By Leah Stetson – ASWM
Many states have been doing a number of things to improve wetland permitting in recent years. “Improved” permitting refers to making the permitting process more efficient while maintaining the same level of protection for wetlands and water resources; “more efficient” not only speaks to making it faster but also easier for both staff and applicants to understand. Some states have completed and others are starting activities that fall into the following categories: 1) consolidating permitting; 2) communication before permitting; 3) online applications; 4) utilizing science & technology; 5) enhancing data management; 6) consistency and program management (incl. evaluating permit decisions) and 7) other. States are interested in learning how other states are developing some of these initiatives, e.g. how to develop online applications, how to develop a pre-application process, etc. ASWM has posted state summaries of improving permitting projects in New York, Wisconsin, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Kansas, Virginia and Indiana. See below.ASWM is asking states to submit a summary of the activities that they have done with the goal of improving wetland permitting. Please think about what your state has done, highlighting the MOST important and MOST effective activities when writing a summary. In addition, if you have links to documents or webpages that may be useful to other states, please include those. Thank you.
Three major benefits of improving wetland permitting have been identified; these are 1) timeliness, 2) environmental protection, 3) making it more understandable for the applicant and staff.
In December 2009, ASWM established a Task Force on Improving Wetland Permitting with representatives from eight (8) states and ASWM, and the webpage is a product of their discussions. The task force members identified six categories of activities that meet the criteria of “improving” wetland permitting programs as described above. The information collected will also be summarized and added to the webpage. States can contact other states to learn more about useful projects. State summaries will also be used to develop recommendations for “best management practices” that will benefit states. The recommendations will be posted on the ASWM website once it is completed.
ASWM is asking states to submit a summary of the activities that they have done with the goal of improving wetland permitting. Please think about what your state has done, highlighting the MOST important and MOST effective activities when writing a summary. In addition, if you have links to documents or webpages that may be useful to other states, please include those. Thank you.
Types of Activites Used to Improve Permitting
- Consolidating Permitting: This includes programmatic general permits (PGPs), (SPGPs, RGPs), joint permitting (could be local government & state, between state agencies within a state, state & federal, e.g. state & Corps); 404 assumption; integrated state permitting, e.g. erosion & storm water control; “one-stop shopping” initiatives.
- Communication before Permitting: This includes communication regarding avoidance & minimization, education & outreach, e.g. identifying alternatives to needing a permit, media campaigns, workshops. It also includes early wetland identification and the pre-application process.
- Online Applications: This includes electronic/internet filing of permit applications, e.g. individual and general permits. Issues that states may be addressing: Who are the partners involved with this? Is there coordination with the Corps? What data fields will be included? Is this option being utilized? States have online apps in the works but not necessarily doing/using it yet. What data is required by applicants? How is it funded? Does the state use open-source software?
- Utilizing Science & Technology: This includes scientific and technological advances that have a direct impact on improving permitting programs, e.g. mapping, functional assessments, science-based webpages, monitoring & assessment activities, using a watershed approach for predicting impacts and mitigation, developing plant lists, developing delineation techniques, etc.
- Data Management: This includes the tracking of paper and electronic permits, mitigation, compliance & enforcement, integration with watershed planning, anddata sharing with state(s), the Corps and other federal agencies. Issues states may be addressing: How will the Corps’ ORM2 work in coordination with states’ databases? How do states make adjustments to their databases in order to make them compatible with federal databases for efficiency? What kinds of databases are being used by states? How are the databases within a state compatible with one another? Is the data management used to measure success (of improvement protocols)?
- Consistency & Program Management/Evaluating Permit Decisions: This includes accountability, consistency between project managers/projects. Some states are working on ways to ensure the same permit decision standards apply throughout state, given that this is not always easy or appropriate to achieve depending on the level of independence for regional offices/divisions and regional differences in wetland resources.
- Other: Activities related to improving wetland permitting that may not fit into the above six categories, or which may overlap several different categories at once.
Utilizing New Technology and GIS to Improve Permitting Programs (12/09)
By Leah Stetson, ASWM and Jon Soderberg, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
To read article, click here.
State Summaries
Acknowlegements: ASWM would like to thank the following task force members for designing the peer-to-peer exchange form and supplying the sample state summary information above: Debra Baker, Kansas Water Office; Bill Orme, California Water Board; Ginger Kopkash, New Jersey DEP; Dave Davis, Virginia DEQ; Liz McKercher, Virginia DEQ; Liz Pelloso, Indiana DEM; Lori Warner-Dickason, Oregon DSL; Alan Quackenbush, Vermont DEP; Cherie Hagen, Wisconsin DNR; Tim Post, New York DEC; Debra Ludwig Dunbrook, New York DEC.
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