Title
a. Receive a presentation on Santa Cruz County Master Permit for Environmental Enhancement Projects;
b. Discuss and provide direction regarding the development of a coordinated environmental enhancement project permit streamlining program for Monterey County.
Report
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a presentation regarding the Santa Cruz County Master Permit for Environmental Enhancement Projects;
b. Discuss and provide direction regarding the development of an environmental enhancement project permit streamlining program for Monterey County.
SUMMARY:
The Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC) received a Clean Water Act (CWA) 319h grant from the State Water Resources Control Board in Spring of 2019 to establish three farm runoff water quality treatment projects and to conduct a permit streamlining effort with the County of Monterey to reduce permitting delays and costs for those and future natural resource improvement projects. The grant is expected to be extended through spring 2023.
The County Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), RCDMC and partner agencies (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Salinas Service Center, Central Coast Wetlands Group, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Elkhorn Slough Foundation and Big Sur Land Trust) have been meeting periodically to discuss protocols and methods for streamlining land conservation and restoration projects through the County's existing land use regulations. A draft proposal was received by County staff outlining how such projects could be streamlined. County staff partially accepted some of the processing suggestions. For example, County staff agreed to assign a senior level planner to work on conservation projects, conduct semiannual informal review of conservation projects by the Development Review Committee, and process formal application submission with high priority.
During this work, it came to light that the ...
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