Jan 22-24, 2007 Transportation Research Board U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District North Carolina’s Interagency Agreements to Streamline Project.

Jan 22-24, 2007

Transportation Research Board

U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers

Wilmington District

North Carolina’s Interagency Agreements to

Streamline Project Approvals

To streamline project delivery, North Carolina has introduced new

methods to improve communication, project delivery and environmental

stewardship

Outline

Ecosystem Enhancement Program- William D. Gilmore, P.E.Director

Interagency Leadership Team-John F. Sullivan, III P.E.FHWA Division Administrator, North Carolina

The Ecosystem Enhancement Program

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s project delays were severe for the NCDOT

NEPA, Redesign, Mitigation (40%)

Project delays caused the Governor’s office and his cabinet to demand new solutions

EEP essential components

Strong leadership

Creativity

Risk

How it was done

• Task force

• Charter

• Receive proposals

• Approve and implement

Other actions

• Endorsements and support

• EPA, USACE, FHWA, USFWS, NCDENR

• Located– Headquarters (D.C.)– Region IV (Atlanta)– State

Workshops took two forms

NCDOT NCDCM NCDWQ NCWRC NCMF USACE EPA USFWS

NEPA/404 Merger Redesign Mitigation Redesign

Workshop Recommendations

• Create a new state program• Provide advance funding• Found program on watershed needs• Use NCDOT impact forecasts for programming• Embrace the private sector in producing products

Leadership

Created a North Carolina DENR Division with a sole mission to preserve, protect enhance, and restore important natural areas and improve our water quality within our State.

BOT programmed EEP into their TIP programming process and budgeted accordingly

RisksEntity Issue

NCDOT- BOT

Required to remove from TIP

Budget $200 million to DENR

Regulatory agencies agreeing to terms of compliance, trusting and partnering

EEP operates programmatically

RisksEntity Issue

EEP having resources and support to meet demand

Produce mitigation at a specified rate per agreement

Contracting industry Meeting production schedules

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on July 22, 2003was signed on July 22, 2003

The signing The signing ceremonyceremony

Accomplishments

1.5 million stream credits (100,000 credits ahead of schedule)

13,000 acres wetland credits (7000 credits ahead of schedule)

Statewide Stream Status (July 22, 2006 in credits):

Credit requirements (July 22, 2006): 508,323

Projected needs (2008): 871,230

Total requirements (through 2008) 1,379,553

Statewide (EEP Managed Assets*): 1,471,107

Statewide Wetland Assets

(July 22, 2006 in credits):

Credit requirements (July 22, 2006): 902

Projected needs (2008): 2,200

Total production requirements: 3,102

Statewide EEP Managed Assets*: 13,087

Compliance

Streams 98.43%

Wetlands 95.60%

High Quality Preservation

• Criteria– Connectivity– Heritage sites– ESA– Parks and gamelands

• Multi-agency participation• Compliments No-net-loss• 14 sites to Parks and Gamelands

Little Table Rock Mountain, Blue Ridge Parkway

Eastern Coastal Region

Trumpet Plants

Shaken Creek Savanna

Coastal Plain

Haw River State Natural Area

Stream Restoration

Payne DairyNC Foothills

Payne Dairy

Payne Dairy

Payne Dairy

Carbonton Dam Removal

Carbonton Dam

Removal

And for the past 42 months:

Supplied mitigation = $46 million

NCDOT highway awards= $3 billion

% of the highway program $= 2.81

No project delays due to mitigation!

Restored, Enhanced or Protected

Streams 500 miles

Restoration lands

HQP lands

Total Acreage

13,800 acres

35,700 acres

49,500 acres

Interagency Leadership Team

John F. Sullivan, III P.E.

FHWA Division Administrator, North Carolina

Overview

• The ILT and Our Mission

• Our Goals and Objectives

• EEP - state-wide mitigation approach

Interagency Leadership Team• NC Dept. of Transportation• NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources• NC Dept. of Commerce• NC Dept. of Cultural Resources• NC Wildlife Resources Commission• US Army Corps of Engineers• Federal Highway Administration• US Fish and Wildlife Service• Environmental Protection Agency• National Marine Fisheries Service

Develop and implement an interagency leadership plan for North Carolina to

balance successfully mobility, natural and cultural resource protection, community

values, and economic vitality at the confluence of our missions.

Mission

MobilityEconomic

Vitality

EnvironmentalProtection

InteragencyPlan

1. Develop a shared, comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS)2. Local land use and long-range transportation planning result in projects that meet mobility, economic, and environmental goals3. Improve the Merger 01 Process

Goals

Land UseSystem

TransportationSystem

Water ResourcesSystem

Other Natural,Cultural Resource

Systems

Integrated ApproachIntegrated Approach

landdevelopment

proposal

roadimprovement

proposal

wetlandsidentification

habitat orhistoric places

to preserve

opportunities to support multiple community goals

and improve quality of life

Goal 1- GIS

1. Create new and update GIS layers, as needed 2. Develop a means to share database layers3. Establish a mechanism for maintaining the data4. Create a shared analytical platform

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Integrated PlanningIntegrated Planning

TransportationPlanning

Natural,Cultural

ResourcePlanning

EconomicDevelopment

Planning

Land UsePlanning

Goal 2 -Integrated Planning

• Enhance capacity and opportunity of staff to participate in the planning process

• Developed integrated planning process

• Develop outreach mechanisms for locals using new integration process

Goal 3 - Merger 01 Process

1.Revised the merger agreement2.Developed a conflict resolution process3.Developed a roles and responsibilities

document4.Developed performance measures5.Training

Transportation Program Life Cycle

Program DevelopmentFunding the ProjectsFunding the Projects

Project PlanningMinimizing the ImpactsMinimizing the Impacts

Project DesignDesign & ROWDesign & ROW

Construction Building the RoadBuilding the Road

Long-Range PlanningDetermining the NeedDetermining the Need

“ Involve resourceagencies earlier inmobility systems

planning”

“ Improve theMerger 01 Process”

Maintenance & Operations

Maintaining the RoadMaintaining the Road

“Develop ashared,

comprehensiveGIS”

Jan 21-25, 2007

Transportation Research Board

U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers

Wilmington District

North Carolina’s Interagency Agreements to

Streamline Project Approvals