Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Vetoes Land Use Application to Protect Miami-Dade’s Wetlands

Building on her record of protecting the Everglades and strengthening environmental safeguards, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has vetoed Ordinance No. 26-4, a land use change, to uphold Miami-Dade’s wetland protections and responsible growth policies.

The land use change would have enabled development activity on land outside of the Urban Development Boundary impacting wetlands designated as Wetlands of Regional Significance, among the County’s most environmentally critical lands. These are some of the most sensitive wetlands in Miami-Dade that play an important role in supporting water management and surrounding habitat and the broader ecosystem.

After reviewing the final proposal, the Mayor concluded it did not include enforceable commitments sufficient to adequately preserve or mitigate impacts to approximately 160 acres of wetlands, including areas within the North Trail Basin, which County staff identified as a priority for environmental mitigation.

“Despite meaningful discussion and concessions, the environmental protections ultimately fell short of the standards our community expects,” said Mayor Levine Cava.

The Mayor also found that the application relied on a text amendment process to bypass the Urban Development Boundary amendment framework, a longstanding policy that exists to make sure growth is planned carefully and responsibly.

Wetlands provide important public benefits identified in County policy, including water management functions, habitat support, flood protection, and contributions to the County’s rating under the national Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System, which helps provide flood insurance savings to residents. 

Because the ordinance failed to meet Miami-Dade’s environmental protection and growth management standards, Mayor Levine Cava exercised her veto authority.

You can read the veto memo here and watch the Mayor's video message here.