Vol. 11 No. 5
October 1, 2004

New Challenges Crop Up for Wetlands Permits, Chesapeake Bay Approvals, and Outfalls

US Army Corps of Engineers Recommends Pre-Application Consultation for Site Plans
On September 29, 2004, the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) issued a letter to the development and consulting community stating that they have noticed an escalating trend in prospective applicants who are unable or unwilling to share preliminary site plans with the COE at the time of pre-application review. Often times, the Corps notes, this ultimately causes difficulty in the long-run for applicants who find they have created site plans that fail to minimize impacts to environmentally sensitive areas to the fullest extent practicable. This can result in obtaining local zoning and/or plan approvals for a project that may not be permitable by the COE due to the extent of wetlands and stream impacts. Full Article

Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department Challenges Local Vesting Decisions
In June of 2004 the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department (CBLAD) sent a letter to the Prince William County Department of Public Works recommending the County revise its vesting policy pertaining to Preservation Area Site Assessments (PASAs) – also known as Resource Protection Area plans in other jurisdictions. CBLAD is challenging the five-year vesting of approved PASAs and is suggesting that Prince William County adopt "some shorter and more reasonable time frame," such as 6 to 12 months from the date of local governmental approval. Full Article

Fairfax County Chesapeake Bay Preservation Policy Changes Are Coming
Two changes relating to Fairfax County's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Policies and Ordinance are in the works. The first is with respect to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan; the second is potential revisions to the protocol for perennial stream determinations and RPA map amendments. Full Article

Adequate Outfall Requirements Will Change
Many engineers, land planners and developers have faced issues in meeting adequate outfall requirements in the last 12 to 18 months. Full Article

Onsite Wastewater Systems Seminar
If you want to learn more about alternative onsite wasterwater options, join the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (VOWRA) on October 6 – 8, 2004 at the Holiday Inn Select in Chantilly, VA. Full Article



Do you know someone who would be interested in reading this newsletter?
Click here to forward a confidential copy to them!

Reading someone else's copy of Field Notes?
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter!

* * * *

About Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI):

WSSI is the leading provider of wetland science, water resource engineering, and natural and cultural resource consulting services in Northern Virginia. The firm has worked on over 1,650 sites, comprising more than 90,000 acres, and has created hundreds of acres of wetlands and restored miles of streams in the area. WSSI's Thunderbird Archeology division has a 30-year history of evaluating cultural resources in the Mid-Atlantic region. Our team of 81 engineers, scientists, archeologists, technicians, GIS/survey specialists, and administrative staff yield a unique combination of disciplines focused on natural and cultural resources and provide creative solutions for integrating the constraints of economics and land plan requirements with local, state and federal environmental regulations. For more information about WSSI, visit our web site at www.wetlandstudies.com.