New General Permit to Promote Hydrologic Restoration of Streams, Wetlands and Floodplains in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Wetlands Association Wetland Coffee Break livestream talk, on Zoom. RSVP for link.

media release: In May 2021, the Wisconsin legislature, working with Wisconsin Wetlands Association, other external stakeholders, and Wisconsin DNR, passed WI Act 77, which required the DNR to develop a Hydrologic Restoration General Permit (HRGP). The permit will utilize integrated and flexible review requirements for a variety of wetland and stream related regulations so long as an applicant is able to demonstrate that the proposed activities will achieve improvements to wetland, stream, and watershed health. It is hoped that the flexibilities offered through the HRGP will accelerate the implementation of voluntary wetland, stream, and floodplain restoration and management projects. This presentation will provide an overview of the HRGP conditions and the intended uses for the permit.

Tom Nedland is a professional wetland scientist with more than 20 years of experience in the wetland science and regulatory realm. During his time with the Wisconsin DNR, Tom has held positions in the Waterways Program conducting wetland and waterway permitting and serving as DNR’s wetland delineation and wetland mitigation expert. Tom is currently the Section Manager for the Waterways Program’s Policy and Professional Services Section.