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Me and My CDFG

Me and My CDFG. Jay Norvell, Chief Environmental Planner California Department of Transportation. Our Interactions. Regulator / Regulated Permits and Agreements Required Coordination CEQA Other… Partnerships and Collaboration NEW: Advance Mitigation. Regulator / Regulated. Compliance

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Me and My CDFG

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  1. Me and My CDFG Jay Norvell, Chief Environmental PlannerCalifornia Department of Transportation

  2. Our Interactions • Regulator / Regulated • Permits and Agreements • Required Coordination • CEQA • Other… • Partnerships and Collaboration • NEW: Advance Mitigation

  3. Regulator / Regulated • Compliance • Streambed Alteration (Fish and Game Code 1600 et seq. ) • Ca. Endangered Species Act and “Fully Protected Animals” • Issues: • Overlapping responsibilities with other agencies • Reactive, project by project • Lack of actionable planning* • Lack of permitting ability for “Fully Protected”

  4. Required Coordination • CDFG as a CEQA Responsible Agency • SB 857 Fish Passage • Issues • Level of CEQA document • Resources to respond

  5. Partnerships • Staffing / Service Agreement • Issue / Area Collaboration • Regional Advance Mitigation Program (RAMP) • Statewide Advance Mitigation Initiative (SAMI)

  6. Staffing / Service Agreement • Caltrans / CDFG Agreement • Caltrans funds seven positions. CDFG expedites reviews. • Next: Programmatic fee payments?

  7. Issue / Area Partnerships • California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project • CDFG and Caltrans lead with FHWA funding. 60 Agencies involved. • Pending FHWA National Environmental Award • Fish Passage Forum – North Coast • Level 1 / Level 2 Pilot in NW California – North Coast

  8. Regional Advance Mitigation Program (RAMP) • Grew out of 2006 Meeting • Current project-by-project approach is broken • Bond Program - Caltrans and CDFG mitigation needs overlap • Uses existing authorities and funding • Pilot is for the Sacramento Valley, although being pushed statewide • MOU signed by CDFG, Caltrans, DWR, USFWS, and NMFS. • TNC was promoting legislation to have Resources Agency manage a fund

  9. Statewide Advance Mitigation Initiative (SAMI) • For habitat and wetlands mitigation (and possibly other…) • Modeled on North Carolina approach • No change in legal requirements to avoid and minimize • Front-load funding for off-site mitigation • Establish planning , implementation, and validation unit in State Government. Delegates planning and mitigation to that entity. • “Stock Market” for mitigation needs • Programmatic mitigation is in place prior to need

  10. Statewide Advance Mitigation Initiative (SAMI) • MOU in place – CDFG, USFWS, ACOE, EPA, NMFS. • HSRA, DWR, and Transportation Planning Agencies interested • UC did modeling for Caltrans on future mitigation needs. • Working with FHWA on programming and accounting issues for federal funds • Discussions with CDFG on implementation • Hope to have contingency budget documents in place with CDFG (BCP/FL)

  11. Statewide Advance Mitigation Initiative (SAMI) • Changes how we do business • Win-win for the environment AND project delivery • Mitigation in advance. Aligned with conservation needs. • Aligns regulatory agency approaches and planning • Focuses on watershed / bioregion / landscape approaches rather than project by project • This is how California should lead!

  12. Needs • Coordination and collaboration between regulatory agencies to reduce cross-regulation • Agreements? Delegations? • Staffing and funding flexibility to be innovative • State leadership • Actionable planning • Advance Mitigation • Future funding?

  13. Me and My CDFG Jay Norvell, Chief Environmental PlannerCalifornia Department of Transportation

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