Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management

The mission of the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is to establish, maintain, and implement programs for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the land and water resources of Palm Beach County.

On October 1, 1987, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners created the Department of Environmental Resources Management with a director and 38 staff positions: 15 were designated to implement the new Wellfield Protection Ordinance and other environmental programs; the remaining positions were transferred to ERM from two existing County programs - Mosquito Control and Beaches. Over the next year, the Department's mission statement and basic organization were approved; the Wetlands Protection and Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programs were transferred from the Palm Beach County Public Health Unit; and the Pollutant Storage Tank Clean-up and Compliance Programs were created. In October 1989, the County Commission approved 20 new positions, including the first position for natural areas acquisition and management.

Today, ERM administers nineteen environmental programs and employs over 140 people organized in five divisions. From Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean, ERM programs cover the County. If you have dived on an artificial reef, walked a beach, or explored a natural area, then you have enjoyed the fruits of ERM's labor.