Orange County has received the 2024 Stan Rosenthal Restoration Award from the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals (FAEP) in recognition of its strengthened wetlands ordinance. This award honors the county’s work to enhance protections for wetlands and groundwater recharge areas, which are critical to regional water quality and ecological health.

The ordinance was approved by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners on September 26, 2023, after more than three years of technical review, stakeholder engagement, and public input. It increases the size of conservation buffers between development and wetlands, reduces the need for variances, and improves clarity around permitting and mitigation processes.

Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division led the initiative, with key input from both scientific experts and the community. The FAEP selection committee cited the ordinance’s rigorous scientific basis and the transparent, collaborative approach taken during its development as reasons for the award.

For Horizon West, which continues to see rapid development across multiple villages, the wetlands ordinance has direct implications. Increased buffer zones may shape the design of future housing and commercial projects, while long-term environmental protections help preserve natural areas within and surrounding the community. These safeguards are especially relevant in Horizon West’s Village H and Village I, where large-scale rezoning and new development plans are under consideration.