BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Coordinated Permitting Effort for Multi-Benefit Wetland Restoration Projects in San Francisco Bay.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive information on the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority-led coordinated effort for more timely permitting of multi-benefit wetland restoration projects in San Francisco Bay.
Body
SUMMARY:
The District has been partnering with the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (Restoration Authority) to facilitate a constructive dialogue amongst regulatory agencies and stakeholders on a coordinated permitting approach to improve the timeliness and the effectiveness of permitting for multi-benefit wetland restoration projects and associated flood management and public access infrastructure in San Francisco Bay.
The approval of Measure AA and worsening predictions of sea level rise, call for a more expeditious and effective permitting process for such priority projects.
The Restoration Authority, at its June meeting, will be considering funding a regulatory coordination effort for multi-benefit wetland restoration projects and associated flood management and public access infrastructure.
The Bay Area Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and Resources Legacy Fund began convening all six federal and state regulatory agencies and several permittees in March of 2017.
Over the past year, the regulatory agencies have developed a proposal for a Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team and a set of performance measures related to permitting timeframes and resolution of major policy issues. Attachment 2 contains the proposal and the performance measures, as well as a budget for the next five years and a list of major issues that delay permits for shoreline restoration projects.
The Restoration Authority is seeking funding partners who have shoreline permitting needs. The pace and scale of restoration in San Francisco Bay are anticipated to increase thanks to Measure AA. The...
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