Thomas Ruppert, Esq. is a licensed attorney whose work with Florida Sea Grant focuses on legal aspects of adaptive planning for sea-level rise, hazard mitigation, post-disaster recovery planning, environmental protection, and associated long-term challenges and opportunities for Florida’s coastal communities. Mr. Ruppert provides assistance to the network of county-based extension agents and directly to local governments on federal and state property rights law, beach and coastal policy in Florida, Florida’s coastal construction control line program, comprehensive planning law, sea turtle habitat protection, and coastal and marine permitting programs.