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MDE is working to address a series of recommendations designed to better protect and restore the State’s valuable stream resources.
The measures that are underway include work a new joint permit application under development by MDE and the Baltimore District of the Army Corps of Engineers. MDE and the Corps will continue to work to clarify the information needed in certain parts of the joint permit application and on training on the permit process.
Stream restoration was the subject of a day-long gathering of scientists, policy makers, regulators, practitioners and State and local governments in March at MDE headquarters in Baltimore. The meeting included presentations, dialogue and debate about stream restoration techniques, environmental trade-offs, permitting and the role of stream restoration projects in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The meeting was convened by the Maryland Departments of the Environment and Natural Resources, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a non-profit grant-making organization established by the Maryland General Assembly. David Nemazie, Associate Vice President for External Affairs, at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, facilitated the meeting.
William Seiger and Denise Clearwater, of the MDE Wetlands and Waterways Program, presented information on the permitting process. Topics included Hydrology and Hydraulics, Alternatives Analysis and Supporting Documentation. Question-and-answer sessions allowed the audience to ask for clarification, raise concerns and make suggestions to assist with the preparation of successful permit applications for stream restoration projects.
Later, Joseph DaVia of the Army Corps of Engineers presented information on how the federal permit process dovetails with the State’s process. A panel of experts then discussed the environmental tradeoffs that can occur when performing a stream restoration. For example, trees may be removed, habitat may be altered, or stream chemistry may change during a restoration project. While many stream restoration projects are identified for implementation as a part of County Watershed Implementation Plans to reduce nutrients and sediments, these projects have not been evaluated by the regulatory agencies for habitat loss or change. Several recommendations and suggestions emerged during the meeting, including the need for:
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Permit application guidance and training for the joint permit application under development between the MDE and the Army Corps of Engineers.
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Further dialogue on where, when and how monitoring should be required.
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Additional research on questions relating to methodology, data analysis, and measuring outcomes from stream restoration projects.
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Further discussion on Regenerative Stormwater Conveyances as a specific stream restoration/retrofit technique to trap nutrients and sediments in stream systems, including what is known about this practice, ecological trade-off issues, and how to approach permitting of these projects.
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Finding a way to bring to regulators new and emerging scientific information to inform the permit process.
Efforts will continue to address these recommendations and suggestions. The Maryland Department of the Environment is developing checklists and guidance documents to assist permit applicants. Ecological issues related to the restoration of stream systems are being discussed among federal and State agencies, with input from many stakeholders. While much remains to be done, the convening of stakeholders was seen to have provided a constructive interchange of ideas and opinions that will shape the permit review process and serve to better protect and restore streams.
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