10 Fundamentals for Smart Permitting
technology, restoration, blogs Danielle Bissett technology, restoration, blogs Danielle Bissett

10 Fundamentals for Smart Permitting

The Trump-Vance Administration is excited about permitting reform, so are we! And, to get there, we want to see smart permitting. Efficient and effective permitting should be about getting to “yes” or “no” on projects faster—and we know there are hundreds of ways to do that without minimizing scientific rigor, transparency, and public participation. We’ve researched dozens of federal and state policies and technologies that have sped up permitting. Here we synthesize our 10 fundamental recommendations for improving the environmental review and permitting process.

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EPIC visits Urban Greenway Project in New Orleans
news, restoration Garrett Altmann news, restoration Garrett Altmann

EPIC visits Urban Greenway Project in New Orleans

EPIC’s Restoration Economy Center recently held its annual team retreat in New Orleans, Louisiana. While the trip included team building and bonding activities (complimented with NOLA classics like beignets and coffee with chicory from Cafe du Monde of course!), the highlight of the week was a fantastic tour of the Lafitte Greenway.

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Mapping at the Intersection: Environmental Justice & Conservation
technology, biodiversity EmmaLi Tsai technology, biodiversity EmmaLi Tsai

Mapping at the Intersection: Environmental Justice & Conservation

Earlier this year, Gabe Watson and EmmaLi Tsai participated in a workshop hosted by Defenders of Wildlife to help researchers create better maps at the intersection of environmental justice and conservation. Decisions from the workshop resulted in this user guide & website, which walks users through a more collaborate and inclusive approach to conservation that considers biodiversity, climate change, and environmental justice. To put the framework and shared principles into practice, the guide also features a case study using the National Wildlife Refuge System to show where future land acquisition should be prioritized.

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CWSRF Sponsorship Programs: Swipe Right to Match Point Source Projects with Nonpoint Source Projects
Pete Hill Pete Hill

CWSRF Sponsorship Programs: Swipe Right to Match Point Source Projects with Nonpoint Source Projects

Since the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), there has been an interest from many quarters to direct a larger portion of these funds towards green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects. While the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) has funded some GSI and other nonpoint source projects over the years, it remains a very small percentage of overall spending.

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Reimagining Permitting Processes: A Case Study of Virginia’s Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform
Environmental Policy Innovation Center Environmental Policy Innovation Center

Reimagining Permitting Processes: A Case Study of Virginia’s Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform

At the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), our goal is to advance ecological restoration at scale, yet permitting costs consume up to ⅓ of project budgets. We need money to go to nature, not paperwork. Over the past two years, EPIC has quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed policies and processes related to restoration project permitting. Here we provide a case study of adoption of e-permitting technology that ameliorated many permitting bottlenecks.

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