11/19/2008 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • review and permit issuance. The intent is to reduce landowner cost and improve the efficiency of both state and federal wetland permitting. Once wetland impact is justified, obligations to replace affected wetland acreage and function are determined in a manner similar to that under WCA. The methodology to determine wetland impacts and replacement requirements, however, reflects the extensive assessment the RCWD has done of the surface hydrologic systems within the RMP area. The extent of wetland replacement required will be greatly influenced by the locations of wetland impact and replacement in relation to the higher priority wetland within the area referred to as Wetland Preservation Corridor (WPC). Figure 1 of Rule RMP -3 delineates the WPC at a regional scale. WPC is defined in the rule as contiguous wetland community with high vegetative integrity determined using accepted wetland functional assessment methods, as well as other wetland meeting this criterion that is within 50 feet of the contiguous wetland area. The regional scale WPC is a starting point. As part of an application, a landowner will be required to identify initial, "normal" WPC boundaries more precisely by performing a vegetative integrity assessment at a parcel scale. The boundaries determined, therefore, may be narrower in places, or more expansive in places, than the boundaries shown on Figure 1. As a result of the landowner's wetland impact and replacement decisions reflected in the approved project design, and possibly as a result of other project consequences such as hydrology changes, the WPC boundaries at the close of project activity may differ from the initial WPC boundaries. In this case, the landowner will be required to prepare and submit a final WPC map. Impacts to wetland within a WPC must be replaced at a higher acreage ratio than impacts outside of a WPC. Similarly, replacement within a WPC receives a higher acreage credit than replacement that is not. This approach is intended to protect and enhance those wetland and riparian resources that lie within a contiguous corridor of existing and restorable wetlands with the potential to provide high function and public value. RCWD Rule RMP -3 SONAR Letter October 23, 2008 4