Deputy Secretary for Ecosystems Restoration

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Adam Blalock is responsible for overseeing statewide water supply; restoring and protecting Florida’s aquatic ecosystems including the Everglades; managing aquatic research, monitoring and laboratory analysis; funding water and wastewater infrastructure; and governing coastal protection and resiliency.

Prior to joining DEP, Adam worked at Hopping, Green & Sams, specializing in natural resource legislation and environmental permitting on the local, state and national levels. Adam also has a wealth of experience in public environmental law, serving first as an attorney and later as the policy chief for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Florida House of Representatives from 2005 to 2015. In addition to his legal experience, Adam holds a Juris Doctor and master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from the Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. Adam is also an active member of the Environmental Land Use Section of the Florida Bar.

Ecosystems Restoration Programs:

• The Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection coordinates the protection of the state’s coastal resources, including submerged lands and coastal uplands, aquatic preserves and national estuarine research reserves, and coral reef resources.
• The Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration monitors and assesses Florida’s surface water and groundwater quality; develops strategies to resolve water quality issues; and implements those strategies in partnership with local stakeholders.
• The Division of Water Restoration Assistance provides grants and loans to local governments, utilities and other agencies for projects that improve the quality and quantity of the state’s water resources and benefit the environment and local communities.
• The Office of Water Policy and Ecosystems Restoration is responsible for the regulatory programs that focus on water supply protection and environmental restoration in Florida.