Regulatory office balances economic, environmental infrastructure

By J.D. Hardesty
District Public Affairs Office

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 12, 2010 - Construction began last month on two formerly-operated Cargill salt evaporation ponds in Napa, Calif., in an effort by various state and federal agencies to restore them to historical marsh wetlands.

Decisions balancing environmental stewardship, economic development and community infrastructure for nearly 215,000 northern California residents rest in the hands of four San Francisco District teammates.

Kelley Reid, David Ammerman, Carol Heidsiek and Michael Shirley are the San Fran-cisco District’s regulatory team providing Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 103 of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act governance over 15,000 square miles of protected forests, grasslands, 200-mile coastline and wildlife refuges throughout the Winchuck River, Smith River, Eel River, Klamath River, Trinity Act governance over 15,000 square miles of protected forests, grasslands, 200-mile coastline and wildlife refuges throughout the Winchuck River, Smith River, Eel River, Klamath River, Trinity River, Mad River and other watersheds across Del Norte, Siskiyou, Humboldt and Trinity counties.

The team protects the nation’s aquatic resources while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible and balanced permit decisions. They balance the nation’s environmental interests with economic development to help bring projects to fruition.

“We have good people up here,” said Reid, senior regulatory project manager. “David Ammerman (regulatory project manager) is incredibly conscience to make sure applicants get their permit as fast as possible without overstepping the Corps permit authority, Endangered species, Rivers and Harbors, Clean Water acts. He dots the “I”s and crosses the “T”s.”

Ammerman issued critical permit to the Simpson Timber Company to clean up tidal wetlands soil identified by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to contain toxic contaminants. The Corps permit authorized the company to clean-up or remove all contaminated sediment and debris and to replant the swale with fresh-water and salt-water marsh vegetation. The project prevented the migration of contaminants into Humboldt Bay that could have caused biological or chemical harm to threatened species including coho, Chinook and steelhead salmon, as well as the endangered tidewater goby.

“Environmental concerns never get to rest or recover from economic development,” said Kelley Reid.

Beyond protecting Humboldt Bay waters, the Eureka Regulatory Field Office partners with the State of California Department of Fish and Game, and in consultation with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, issued a 10-year permit under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act to remove harmful dwarf eelgrass from Humboldt Bay and McNulty Slough.

Issuing a permit to removing evasive dwarf eelgrass helps restore natural habitat which provides protection for herring eggs, juvenile salmon, rockfish and crabs while providing migrating birds a food source.

The regulatory office balances business development with its role as the nation’s environmental stewards.

According to Reid, many of the field office’s permits balance business with the environment community infrastructure.

As an example, the district’s regulatory branch issued a permit for CalTrans to replace a Mad River bridge north of Eureka on U.S. Highway 101. The permit also covered installing new piers to protect the river’s south embankment. They also issued a permit to Humboldt County so construction could prevent future erosion which threatened houses near the eroding bluff. Reid also performed a compliance inspection of the boulders and willows construction used to shore-up the bluff near the mouth of the river.

“I do like that we get to be an advocate for the environment so development doesn’t negatively impact a natural resource.”

The Eureka regulatory team works with Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District to provide water to industry and surrounding municipalities, they participate in the Wiyot Tribe’s cultural restoration of Indian Island and they review the Trinidad Rancheria’s application to rehabilitate and replace its existing Pier at Trinidad Bay and Harbor.

“Our permits allow environmental protection and business development to co-exist,” Reid said. “We try to make the impact from economic development less damaging or more beneficial.”

Humboldt Bay is a bar-built lagoon located on the Pacific Coast near Eureka in northern California.