Navigating Salt Marsh Restoration in Massachusetts: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities

Location: 5 Post Office Square Boston, MA 01209
Court Room 6, 15th floor
Date: September 19th, 2023
Time: 9:30 - 3:30

Goals and Objectives:

1. To identify gaps in information to develop a shared understanding between restoration practitioners and regulators of the multiple permit pathways for restoration and existing permitting rules.
2. To identify the types of information required and recommended for inclusion in permit applications.
3. To discuss the concept of risk and uncertainty when designing adaptive management strategies and/or corrective action.
4. To have a clearer idea of where/how regulators and practitioners can work together on restoration projects.
5. To identify continued gaps in information that still exist after the workshop.

Agenda:

9:30 - 9:45 Welcome and Introductions

9:45 - 10:00 Agenda Overview and Rules of the Road

10:00 - 11:15 Session 1: Definition of terms; Identification of Roles and Responsibilities

11:15 - 11:30 Break

11:30-12:45 Session 2: Identifying and Addressing Risk of Adverse Impact in Restoration Projects

12:45 - 1:45 Lunch break

1:45 - 3:00 Session 3: Working Together: Identifying Gaps and Opportunities for the Planning and Implementation of Salt Marsh Restoration Projects

3:00 - 3:30 Closing and Next Steps

Desired Outcomes:

• Have a better understanding of the regulatory landscape for permitting ecological restoration projects in MA.
• Better understand the concepts of adverse impact, adaptive management, and corrective action; and how to incorporate these principles into permitting applications.
• Benefit from directly engaging with likeminded participants to better understand the existing permitting landscape, determine tangible next steps and opportunities for participants, and suggest ways that participants can further work together to navigate the existing permitting landscape.

Workshop Deliverables:

• Workshop Summary Memo (pdf) (435.45 KB)
• Run of Show Presentation Slides (pdf) (17.84 MB)

Next Steps:

A major need identified at the conclusion of this workshop was the creation of a timeline to better outline the estimated timelines for each potential step involved in the permitting process for salt marsh restoration projects in Massachusetts. This resource is now available here:

• Estimated Timeline for Coastal Salt Marsh Restoration Permitting in Massachusetts (pdf) (237.35 KB, 04-24-2024)

Methodology: To create this resource, EPA partnered with MA Department of Environmental Protection, MA Division of Ecological Restoration, MA Office of Coastal Zone Management, NOAA, Mass Audubon, Woods Hole Group, Ridley and Associates, and Rimmer Environmental Consulting to develop a timeline to conceptualize the estimated timelines for each potential step in the permitting process for coastal salt marsh restoration projects in Massachusetts.

How to Use This Resource: Each step of this process includes an estimated timeline of how long each step of the permitting process could take. Where permitting steps are more variable, additional time estimates are included as light blue shaded areas.

Note: Each restoration project is unique and so permitting processes and timelines can vary. None of the estimates shown are guaranteed. The types of permitting requirements can vary based on the type of project proposed.