From the southern Appalachian mountains to the beautiful sandy beaches of Florida, to the rich, diverse ecosystems of the Gulf Coast, the Southeast and Gulf Coast of the United States supports a wide range of industries, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and recreation. But the fragile environment in these areas is weakening and under attack, an attack often advanced by government agencies and powerful interest groups. Our challenge is to right the ship to ensure that the area’s precious ecosystems are preserved for generations to come.

One area of focus for PEER is in Florida, where we are actively engaged in helping state and local employees do their jobs. These employees often find that they are marginalized, even blackballed, if they try to abide by the very laws that they are sworn to uphold. PEER’s work is focused on protecting these employees and shining a light on the government’s failure to do its job.

Unfortunately, an eroding of environmental and public health protections is common not only in Florida, but throughout the entire region, and at all levels of government. If these trends are not changed, the destruction of the region’s fragile environment and its natural resources- will continue, ultimately causing a continued die-off of wildlife, more polluted waters, poorer health outcomes, and a weaker economy.