The Ecological Resources and Permit Section has two functional work units: ecological and permits. The ecological unit's responsibilities primarily occur during the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process, while the permit unit's responsibilities occur during the final design stages. Because ecological tasks often are prerequisites to permitting tasks, the units work closely together within the following areas of expertise:

Ecology
Farmlands
FEMA Floodplains
Waterway Permits

The ecological unit deals with ecological assessment, impact prediction/analysis and processing of ecological documents with resource agencies. Issues addressed within the ecological unit include, but are not limited to: ecological surveys, water quality, wetland delineation, stream assessment, endangered species, farmland impact, scenic rivers and mitigation monitoring.

The permits unit deals with the completion, review, and processing of permits with various agencies which are required by various state and federal laws and regulations (i.e., Clean Water Act, Isolated Wetland Law, etc.). These permits may include: USACE 404 individual permits, USACE 404 nationwide permits, USACE Section 10 permits, 401 water quality certifications, USCG Section 9 bridge permits, and Ohio EPA isolated wetland permits. Permit information can be found in the Waterway Permits Manual.

Both the ecological and permit units work closely on projects in construction where resources within their areas of expertise are involved. For example, wetland mitigation may involve inspection at critical points during construction as well as permit mandated monitoring for up to five years after construction.

As would be expected from the broad range of topics dealt with in the Ecological Resources and Permits section, members have varied backgrounds and training. Formal education and training of the staff includes biology, botany, ecology, natural resources, geology, engineering and landscape architecture. This broad educational background and the varied experience of the staff allows the section to deal with complex environmental and regulatory issues utilizing an inter-disciplinary approach.

Reports Criteria

When submitting reports please provide the following:

• Ecological Survey Reports - varies according to type of report
• MOA coordination packages - 3 copies
• ESR Level 1 and ESR level 2 Projects - 2 draft copies (1 sent to OES and 1 sent to District for ODOT review, prior to submission of 6 final copies for coordination with the agencies)
• FPPA Screening Sheets - 1 copy
• Conceptual Wetland/Wetland Mitigation Reports - 5 to 6 copies
• 404/401 Applications - 9 copies
• USACE Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) Applications - 4 copies
• Ohio EPA Isolated Wetland Permit Pre-Activity Notification (PAN) - 3 copies