Early Reissuance of Nationwide Permits
In accordance with Executive Order 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth issued on March 28, 2017, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working on modifying several Nationwide Permits (NWPs) ahead of their current expiration date of March 18, 2022 and probably will reissue all NWPs to avoid reopening the NWP program again in 2022. It is anticipated these proposed revisions will be published in the Federal Register as early as first quarter 2020.
Anne Arundel County Passes New Forest Conservation Law
The price for impacting forests is increasing in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
In a 7-0 vote, the Anne Arundel County Council approved a new Forest Conservation Law on November 18, 2019. The law, while a less stringent version of the bill originally introduced by County Executive Steuart Pittman (see August Field Notes), still has several key changes that will make forest impacts much more costly, including:
A substantial increase to the fee-in-lieu cost;
Increased forest conservation thresholds for residential, commercial, and industrial-zoned properties more than 5 acres in size;
Doubled reforestation rate for sites preserving forest cover above the forest conservation threshold;
Expanded definition of Priority Retention Areas; and
Stricter standards for granting modifications to forest conservation requirements.
The new law provides a grandfathering provision for certain applications submitted to the County no later than December 15, 2019.
Merge Ahead: The Future of Virginia Erosion & Sediment Control and Stormwater Regulations
Streamlined regulations are in the works for 2020
Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. has been participating in Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP) meetings regarding consolidation of the Commonwealth’s erosion & sediment control and stormwater regulations. This effort led by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality was directed by the 2016 General Assembly under the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act (VESMA). The panel first met in June 2019 and the process is slated to continue throughout 2020.
Bald Eagle Nest Survey Season Approaching
The bald eagle breeding season begins December 15 and continues through July 15 in the mid-Atlantic region. The start of the breeding season serves as a reminder that certain activities are restricted within the vicinity of bald eagle nests to ensure that the species and their nests remain undisturbed. If you are planning to develop land that contains bald eagle habitat, the federal regulations and state guidelines that protect this species could affect your development plans. Though breeding season begins December 15, the ideal time to evaluate whether or not nests are active and search for the eagles themselves is mid-February through the end of March.
WSSI scientists spotted this juvenile bald eagle during nest monitoring