Wetland Mitigation Law and Procedure
DISCLAIMER
Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity.
It’s your responsibility to determine whether this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
You must take and pass a quiz to receive credit. You can take the quiz as many times as needed and there is no time limit on the quiz.
Once the quiz is completed, you will be asked to download your certificate.
**Any on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Streamable MP4/PDF
You will receive an automated email letting you know when your On-Demand package is available approximately 3 business days after the date of the live event or the date of your order, whichever is later. This email will contain links to the video recording, materials, and program quiz.
To track your purchase, you will need to create an account on the website using the email address used for your registration.
For AIA requirements only, the on-demand recording will have occasional question prompts that will not allow the video to progress unless they are answered, and you will not be able to skip forward while watching the video.
Please note, if you attempt to resume watching the video on a separate device, your progress will not be saved.
Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
You will have unlimited access to the on-demand video recording, and it will never expire.
**Any streamable on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
USB MP4/PDF
HalfMoon will mail these materials via USPS.
USB orders ship approximately 3 business days after the program takes place or after the order is placed, whichever date is later. Please allow an additional 7-10 business days for shipping.
The link to the quiz will be available in a PDF in your USB drive marked QUIZ.
HalfMoon will contact you and issue a full refund if the product you ordered is not available. However, refunds will not be issued if completion certificates are requested.
Please contact HalfMoon Education if you have any questions during the process of taking this course. (715) 835-5900 or qchapman@halfmoonseminars.org
**Any USB on-demand programs that qualify for LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before the start time.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
8:30 – 4:00 pm CDT
Wetland Science
Presented by: Mitchel R. Strain, CPSS, PWS
- Defining wetlands and identifying different types
- Wetland soils and vegetation
- Wetland hydrology
- Environmental services provided by wetlands
Wetland History in the United States: Systematic Destruction and Degradation
Presented by: Larissa Herrera
- The historic view of wetlands: wastelands
- Wetland elimination in service of agriculture and development
- Turning the corner: the Clean Water Act of 1972
- National Food Security Act of 1985
- State wetland initiatives
Wetland Mitigation: Objectives and Processes
Presented by: Nichoel Church, PWS
- Section 404 permitting and mitigation thresholds
- 2008 Mitigation Rule hierarchy: permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, in-lieu fee programs, and mitigation banking
- Enhancement, restoration, creation, preservation
- Pros and cons of each
- Wetland and stream project examples
- Maintenance
- Monitoring
Wetland Mitigation Banking
Presented by: Victoria K. Bruce
- Wetland mitigation banking process
- Service areas and sponsors
- Regulatory compliance
State In-Lieu Fee Programs
Presented by: Chelsea Keefer, MS
- State In-Lieu fee program overviews
- In-lieu fee mitigation projects
- Funding for restoration projects
- Mitigation by purchasing in-lieu credits
Permittee Responsible Mitigation
Presented by: Heather Bobich, PWS
- Parameters of acceptable projects
- Draft compensation site plan
- Submittal requirements
- Conservation easement
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:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)
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
6.5 PDHs
Architects
6.5 HSW CE Hours
6.5 AIA HSW LUs
Landscape Architects
6.5 HSW CE Hours
6.5 LA CES HSW PDHs
Attorneys
8.0 CLE Hours (FL)
6.5 CLE Hours (CA)
6.5 CLE Hours (VT)
6.5 CLE Hours (CT)
6.5 CLE Hours (LA)
Floodplain Managers
6.5 ASFPM CECs
Certified Planners
CM|6.5
Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.5 PDHs for professional engineers, 6.5 HSW continuing education hours for licensed architects, and 6.5 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 License No: CEA362), 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 6.5 HSW LUs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES.
The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.5 HSW PDHs. Only full participation is reportable to the LA CES.
This webinar has been approved by the Florida Bar for basic-level 8.0 general CLE credits. This approval qualifies the webinar for CLE credit in Connecticut. HalfMoon Education is an approved Multiple Activity Provider with the State Bar of California (Provider Number 8370). HalfMoon Education is an accredited CLE sponsor in Vermont. This webinar has been approved by the Louisiana State Bar Association for 6.5 general CLE hours.
This Association of State Floodplain Managers has approved this course for 6.5 CECs for floodplain managers.
HalfMoon Education is an approved CM Provider with the American Planning Association. This course is registered for CM | 6.5 for Certified Planners.
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).
On-Demand Credits
The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format may not be eligible for the same credits as the live presentation; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate. The following pre-approvals may be available for the on-demand format upon request:
6.5 HSW LUs (AIA)
6.5 HSW PDHs (LA CES)
6.5 ASFPM CECs
Speakers
Heather Bobich, PWS
Environmental Scientist with Davey Resource Group, Inc.Ms. Bobich, supervises a talented team of ecologists and biologists based out of Davey Resource Group, Inc.’s, Indiana offices. She is a professional wetland scientist, is proficient with NEPA work and projects, and has been trained by the Ohio Department of Transportation in Ecological Surveys and Waterways Permitting. In addition to managing a large portfolio of diverse and complex projects, Ms. Bobich also generates pricing and proposals for a wide range of consulting and restoration projects. She works on field investigations, wetland and stream permitting, restoration and mitigation design, native landscape design, best management practice plans, construction oversight, violation resolution and facilitation, and client and agency coordination. She holds an undergraduate degree from the SPEA program at Indiana University and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Ball State University.
Victoria K. Bruce
CEO of The Mitigation Banking Group, Inc.Ms. Bruce has over 19 years of sales and marketing experience serving Florida’s mitigation banking credit industry. Her vast background in the wetland mitigation and habitat conservation banks industry has designated her as one of Florida’s most sought-after mitigation bank sales brokers. Mrs. Bruce is passionate about partnering with mitigation bankers, environmental consultants and developers to aid in the mitigation process. She is responsible for developing and implementing strategies and forecasts that support existing relationships with industry partners and promote future growth for the industry.
Nichoel Church, PWS
Environmental Scientist with Snyder & Associates, Inc.Ms. Church, is an environmental scientist with Snyder & Associates. She has over 14 years of professional environmental experience. Before she started her career as an environmental scientist at Snyder & Associates, she worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers in Rock Island, Jacksonville, and Omaha Districts after graduating from Iowa State University in 2009. Her area of expertise focuses on wetland delineations, stream assessments, Section 404 permitting, and wetland and stream mitigation banking documentation
Larissa Herrera
Senior Biologist with Holland EngineeringMs. 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.
Chelsea Keefer, MS
Restoration Biologist with the Stream + Wetlands FoundationMs. Keefer, MS has been a restoration biologist for the Stream + Wetlands Foundation (S+W) since June 2020, and she has eight years of experience working in the natural resources field. Ms. Keefer is responsible for preparing and overseeing coordination of S+W’s mitigation project submittals to the Interagency Review Team. During her time at S+W, she has been instrumental in the submission and approval of over 20 in-lieu fee (ILF), mitigation bank, and permitee responsible projects. To date, the S+W ILF program is fully in compliance with all its advance credit sales obligations. Prior to joining the S+W team, Ms. Keefer worked for a northeast Ohio environmental consulting firm where she primarily worked on mitigation projects. She also worked at two different environmental test laboratories performing soil and water analyses using sophisticated equipment. During her formal education, she conducted a rigorous research study in native species revegetation and seed ecology. She published her findings as the primary author of a peer reviewed research paper that appeared in the Journal of Rangeland Ecology and Management.
Mitchel R. Strain, CPSS, PWS
Smart Services, Inc., Newark, NJMr. Strain has over 30 years of experience with all aspects of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance including preparation of environmental assessments (EA), environmental impact statements (EIS), categorical exclusions (CE) and other NEPA documentation, baseline biological assessments, and habitat evaluation procedure (HEP) analyses; threatened and endangered species surveys and critical habitat assessments; wetland and stream evaluations; cultural resource investigations; and vegetative community surveys. Mr. Strain’s particular expertise is in wetland science; including delineation, creation, and restoration of wetlands for mitigation and wildlife habitat; Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 and 401 permitting; and design of constructed wetland treatment systems.
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: Wetland Mitigation Law and Procedure
Delivery Method: Live Online
Course Description: This 6.5-hour course explores wetland mitigation laws, requirements, options and procedures. The course begins with an explanation of wetland science, hydrology and environmental benefits and a summation of the history of wetlands in the United States, particularly their destruction and degradation. The course then dives deep into wetland mitigation laws and rules (Clean Water Act Section 404 and EPAs 2008 Rules) and compares mitigation options, including enhancement, restoration and creation. The course then explores wetland mitigation banking processes, state in-lieu fee programs, and permitting parameters and requirements.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1:
Learners will be able to identify and define wetlands by their soils and vegetation and explain the environmental services provided by wetlands.
Learning Objective 2:
Learners will be able to analyze the Clean Water Act Section 404 requirements and the EPA’s 2008 expansion “including more comprehensive standards for compensatory mitigation.”
Learning Objective 3:
Learners will be able to consider the benefits and consequences of enhancement, restoration, creation and preservation as strategies of compliance.
Learning Objective 4:
Learners will be able to identify the parameters of permittable projects and discuss draft compensation site plans, submittal requirements and conservation easements.
LUs: 6.5 LU Type: LU|HSWs.
Prerequisites: Experience with site planning
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.