The impact of development on water resources and wetlands has been a dynamic subject for decades…particularly in California, where wetlands mitigation and land development have been especially controversial. Professionals involved in wetlands projects can attest to the complexity – and costliness – of these issues.
The subject of wetland regulation is now even more timely in light of recent efforts by the State Water Resources Control Board to develop its “Wetland Area Protection Policy and Dredge and Fill Regulations.” The proposed regulatory program would provide “(1) consistent methods to define wetlands; (2) consistent regulatory mechanisms to implement dredge and fill activities; and (3) a consolidated approach for collecting and tracking aquatic resource monitoring data to better assess progress towards wetland protection.” The proposed regulations seek to “fill the gaps currently caused by the separate federal and State regulations and programs by consolidating existing Water Board requirements in a coordinated framework.”
The proposed regulations are currently in the developmental stage, and the Board is presently soliciting comments on the Environmental Impact Report for this project. Public comments on the Environmental Impact Report must be filed on or before Tuesday, February 15, 2011. A copy of the Board’s public notice is available on the Board’s website, and also by clicking here.
Alvarez-Glasman & Colvin specializes in all aspects of land development, land use regulation, and environmental law, including the complex areas of wetlands mitigation and water resource management. For information on these topics, including issues concerning the Board’s proposed regulations, please contact AGC Partner Matthew M. Gorman by phone at 707.944.0540 or by e-mail at mgorman@agclawfirm.com.
