MIAMIDADE.WATCH

Why This Site Exists

MiamiDade.Watch was launched to expose how Miami-Dade County — through its agency DERM — has systematically abused environmental regulations to devalue land, displace lawful owners, and undermine federal protections. These actions have not served the environment; they have served unchecked development and political convenience.

The property at the center of this case — which I can personally attest to — is held in a Florida Land Trust. It has received continuous agricultural tax exemptions for decades and is officially recognized by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as agricultural land, not wetlands.

While my direct experience involves this specific property, the pattern of enforcement across our small, rural community suggests that other agricultural landowners are being similarly and unjustly targeted. This disproportionate focus on a historically agricultural, economically marginalized area raises serious concerns about selective enforcement, unequal protection under the law, and violations of property rights, due process, and environmental justice.

The land lies within the Las Palmas Community, formerly known as the 8.5 Square Mile Area — a region expressly protected by Congress under the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act (Public Law 101-229).

What DERM Ignored

• 🌎 Field verification
• 💧 Required hydrology data
• 📊 Scientifically mandated three-parameter wetland delineation method (F.A.C. Chapter 62-340)

What Followed Was Not Lawful — It Was Abuse

• 🚫 Cease-and-desist orders without scientific basis
• 📝 Forms completed after enforcement began
• 📉 Violations of Florida Administrative Code
• ❌ Disregard for federal land classifications and trust law

This was not environmental protection. It was a coordinated attempt at land control — clearing the way for the Parkland/Krome Groves DRI and the 836 Expressway expansion.

Behind the façade of environmental restoration, federal and state agencies—partnering with Miami-Dade County under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)—built a massive hydrologic retention system. Originally meant to restore natural flow to the Everglades, it became a flood control tool for Miami-Dade’s low-lying eastward urban areas and a dumping ground for stormwater and waste for the outer westward rural lands.

Before man-made levees, the Las Palmas Community kept nature’s balance. Decades of mismanagement by the South Florida Water Management District brought water level chaos: farmland flooded, homes threatened, livelihoods destabilized. The Everglades seepage wall was completed in an effort to correct their mistake. Water levels finally stabilized—but only after Miami-Dade twisted Congress’s “willing seller” framework into the coercive EEL program, weaponizing Class IV permits to clear out rural communities.

Today, politicians spin CERP as a triumph, ignoring damage—not only to our rural community but to the Everglades, native peoples whose lands were trampled, and taxpayers footing the bill. Many MDC public servants rotate through county, state, and federal positions, legally stacking multiple pensions across separate systems. This career-hopping, while technically within the rules, leaves taxpayers on the hook for payouts from every tier of government—even when effectiveness and accountability are nowhere to be found.

This is not restoration. It is a land grab disguised as environmental policy.

This Fight Didn’t Start With Me

It began with the leadership, sacrifice, and perseverance of:

The United Property Owners of the 8.5 Square Mile Area, Inc.
A nonprofit committed to defending our land and our future.

Officers and Board Members:
President: Alice Peña
Vice President: Julio Concepción
Secretary: Osvaldo Cueli
Treasurer: Eladio Valdés
Board Members: Lao Aguilera, Rene Revilla, Dionecio Febles, Marco Martinez, Rafael Mesa, Tabitha Varela, Patsy Garcia

I personally know and deeply respect each of these individuals. Their names are included here with appreciation for their years of dedication to our community and the preservation of our rights and way of life.

“To preserve the distinctive character of our community, and to protect the delicate balance between our environment, urban areas, and agriculture.”

To those who came before — many who paved the way — I owe more than gratitude. Their sacrifices, along with those of others whose histories are deeply connected to our own — Native Americans, African Americans, Jewish people, Muslims, Haitians, and countless others — are etched into every step of this journey. I stand with all who resist erasure and oppression, working tirelessly to protect the foundation that holds our stories and the wisdom of those who came before us. This mission is not ours alone — it is the continuation of their fight, fueled by the same unwavering commitment to justice, dignity, and truth.

What’s Next

• 📂 Publish the evidence
• 🕰️ Preserve the history
• 🚜 Continue the work they began

Return soon. The truth will be published.

Contact Us

Have a tip or want to get involved? Email: info@miamidade.watch

🎧 Audio File

Unpacking Miami-Dade DERM's Alleged "Playbook"