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Ecosystem Enhancement Program Overview: Efficient Mitigation Strategies for Responsible Development

This document provides key points about the Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP), focusing on its watershed approach, resource efficiency, responsible development facilitation, and business model strategies. It outlines major administrative duties, budget allocation, program progress reports, compliance oversight, and regulatory partnerships. The EEP's cost breakdown, progress reports, compliance status regarding streams and wetlands, project locations, and fund management are also detailed. The text offers insights into the EEP's operations, achievements, partnerships, and upcoming initiatives, such as MOA adjustments, nutrient offset expansion, and training programs for contractors.

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Ecosystem Enhancement Program Overview: Efficient Mitigation Strategies for Responsible Development

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  1. Liaison Council Update December 14, 2005

  2. Key points about EEP • Designed to provide: • watershed approach to mitigation • efficient use of resources • facilitation of responsible development

  3. Key points about EEP Major administrative duties: • manage funds • strategic planning • programming work • leverage resources • contract administration (Q/A) • reporting • addressing compliance/new rules and regulations • proposing strategies based on new science emerging technology

  4. Key points about EEP • Outsource majority of work, rely heavily on the private sector for production • Design, Bid, Build • Full Delivery • Land Owner Contacts • Watershed planning • Monitoring • Coordination and Guidance • Program Assessment and Consistency Group • Partnerships

  5. Business Model Assemble requests for mitigation Course corrections if required Evaluate existing assets Evaluate progress/ quality Calculate the net remaining need Design strategies to satisfy need Contract work

  6. EEP Business Model Accounting • MOA in-lieu (tri party agreement) • MOU in-lieu • Buffer program • Nutrient Offset program

  7. EEP Requirements/Oversight Regulatory • USACE • NCDWQ • NCDCM • FHWA • NCWRC • USFWS • NOAA Legislative/Gov. • ERC • EMC Partnering • NCDOT • USACE • FHWA

  8. Leveraging • Begin with watershed assessment of needs • Assign contracts within watersheds to: • reduce redundancy • reduce number of contracts • provide economies of scale (larger more effective projects) • efficient and effective use of resources

  9. Ecosystem Enhancement Program Biennial Budget FY 2005/06 and 2006-07 Cost by Category: Total $175,077,880 Summary Administration $ 9,477,939 Restoration* $ 102,910,770 HQ Preservation $ 57,984,804 Project Development $ 4,704,366 Biennial Total $175, 077,880 *Includes Implementation and Future Mitigation Projects

  10. Program Progress Report Suzanne Klimek Director of Operations

  11. Progress Report • End of Transition Compliance • Other ILF programs • Buffer • Nutrient offset • Fund Reports

  12. Data Sources • End of Transition Report • Annual Report for FY 2004-2005 www.nceep.net – follow links to Publications page

  13. End of Transition Compliance - Overall • Streams = 98.70% • Wetlands = 95.04% • Highest level of compliance ever for NC’s ILF Programs • Includes 5:1 return of HQ Preservation • Permits for which 1:1 restoration has not been provided remain covered by 10:1 preservation

  14. EOT Compliance - Streams

  15. EOT Status - Wetlands

  16. Where is the non-compliance? • Non-compliance has decreased since report date • CAT 03 most difficult area • Actively working to address outstanding needs

  17. Status of Buffer Program (acres)

  18. Status of Nutrient Offset Program • Specific to Neuse River Basin • Pounds per acre per year

  19. Projects in Monitoring • 24 stream projects -- 93,978 lf • 25 wetland projects – 5,464 acres • Vegetation – stream and wetland • 64% • Efforts underway to increase veg success • Stream success – overall • 80% morphology • 6 projects structural maintenanceWetland success – overall • 92% hydrology

  20. Project Locations

  21. High Quality Preservation

  22. Location of HQP

  23. Status of Funds • MOA and MOU funds managed separately • MOA budget based on cash flow • MOU budget based on encumbrance

  24. Status of Funds - MOA Program

  25. Status of Funds - MOU Program Graph 4

  26. Project Delivery Mechanisms – current contracts • Full Delivery • Contract value = $87,082,559 • Design-Bid-Build • Contract value = $39,612,933

  27. Questions??

  28. General Activities • National Wetland Newsletter Sept. 05 • ECOS Spring 05 • National Mitigation Banking Conference • Professional Engineers of North Carolina • Caanan Valley Institute • EPA Region III/FHWA Streamlining

  29. Mutual Accomplishments • Top 50 award for government innovation (Harvard University School of Government- 2005) • Environmental Excellence Award (National Association of Environmental Professionals- 2005) • Innovation (National Association of Development Organizations- 2003)

  30. Mutual Accomplishments • Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative (Federal Highway Administration- 2004) • Environmental Excellence Award (Federal Highway Administration- 2003) • Transportation Research Board (National Publication- 2005) • 2005 Council of State Finalist - Innovation

  31. Project Delays In the past 30 months of existence there have been no project delays resulting from mitigation

  32. On the horizon: • MOA adjustments • Expansion of nutrient offset • Cost study – possible fee revisions • GARVEE bonds • Building Information Management System • More training of construction contractors

  33. Reports • Quarterly Reports • Annual Report • End of Transition Report www.nceep.net

  34. Business Model Assemble requests for mitigation Course corrections if required Evaluate existing assets Evaluate progress/ quality Calculate the net remaining need Design strategies to satisfy need Contract work

  35. Planned near term activities Dec 05/Jan06 Coastal RFPs Feb-Mar 06 Operational Strategic Plan Mar 06 Second wave FDP RFPs Apr 06 -Jun 06 Award of Oct 05 RFPs Mar-Apr 06 Biennial Budget Jul 06- Aug 06 First wave SFY 07 RFPs Aug-Sep 06 Annual Report

  36. Liaison Council Update December 14, 2005

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