Welcome to the Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department

In The News

Global Warming and What You Can Do About It Greenhouse gases (water vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons) occur naturally in the atmosphere, but amounts are increasing because of population growth and human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. ...More Cypress Creek Greenway The Cypress Creek Greenway provides an exciting and achievable opportunity for a multi-purpose trail linking Broward County's western conservation areas with the eastern beaches and communities in between....More Sea Turtle Conservation Program Well over 1500 sea turtles nest on Broward's beaches during the spring and summer months...More

The Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department was created in 2008 when Broward County merged its urban redevelopment and planning functions with those of environmental protection, emergency management and consumer protection. The consolidation created a combined pool of talent and resources that will enable Broward County to address the issues and opportunities of our community with efficiency, creativity and innovation.

The mission of the Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department is to safeguard lives, natural resources and property of residents and visitors by providing for natural resource planning, management and protection, planning for appropriate land use/housing patterns and regional transportation/transit systems, establishing an incident command system and emergency operations plans, enforcing environmental, development and construction regulations and providing for consumer protection.

We accomplish this through the work of nine divisions:

• Development and Environmental Regulation
• Emergency Management
• Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement
• Housing Finance and Community Development
• Metropolitan Planning Organization
• Natural Resources Planning and Management
• Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection
• Planning and Redevelopment
• Pollution Prevention, Remediation and Air Quality

These divisions interface regularly with other local, state and/or federal jurisdictions to ensure timely implementation of the County's strategic plan for public protection, construction of public infrastructure, natural habitat enhancement and protection, effective legislation and support of the Board of County Commission vision and goals.

Our business plan addresses the issues and challenges of our current environment, including: changes in demographics and the economy, the potential for natural disasters, increasing use of the internet for retail purchases of goods and services, concerns about land availability, lack of affordable housing and an increase in housing prices, continued violation of environmental laws, and limited financial resources.