A 2015 report from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting concluded — based on information from “former DEP officials, consultants, volunteers and records” — that officials with the DEP “have been ordered not to use the term ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ in any official communications, emails or reports.”

Scott denied that DEP officials were ordered not to use those terms and Valenstein, who has worked closely with the governor for seven years, said in an interview after his speech that “I’ve never seen anything to restrict the ability of our amazing state employees, certainly for myself, to work on important issues like sea level rise.

“I know how critical an issue it is,” Valenstein added. “It impacts coastal communities throughout Florida.”