Goal: More & Better Wetlands; Timely DNR Decisions
Madison –State Representative Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz) and State Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) got back to work in 2012 by introducing a bill on Tuesday to reform how the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reviews, permits, regulates and mitigates projects impacting isolated wetlands in Wisconsin. Mursau expects the bill will help landowners and DNR achieve permit decisions rather than perpetually delayed answers.
“The people of Wisconsin lose out on new career opportunities when businesses can’t get final answers out of the current process,” Mursau said. “Anyone familiar with the detailed Ashley Furniture, Menard call center or the Lombardi Avenue development projects knows our permitting process is broken and needs this thoughtful solution.”
The solution was developed by Mursau and Kedzie after meeting monthly with DNR leadership over the past year and consulting with environmental, wildlife and business interest groups as well as the US Army Corp of Engineers.
“This bill balances both economic and environmental interests,” Mursau said. “While it creates more certainty in the review process, it also creates new opportunities for improving already-impaired wetland habitat areas around the state and improved access to many of those wetlands.”
Major changes include:
Ø Creating a pre-meeting for DNR to provide applicants an overview of timelines and requirements
Ø Creating an Individual Permit to handle “rare and imperiled” wetland projects (20% of all permit applications) in a more deliberative timeline (80% of DNR employee time)
o Presumptive approval is not an option for these more sensitive applications
o Creates a more easily identifiable definition of “rare and imperiled” wetlands
Ø Creating a General Permit to handle easy wetland projects (80% of all permit applications) in a more efficient timeline (20% of DNR employee time)
o Presumptive approval for these less sensitive applications will occur if an application is complete and DNR does not respond within 30 days
Ø Revising compensatory wetland mitigation program to increase “wetland banking” and credits
Ø Revising the definition of practicable alternatives to those reasonably available and capable of being implemented