The Assessment and Review Section, or ARS for short, currently consists of seven people staffed within the EPC’s Wetlands Management Division. This Section consists of an Environmental Manager, four Wetland Scientist II, and two Wetland Scientist I who cumulatively have 35 years permitting experience within this Division.

The primary responsibility of the ARS is to perform preemptive reviews of proposed land development plans in order to eliminate or reduce direct, secondary, or cumulative wetland impacts. In order to do so, they must first identify the wetlands located within a property. The methodology to determine the exact ‘edge’ of a wetland is found in Florida Administrative Code 62-340 which is entitled "Delineation of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters". Concisely, wetlands are identified using any two of three criteria found in 62-340 F.A.C. Those criteria are; (1) Wetland plants (approximately 700 species of wetland plants occur in Hillsborough County, FL), (2) Hydic soils, in which the list of hydric soils is provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and, (3) Evidence of Hydrology (either inundation or saturation of soils for a specific time period.

In carrying out its mission, the ARS has extensive interaction with private interests such as Engineering/Environmental firms, land developers, the phosphate industry, home builders, and home owners. In addition, we also interact with other public agencies/entities such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), Hillsborough County’s Planning and Growth Management Department (PGMD), the Planning Commission, and the municipalities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City. If you would like further information, please call (813) 627-2600, and ask for a Wetland Scientist.