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Division of Housing and Community Development

Division Home (FloridaCommunityDevelopment.org)

Community Development Block Grant Program

Community Development Block Grant Program Site Navigation

Environmental Review Process

The environmental review process consists of all actions taken to determine compliance with environmental standards. Some aspects of the review may begin as soon as an application for Community Development Block Grant funds is submitted to the Department of Community Affairs. Recipients should be careful, however, not to incur expenditures or obligate funds that may later be considered "ineligible" for Community Development Block Grant reimbursement.

Although most projects require limited environmental review and seldom generate opposition, recipients are required by federal and state law to consider the environmental impact of all projects. At the time a Community Development Block Grant application is submitted to the Department, copies of the application are also sent to the Florida State Clearinghouse at the Department of Environmental Protection. The response from the Clearinghouse is an important part of the environmental assessment process.

Technical Assistance Resources

1. Terms and Definitions (pdf)
2. Levels of Environmental Review (pdf)
3. Environmental Flow Charts (pdf)
4. Environmental Review Chart (pdf)
5. Environmental Compliance Steps (pdf)
6. Summary of Procedures and Requirements (pdf)
7. Mailing Lists (pdf)
8. Sample Notices for Publication:
   1. Sample Historic Preservation Notice (Word)
   2. Sample Floodplain Notices (Word)
   3. Sample Notice of Intent to Release Funds (Word)
   4. Sample Concurrent Notice (Word)
9. Forms and Examples:
   1. Certification of Exemption for Housing and Urban Development Funded Projects in pdf
   2. Certification of Exemption for Housing and Urban Development Funded Projects in Word
   3. Categorical Exclusion Not Subject to 58.5 (Word)
   4. Categorical Exclusion Subject to 58.5 (Word)
   5. Statutory Worksheet for Environmental Assessments (Word)
   6. Environmental Assessment for Housing and Urban Development-funded Proposals formerly called Format II (Word)
   7. National Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Assessment Checklist (Word)
   8. Unspecified Site Strategy for Housing Rehabilitation (Word)
   9. Form 7015.15 - Request for Release of Funds and Certification (pdf)
   10. Documentation of Compliance Checklist 24 Congressional Federal Record Part 58.6 (Word)
   11. Noise Abatement and Control Checklist (pdf)
   12. Airport Runway Clear Zone Checklist (pdf - external website)
   13. Delegation of Authority to Act as Certifying Officer (Word)
10. Related Links - Federal Agency Websites (external websites)
    1. Environmental Review Process for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund
    2. Environmental Review Requirements
    3. Environmental Guidance: Florida
    4. Environmental Contacts: Florida
    5. United States Fish and Wildlife Service
    6. Housing and Urban Development Census Data (LMI Population Data)
    7. United States Census Bureau
    8. Housing and Urban Development Environmental Laws and Regulations
    9. Federal Emergency Management Agency Map Service Center (to view and download floodplain maps)
    10. Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities
11. Related Links - State Agency Websites (external links)
    1. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
    2. National Flood Insurance Program, Florida Division of Emergency Management
    3. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (State Clearinghouse, Coastal Zone Management, Floodplains and Wetlands, Water Resources, Permitting, etc.)
    4. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
    5. Florida Department of State (Cultural and Historical Resources)
    6. Florida Department of Transportation (Right of Way, Runway Clear Zones, etc.)
    7. Governor's Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development (Enterprise Zones, Economic Development Initiatives, etc.)
    8. Northwest Florida Water Management District
    9. South Florida Water Management District
    10. Southwest Florida Water Management District
    11. St. Johns River Water Management District
    12. Suwannee River Water Management District
12. Local Governments - Check with the following to determine if their records indicate whether a housing unit is 50 years old or more or if a site has previously been used as a gas station, dry cleaner, etc.:
    1. Property Appraiser's Office
    2. Official Records - (Clerks Office, Clerk of the Circuit Court)
    3. Planning and Zoning Department
    4. Code Enforcement Department