Planning & Permits
The Watershed Company provides comprehensive environmental planning and permitting services.
We assist private and public clients with Federal, State and local permitting. Our reputation with regulators is excellent due to our outstanding documentation and mitigation work. We approach permitting proactively, communicating regularly with officials and paying attention to requirement details, which smoothes and speeds permit acceptance.
Our planners assist jurisdictions throughout Washington State with development of useful regulations and tools supported by the best available science, providing expertise on critical areas and State requirements. Firm GIS analysts provide crucial mapping support to planning efforts.
State & Federal Permitting
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife – Hydraulic Project Approval
- Washington Department of Ecology – Section 401 Water Quality Certification, Coastal Zone Management Determination
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Section 404 permits & Section 10 permits
- Endangered Species Act Compliance - Biological Evaluations & Assessments
- Section 106 – National Historic Preservation Act compliance
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources – Authorization to Use State Owned Aquatic Lands
- NEPA & SEPA compliance
Local Permitting
- Critical area buffer reduction/averaging
- Critical area alterations/exceptions, reasonable use exceptions
- Shoreline Substantial Development Permits, Shoreline Exemptions, Shoreline Variances
- On-call permitting
- Permitting for shoreline and stream restoration projects
- Water right withdrawals
Planning
- Growth Management Act compliance - Shoreline Master Programs (SMP) and Critical Areas Ordinances (CAO) and regulations
- FEMA BiOp compliance assistance
- In-Lieu Fee (ILF) program development - prospectus and instrument
- Urban wildlife management planning - develop Functional Assessment Models
- Feasibility Studies - Comprehensive analyses related to the feasibility of permitting sites containing critical areas
