ERM’S HISTORY
On October 1, 1987, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners created
the Department of Environmental Resources Management and appointed Rich Walesky
as its first director, a position he has held ever since. At that time, ERM
consisted of the director and 38 staff positions. Fifteen positions 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 150
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.
Link to ERM Divisions and Sections
Coastal Resources