EXPOSE THE SYSTEM. FORCE THE RECORD. FOLLOW THE MONEY.
THE PARTNERSHIP.
For 100+ years, government and Wall Street have operated as one financial architecture. Government creates the power, debt, guarantees, subsidies, restrictions, and mandates; Wall Street converts them into markets, securities, credit, collateral, fees, and profit.
Environmental regulation is another layer: restrict the land, mandate mitigation, create the credit, impose the fee, manufacture financial demand.
Then fragment the accounting. Split the money, liabilities, contracts, and beneficiaries across agencies, funds, authorities, registries, and ledgers. Add political theater, debt-ceiling theater, balanced-budget theater, bureaucratic fog, and an education system that rarely teaches citizens how public finance actually works.
CREATE THE POWER. CREATE THE MARKET. MONETIZE THE OBLIGATION. FRAGMENT THE BOOKS. PROTECT THE INSTITUTIONS. PRIVATIZE THE PROFIT. SOCIALIZE THE LOSS. KEEP THE COMPLETE TRANSACTION OUT OF VIEW. TAX THE CITIZEN.
The investigation follows the chain in both directions: what evidence existed before government acted, and what obligations, payments, restrictions, and court consequences followed afterward.
FOUR MATTERS. FOUR POINTS WHERE THE SYSTEM BECOMES VISIBLE.
These are the working examples behind the mission.
CLIV-20240048
WHEN GOVERNMENT MAKES THE CLAIM, GOVERNMENT SHOWS THE PROOF.
- SCIENCEIdentify the exact F.A.C. 62-340 pathway, vegetation, soils, hydrology, data points, and boundary.
- AUTHORITYIdentify the exact Code provision, statute, delegation, jurisdiction, and scope relied upon.
- PROCESSPreserve the NOV, evidence, hearing record, objections, rulings, deadlines, and judicial-review issues.
- MONEYTrace the bond, mitigation credits, payee, trust fund, ledger, transfer, and final disposition.
IF A CLASS IV WAS ALREADY SIGNED, TEST THE PREMISE.
01 · Independent scientistParcel-specific F.A.C. 62-340 analysis.
02 · USDA / NRCSHydric or non-hydric soil evidence.
03 · USFWS NWIWhether the parcel is federally mapped as wetland.
04 · Historical recordAerials, soil surveys, water tables, canals, pumps, levees, and project history.
05 · DERM's original fileWhat existed before the accusation, permit demand, or later access.
FOUNDING PURPOSE · ORIGINAL SITE MISSION
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, also known as the 8.5 Square Mile Area — a residential and agricultural community for which Congress specifically provided federal flood-protection and mitigation safeguards in connection with implementation of the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-229).
Constitutional Case Summary
This site preserves a structured public record concerning statutory delegation, agricultural land classification, procedural due process, and constitutional property rights under Florida and federal law.
All factual assertions and allegations on this site are intended to be supported by public record documentation, filed materials, and archival copies available in the Reports & Archives section.
Administrative proceedings have concluded. A Petition for Writ of Certiorari is currently pending in Circuit Court. The materials contained within the Reports & Archives section are public record copies maintained for documentation, transparency, and legal review.
Issues presented include:
The archive is structured for legal review and evidentiary clarity.
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 reflects alleged regulatory overreach with land‑use consequences, including impacts associated with 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, using Class IV permits as leverage 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 alleged regulatory overextension presented 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.
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 — Complete document archive going live in the Reports section as filings are processed for public release.
- ️ Preserve the history — A chronological timeline of events from initial DERM contact through current court proceedings, with supporting documents at each stage.
- Continue the work they began — Expanding the community record to include neighboring landowners who have faced similar enforcement patterns in the 8.5 Square Mile Area.
- Stay updated — Email info@miamidade.watch to be added to the update list when new documents or case developments are published.
Reports & Archives
All publicly releasable case documents, administrative filings, and background research are catalogued in the reports section.
Audio Files
Unpacking Miami-Dade DERM's Alleged "Playbook"
An analysis of the enforcement patterns used by DERM against landowners in the Las Palmas community, examining how regulatory tools have allegedly been used as leverage.
The Hidden Mechanics of Structural Power
A deep dive into how federal, state, and county agencies coordinate — sometimes at the expense of rural landowners — under programs like CERP and the EEL acquisition framework.
Defending Against the Securitization of Soil
How agricultural land is being systematically reclassified and what property owners can do to challenge wetland designations using Florida Administrative Code Chapter 62-340.
Administrative Hearing
Audio record of the administrative hearing proceedings — the formal stage before circuit court review. Key testimony and procedural exchanges are preserved here.
Contact & Tips
This is an independent watchdog project. If you have relevant information, documents, or have experienced similar enforcement actions, we want to hear from you.
General Contact
For questions, tips, and general correspondence:
info@miamidade.watch
Submit Documents
Have public records, filings, or evidence relevant to DERM enforcement or Everglades-area land rights? Email with a brief description and we'll respond promptly.
Community / Sources
Landowners in the 8.5 Square Mile Area facing similar issues are encouraged to connect. There is strength in a documented, coordinated public record.
Press & Media
Journalists covering land rights, environmental justice, or South Florida regulatory policy are welcome to reach out. All factual claims are supported by public record.