April 2012

404 Assumption Stakeholder Questions and DSL Responses

Side-by-side comparison of definitions:

Justin Russell, OSU(HANDOUT)

State Navigable versus Federal Navigable

Section 404 regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.

Fill: total of deposits by artificial means (term used by the State and the Corps)

Removal: taking of material from the bed and banks of waters of this state (term used by the State)

Dredge: remove by artificial means (used by the Corps)

Definitions

How many permits take over 120 days to process?

Individual Permits between January 11, 2010 and December 29, 2011:

State permitting timelines

  NumberPercent of Total Individual Permits

Total Individual Permits 388  

Total Extended Permits 62 16%

  NumberPercent of Extended Permits

Total Extended Permits 62

Extension requested by applicant or consultant 50 80%

Authorized 40 64%

Still on Extension 19 31%

More details regarding options:

Why should DSL continue to regulate:◦ More accountable to State government◦ Better State agency coordination◦ Better coordination with State economic recovery

goals/objectives◦ Resource Protection

Streamlining scenarios

Resource Protection: WETLAND PLANNING TOOLS

Local Wetland Inventories

◦ LWIs are conducted by wetland consultants for local governments completing wetlands planning under Statewide Goal 5 (Natural Resources) or 17 (Coastal Shorelands)

There are 85 approved Local Wetland Inventory maps There are 10 pending Local Wetland Inventory maps

Streamlining scenarios

Resource Protection: WETLAND PLANNING TOOLS

Wetland Land Use Notices

◦ Total # Notices Completed Per Fiscal Year

Streamlining scenarios

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Total 173 243 328 426 451 519 421 496 458 572 643

Total # Completed 2001-

2011

4730

Resource Protection: WETLAND PLANNING TOOLS

◦ Wetland Delineations Completed Per Calendar Year

◦ Wetland Determinations Completed Per Calendar Year

Streamlining scenarios

2011 2010 2009 2008

Total # of wetland delineation reports reviewed by DSL staff 160 172 224 323

Total # completed for 2008-2011 879

2011 2010 2009 2008

Total # of wetland determinations done by DSL staff 200 237 262 252

Total # completed for 2008-2011 951

Resource Protection: WETLAND PLANNING TOOLS

◦ Wetland Functional Assessment Tools Developed by DSL: Oregon Freshwater Wetland Assessment Method Hydrogeomorphic Guidebook: Statewide Classification & Profiles Willamette Valley Ecoregion HGM Tidal HGM Oregon Rapid Wetland Assessment Protocol

◦ Publications with Partners: Wetland Land Use Change in the Willamette Valley, Oregon: 1982-1994 Wetland Regulatory Compliance in the Willamette Valley,

Oregon: 1982 to 1994 The Wetland and Land Use Change in the Willamette Valley,

Oregon: 1994-2005

Streamlining scenarios

Resource protection: ENFORCEMENTS

Cases Opened between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2011

Streamlining scenarios

  Number Percent of Total Cases

Opened

Number of cases opened 820  

Confirmed violations 361 44%

Cases still under investigation 34 4%

Resource protection: ENFORCEMENTS

Types of violations between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2011

Streamlining scenarios

  Number Percent of Total Violations

Total violations 361  

Permit-related violations 79 22%

  Mitigation related 59 16%

  General permit conditions 20 6%

Unauthorized Activities 281 78%

  Wetland 112 40%

  Non-wetland waters 125 44%

  Tidal waters* 19 7%

  Wetland, non-wetland and tidal 25 8%

Non-Compliance with an enforcement order 1 <1%

Resource Protection: JURISDICTION OF ISOLATED WATERS

◦ Isolated wetlands include closed systems found in Eastern Oregon. Examples: Summer Lake Alvord Lake Wetlands surrounding Whitehorse Creek

Streamlining scenarios

How will State water quality standards be assured under a state assumed program?◦ State water quality standards must be met as part

of an assumed program. We will begin discussions with DEQ to determine this process.

Implication to assumption scenarios and permitting timelines if the removal-fill program were moved to DEQ:

Some additional questions