is represented on the EAR Task Force by Richard Grosso, a respected environmental land-use attorney with decades of experience advocating for smart growth. Thanks to Richard’s research and advocacy, the Task Force adopted Friends of the Everglades’ recommendations — a preliminary win for the Everglades and all of us who depend on [...]

2026-06-15T15:32:47-04:00June 16th, 2026|Hold the Line, Stopping Sprawl|
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Court ruling halts threat to Biscayne Bay and Everglades from proposed South Dade development

EVERGLADES WIN: A Leon County judge ruled against Miami-Dade County's attempt to move the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) to permit the construction of the South Dade Logistics and Technology District, a large industrial complex that would occupy 379 acres crucial for Everglades restoration and Biscayne Bay protection. The ruling found that the county missed a legal deadline to finalize an amendment to its Comprehensive Development Management Plan, effectively invalidating the project. The court’s decision represents a victory for environmental advocates, including the Hold the Line Coalition — cofounded by Friends of the Everglades — who objected to the development, citing risks to water resources, flood hazards, and Everglades restoration efforts. Read the Full Press Release

2024-11-12T09:23:34-05:00March 22nd, 2024|Everglades Restoration, Hold the Line, Stopping Sprawl|
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Everglades Illustrated: Wrong project, wrong place

Last week, Miami-Dade County Commissioners voted 8-4 to approve the South Dade Logistics and Technology District, effectively gutting the Urban Development Boundary in favor of sprawling, industrial development at the expense of our natural environment. The original footprint of the project, identified in the map above, has since been reduced in size from 800 acres to a 311-acre mix of warehouses, call centers and other commercial uses south of Florida’s Turnpike. Regardless, it remains the wrong project in the wrong place, with construction slated for “Coastal High Hazard Area'' in dangerous proximity to Everglades National Park, Biscayne Bay and ongoing Everglades restoration projects. As another tropical storm approaches Florida's coast, it's more clear than ever: It's reckless to bend [...]

2022-11-07T17:05:08-05:00November 8th, 2022|Everglades Illustrated, Everglades Restoration, Hold the Line, Stopping Sprawl|
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Miami-Dade County: Tell Commissioners to vote NO on the South Dade Logistics and Tech Center!

Boca Chita Key at Biscayne National Park on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Aerial support provided by LightHawk. As a resident of Miami-Dade county, we need your help to hold the line against industrial development that threatens fragile ecosystems and jeopardizes local water quality. The Aligned Holdings application in District 8 has been reduced from an 800-acre footprint to 350 acres. But that does not diminish our concerns about the proposal which lies in a flood-prone, coastal high-hazard zone that is currently being farmed. This area is important for aquifer recharge and serves as an important line of protection from storm surge and other impacts of climate change. The proposed project is a risk to ongoing efforts to [...]

2022-09-14T17:08:58-04:00September 15th, 2022|Action Alerts, Hold the Line, Stopping Sprawl|
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South Dade boondoggle delayed to Sept. 22

Today, we celebrate a win — albeit a temporary one — for Biscayne Bay and the Greater Everglades.  Miami-Dade County commissioners voted Wednesday morning to defer an ill-conceived proposal to convert 800 acres of low-lying farmland in Homestead to a giant industrial complex.  For the second time in two weeks, developers peddling the South Dade Logistics & Technology District failed to secure enough votes to advance their environmentally irresponsible proposal. At their request, the project will return to the Miami-Dade County Commission for a final decision on Sept. 22. Wednesday’s deferral is a huge credit to almost 1,300 Friends of the Everglades supporters who emailed Miami-Dade County commissioners, along with our allies within the Hold the Line Coalition who have [...]

2022-06-01T13:23:01-04:00June 1st, 2022|All Posts, Everglades Restoration, Hold the Line|
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The South Dade industrial complex is a litmus test for Miami-Dade commissioners

  Today, Miami-Dade County commissioners will cast a final vote on a developers’ proposal to add almost 800 acres of rural land off Florida’s Turnpike to the Urban Development Boundary. Friends of the Everglades executive director Eve Samples traveled to Miami to deliver the following comments in opposition to the industrial complex which threatens valuable green space and Biscayne Bay restoration efforts. Chairman and Commissioners, I’m Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades. We were founded in 1969 to fend off a dangerous development that threatened the Everglades ecosystem. Back then, it was the Everglades Jetport. Today, it is the South Dade industrial complex. This vote is a litmus test. The outcome will reflect whether your voiced support [...]

2022-06-01T13:30:32-04:00May 19th, 2022|All Posts, Hold the Line|
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Miami-Dade County: Take Action Today to Stop the South Dade Logistics and Tech Center

Miami-Dade County residents: We need your help. The 800-acre South Dade Logistics & Technology District application will come before Miami-Dade County Commissioners for a vote on May 19, 2022. Industrial development is not appropriate on this land, which is designated Coastal High Hazard Area, considered among the least-suitable for development in Miami-Dade. There are a few things you can do to help us take action today: 1. Use the button below to contact your County Commissioners with a pre-formatted letter. Tell them to vote NO on the District 8 Application for the South Dade Logistics and Technology District. 2. Attend the County Commission meeting, Thursday, May 19, at 9 a.m., where the project will receive a final vote. This meeting will [...]

2022-06-01T13:31:19-04:00May 9th, 2022|Action Alerts, Hold the Line|
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Miami-Dade County should reject application to expand the Urban Development Boundary

Friends of the Everglades joined Tropical Audubon Society, Everglades Law Center, Audubon Florida, and National Parks Conservation Association  in sending a letter to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commission to express our concerns and strong opposition regarding the application to expand the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) to create the South Dade Logistics and Technology District. Three areas of particular concern include: The SDLTD proposal lacks detailed analyses and would create unacceptable risks to wetlands, flood protection, floodplain management and our regional water supply. The promised economic benefits of the SDLTD amendment application are not real and the costs are greatly understated. The proposal is dramatically inconsistent with the Miami-Dade Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) and its long-held planning policies. The [...]

2022-06-01T13:31:51-04:00May 5th, 2022|All Posts, Hold the Line|
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