Programmatic Hydraulic Project Approval Pilot Program

In March 2010, the legislature included in the state transportation budget funding for a "pilot program to develop and implement a streamlined process for programmatic hydraulic project approvals for multiple, recurring local transportation and public works projects". The Washington State Association of County Engineers, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Kitsap County
Public Works Department stepped forward to lead this effort by:

1. Describing, defining, and documenting classes of local transportation and public works projects appropriate for programmatic hydraulic project approvals permits;
2. Developing technical permitting requirements and conditions;
3. Administratively adopting and implementing programmatic hydraulic project approvals statewide; and
4. Piloting, reviewing, updating, and training throughout all Washington counties.

General permitting approaches cover geographic or statewide areas and apply to a variety of projects, activities and/or locales. General permitting approaches may allow actions to proceed without individual review by each permit decision-making agency. General permitting approaches reduce permitting time and project costs while protecting the environment and allowing staff resources to focus on more challenging project issues providing better analysis and response. Other benefits of general permitting approaches include:

• More predictable, consistent and transparent conditions and regulatory requirements.
• Increased regulatory capacity for review of higher risk and more likely to impact projects.
• Increased regulatory capacity for enhanced compliance and effectiveness monitoring.
• More efficient and timely regulatory review involving fewer review and decision-making iterations/transactions.
• Cost savings to county agencies and to WDFW.

Overview:

The General HPA for an entire counties maintenance work on transportation and public works project consists of multiple chapters covering multiple activities for maintenance and preservation of transportation and public works infrastructure.

1. Permit conditions are detailed in each chapter.
2. Activities included those that were repetitive and had a low potential to negatively affect fish life.
3. Limited to where WDFW has authority.

A technical review group of Clark, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom county staff , WSDOT staff and WDFW staff was convened to provide oversight and input. Additional review was provided by the Regional Road Maintenance Forum and western Washington tribes.

The first county-wide, five-year HPA under this program is to be issued to Kitsap County in March, 2011.

General Hydraulic Project Approval (GHPA) Pilot Project Progress Report

Gary Rowe, WSACE Managing Director, provides staff support to counties involved in this Program.  Gary can be reached by e-mail at growe@wacounties.org.