Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.

Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022
9:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT (including two 30-min. breaks)

 

Presented by
Autry Akins, PWS , Larissa Herrera, PWS, John L. Larson,
Ph.D., & Bill Sapp

Agenda
Wetlands Science
Defining wetlands
Evolving understanding of the value of wetlands
History of wetland destruction and development
From wetlands destruction to wetlands preservation

Wetland Identification and Delineation
Identifying wetland hydrology
Identifying wetland soils
Identifying wetland vegetation
Delineating wetlands

Environmental Services Provided by Wetlands
Understanding the importance of wetlands
• Flood storage and conveyance
• Pollution control and carbon storage
• Erosion control
• Wildlife habitat
• Recreation

Wetland Preservation and Restoration
Wetland preservation strategies and techniques
Wetland restoration
• Preference for onsite and in-kind restoration
• Hydrological considerations
• Restoration techniques
Wetland creation: methods, benefits and drawbacks
Wetland enhancement: purposes and techniques

Understanding Federal Wetlands Laws and Enforcement
The Federal Clean Water Act
Implementing/enforcing agencies
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• State natural resources/environmental departments

Ethics Issues in Wetland Preservation and Development
Acting in the best interest of the public on wetlands issues
Finding alternatives to wetlands destruction
Including wetland preservation in development plans
Convincing clients to preserve and restore wetlands

 

 Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.

GoToWebinar App requirements:
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Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled

Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps       Hardware: 2GB RAM or more

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com

Credits

Professional Engineers:
6.0 PDHs, including 1.0 ethics hour

Architects:
6.0 HSW CE Hours
6.0 AIA LU|HSWs

Landscape Architects:
6.0 HSW CE Hours
6.0 LA CES HSW PDHs

Certified Planners:
CM|6

Floodplain Managers:
6.0 ASFPM CECs

Attorneys:
6.0 60-Minute CLE Hours

 

Continuing Education Credit Information
 This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 PDHs for professional engineers, 6.0 HSW continuing education hours for licensed architects, and 6.0 HSW continuing education hours for landscape architects in all states that allow this learning method. Please refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility. 

 HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida (Provider No. 0004647), Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700) and North Carolina (S-0130). HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved continuing education sponsor for New York engineers and architects via its registration with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (Regulations of the Commissioner §68.14(i)(2) and §69.6(i)(2)). Other states do not preapprove continuing education providers or courses. 

The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.0 LU|HSWs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES. 

 The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.0 HSW PDHs. Only full participation is reportable to the LA CES. 

 HalfMoon Education is an approved CM Provider with the American Planning Association. This course is registered for CM |6 for Certified Planners. 

 This webinar has been approved by the Association of State Floodplain Managers for 6.0 CECs for floodplain managers. 

This course offers 6.0 CLE hours to attorneys in Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Vermont, Arizona and New Hampshire. HalfMoon Education is an approved CLE provider for attorneys in Pennsylvania (No. 1613), California (No. 8370), Texas (No. 8409), and Vermont. Arizona and New Hampshire CLE providers and courses are not subject to preapproval. 

 HalfMoon Education Inc. is certified by the New York State CLE Board as an Accredited Provider of CLE programs. Federal Wetlands Science, Law and Compliance is a non-traditional format courses offering 7.0 CLE hours consisting of 7.0 Areas of Professional Practice hours, which are appropriate for experienced attorneys. 

 Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).

Speakers

Autry Akins

PWS Senior Scientist/Project Manager, Geosyntec Consultants

Mr. Akins has provided technical work on a variety of projects throughout the Gulf coast area performing numerous wetland delineations, threatened/endangered species surveys and monitoring, successfully obtaining many US Army Corps of Engineers Section 404/10 and Coastal Zone permits, overseeing mitigation/restoration projects, and managing projects from conception and scoping through permit issuance. Mr. Akins is experienced in working with industrial and energy clients throughout the Gulf Coast to navigate natural resources regulatory framework and meet their project needs. 

Larissa Herrera

Ms. Herrera is an aquatic biologist with over eight years of experience in natural resource assessment, including wetland delineations, environmental permitting, stream assessments, mussel/macroinvertebrate surveys and identification, and threatened and endangered species surveys. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology and Program in the Environment (PitE) from the University of Michigan and an M.S. degree in Water Resource Science from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Ms. Herrera recently moved back to the mitten to work for Holland Engineering’s Environmental Group. She holds a USFWS permit to survey and handle federally listed mussel species. Her favorite mussels are the spectaclecase and snuffbox.

John L. Larson

Applied Ecological Services, Inc., Brodhead, WI
Mr. Larson is a principal ecologist at Applied Ecological Services (AES) and a certified senior ecologist with the Ecological Society of America. During his 28-year tenure at AES, he has focused on wetland restoration and design, wetland construction and construction oversight, and vegetation/hydrology monitoring of mitigation sites. His experience at AES includes acting as project ecologist for The Nature Conservancy’s 7,200-acre Kankakee Sands wetland and prairie restoration in Indiana and a 575-acre wetland restoration project in Seneca Falls, New York. He has also been involved in over two dozen wetland mitigation banks in the Midwest, has recently permitted a wetland mitigation bank in Iowa and is currently preparing a mitigation banking instrument for a site in Wisconsin. Dr. Larson has been a lead scientist at AES in the ecological monitoring of hundreds of wetland restoration and mitigation projects. Additional areas of expertise include ecological restoration and management planning and design, environmental review documents, floristic analysis, land cover-type mapping, threatened and endangered species investigations, and stormwater management design for flood control and water quality. He has also completed over 300 wetland delineations throughout the Midwest. 

Bill Sapp

Senior Attorney at Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) in Atlanta

Bill Sapp focuses on protecting the swamps, tidal creeks, and salt marshes of the Georgia and Alabama coasts and leads SELC’s Georgia Coastal Initiative. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School and his Master of Law degree in Environmental Law from George Washington Law School (with highest honors). Before joining SELC, he served as an assistant regulatory attorney with the Chief Counsel’s office of the Army Corps in DC, clerked for Judge Edenfield in federal district court in Savannah, was an associate at Alston & Bird in Atlanta, and served as the lead wetlands attorney for Region 4 of the Environmental Protection Agency.

AIA Info

AIA Provider Statement:

HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).

This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.

Course Title: Federal Wetlands Science, Law and Compliance

Delivery Method: Live Online

Course Description: This six-hour course examines federal wetlands science, law, and enforcement, as well as wetland identification, preservation, restoration, enhancement, benefits, and ethical issues related to wetland development.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objective 1:
Learners will be able to reference and discuss federal wetlands laws and be able to identify implementing and enforcement entities.

Learning Objective 2:
Learners will be able to identify wetlands by the soils, vegetation and hydrology, and be able to delineate wetlands.

Learning Objective 3:
Learners will be able to review strategies and techniques for wetland preservation, restoration, and enhancement, and discuss the methods, benefits and drawbacks to wetland creation.

Learning Objective 4:
Learners will be able to discuss ethical issues related to wetland preservation and development such as acting in the best interest of the public, finding alternatives to wetlands destruction, including preservation in development plans, and convincing clients to preserve and restore wetlands.

LUs: 6.0                                                                                              LU Type: LU|HSWs.

Prerequisites: Experience with site development

Advance Preparation: None

Program Level: Intermediate

Course Expiration Date: 

Complaint Resolution Policy:

Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to fchapman@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.