Pennsylvania Wetland Law and Compliance
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 – 11:45 am
Lunch (On your own): 11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Afternoon Session: 12:45 – 4:30 pm
Identifying Wetlands
S. Bush
Presence of wetland vegetation
Identification of wetland soils
Importance of underlying wetland hydrology
Unique situations
Understanding Federal and Pennsylvania
Wetlands Laws and Enforcement
S. Bush
The Federal Clean Water Act
Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
Clean Streams Law and Dam Safety and Encroachment Act
Implementing/enforcing agencies
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Wetland Functions & Values
M. Dennis
Flood storage, pollution control, erosion control, and wildlife habitat
Carbon storage and nutrient trading potential
Educational, recreational and social value of wetlands.
Functional assessment methodologies (PA DEP Level 2 RAP)
Wetlands Permitting Process
P. DeAngelo
Project planning, project description, and needs
Wetland delineation and jurisdictional determinations (JDs)
The economics of wetland permitting
Section 404 b(1) alternatives analysis (avoidance, minimization & compensation)
Section 404 and Section 401 WQC permitting
PA DEP Chapter 105 waivers, general permits and standard permits
USACE Section 404 NWP, PA SPGP #5 and individual permits
The role of T&E species and cultural resources
Wetland and stream mitigation
Appeal processes
Wetland Preservation, Restoration, and Creation
T. Johnston Jr.
2008 Wetland Mitigation Rule
Wetland banking, in lieu fee programs, and permittee responsible
Wetland preservation and conservation easements
Wetland banking agreements and the IRT process
Status of PA DEP in lieu fee program
PA DEP mitigation guidelines
Preservation and enhancement as compensatory mitigation
Wetland restoration and creation
Mitigation site selection and planning
Post-construction monitoring and long term management
Credits
Attorneys
6.5 Pennsylvania CLE Hours
Professional Engineers
6.5 PDHs
Architects
6.5 HSW Continuing Ed. Hours
6.5 AIA HSW Learning Units
Landscape Architects
6.5 Clock Hours
6.5 LA CES HSW PDHs
Floodplain Managers
6.5 ASFPM CECs
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public. It has been approved by the Pennsylvania CLE Board for 6.5 CLE hours for attorneys.
Professional engineers can earn 6.5 PDHs for completing this seminar. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Pennsylvania.
The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.5 HSW PDHs. That approval qualifies this activity for 6.5 clock hours for Pennsylvania landscape architects. Full attendance is required for LA/CES reporting.
This seminar offers 6.5 HSW continuing education hours to Pennsylvania architects. It is approved by the American Institute of Architects for 6.5 HSW Learning Units (Sponsor No. J885). Full attendance is required for AIA/CES reporting.
The Association of State Floodplain Managers has approved this seminar for 6.5 CECs.
Attendance will be monitored and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Scott E. Bush
Senior Ecologist/Wetland Scientist – GHD Services, Inc.Scott Bush, Senior Ecologist/Wetland Scientist – GHD Services, Inc.
Mr. Bush is senior ecologist with a broad background in ecological studies and over 29 years of experience as a consultant working for the private, non-profit, and public sectors. Mr. Bush is recognized expert in the identification, classification and delineation of wetlands and is proficient in analysis. He is certified as a professional wetland scientist by the Society of Wetland Scientists. Mr. Bush regularly works on projects requiring federal and state wetland/ecological permitting and is familiar with the applicable state and federal regulations and permitting requirements. He has extensive experience in the design and implementation of ecological field studies related to habitat assessments and presence/absence investigations for a variety of rare, threatened, or endangered flora and fauna.
Paul J. Deangelo
Paul DeAngelo, Vice President of Environmental Services – Skelly and Loy, Inc.
For 30 years, Mr. DeAngelo has been performing professional ecological services for environmental assessments in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and for United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 and PA DEP Chapter 105 permit authorizations. The focus of his career has been on aquatic ecosystems, wetland delineations, wetland mitigation designs, terrestrial resources, and 404-105 permit authorizations. Mr. DeAngelo oversees technical aspects of wetland and aquatic resource projects and has served as project manager and/or principal investigat or on more than 300 projects throughout Pennsylvania and the eastern United States. He has provided expert testimony regarding aquatic assessments and water quality in testifying before the Environmental Hearing Board. He earned his MS degree in Environmental Pollution Control from Penn State University in 2005 and his BS degree in Biology from Millersville University in 1991.
Megan Dennis
Skelly and Loy, Inc.Biologist & Permits Coordinator – Skelly and Loy, Inc.
Ms. Dennis coordinates all 404 and 105 permit applications prepared at Skelly and Loy’s Harrisburg Office. For the past five years Ms. Dennis has personally prepared and submitted more than 200 permits including Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) General Permits, PA DEP and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Joint Permits, Individual Permits, Small Projects Permits, Nationwide Permits and Emergency Permits. These permits have been submitted on behalf of state governments, private companies, and private individuals for various transportation, commercial, and residential projects. Ms. Dennis coordinates the permitting group at Skelly and Loy which routinely submits two to three permit applications/modifications per week. She earned her BS degree in Biology from Wilson College in 2011.
Thomas Johnston
Skelly and Loy, Inc.Vice President of Corporate Development – Skelly and Loy, Inc.
As vice president at Skelly and Loy, Mr. Johnston is responsible for the coordination of company-wide ecological and regulatory services, and he is responsible for the professional development of technical staff. Over the past 33 years, he has been involved in a wide variety of projects ranging from wetlands investigation to aquatic sampling to terrestrial habitat modeling. Mr. Johnston is involved in all facets of biological projects including field data collection, data analysis, report generation, and project management. He has managed more than 200 projects that have included both specific wetland studies and general environmental assessments for a variety of government, utility, and private clients, including major 404 permit application and NEPA environmental impact statements. He has also provide expert testimony before the U. S. Federal Court, Commonwealth Court, Common Pleas Courts and the PA Environmental Hearing Board. He earned his BS degree in Biology from Shippensburg State College in 1983.