The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board (VSWCB) has proposed amendments to its General Permit for Discharges to Stormwater from Construction Activities regulation in order to have a new general permit in place by July 1, 2014. The proposed regulatory action will establish a new permit under which current general permit holders will be able to apply for coverage if they wish to maintain coverage for their construction activity beyond the current permit's June 30, 2014 expiration date.

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If you are undertaking a project that will impact tidal waters, you will be required to undertake surveys to document the presence or absence of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) within your project area. Example projects include boat piers/docks, marinas, and channel dredging operations.

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On March 22, 2013, Fairfax County issued a new Technical Bulletin to clarify that coordination with the county is required for any Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Letters of Map Change (LOMC) submittal.

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On March 13, 2013, WSSI hosted the first Wetland Studies/Peterson Foundation Mitigation Banking Research Symposium. This event reached capacity within 24 hours of announcing it to the public (nearly 120 attendees), including leadership from a multitude of regulatory and state agencies, such as EPA, USACE (multiple districts), Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Department of Transportation, District Department of the Environment, and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

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Summer is on its way and Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) is gearing up for another season of small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides) surveys. If you are planning to develop property in Northern Virginia that has mature hardwood forest with an open understory, your site may need a survey for the small whorled pogonia. Unfortunately, the field survey "window" for small whorled pogonia is narrow and can only be conducted between June 1 and July 20. So schedule now and avoid critical delays in obtaining your wetlands permit.

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Over 200 children under 12 years old, with parents and siblings in tow, turned out for the 3rd Annual Reston Kids' Trout Fishing Day on March 23 in Reston, Virginia. The event, sponsored by Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), Reston Association, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and Northern Virginia Trout Unlimited, provided a venue for children ages 2-12 to spend a day outdoors, and for some, the opportunity to catch their first fish.

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Maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of a dam and its associated principal and emergency spillway components is a requirement for all state regulated facilities. For all other owner-operated and maintained impounding facilities, maintenance may not be required, but it still remains essential for protecting the dam, its owner and the general public.

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About Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI):

WSSI is the leading provider of natural and cultural resource consulting services in Northern Virginia. The firm has worked on a total of over 5,000 projects, comprising 200,000 acres, and has created hundreds of acres of wetlands and restored miles of streams. Our team of 80+ engineers, scientists, archeologists, ecosystem technicians, GIS/survey/compliance and technology/training specialists, and administrative staff yield a unique combination of disciplines focused on wetlands and water resources and provide creative solutions for integrating the constraints of economics and land plan requirements with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. For more information about WSSI, visit our Web site at www.wetlandstudies.com.