Permitting Opens a Fast Lane

By Cariad Hayes Thronson

“Innovating in government is easiest done when there are incentives,” says Brad McCrea of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. The Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team, which begins accepting applications this fall, has been designed to accelerate the pace at which large-scale projects find their path to funding through the daunting thicket of permit applications and regulatory approvals. The Team consists of one staff member from each of the six state and federal regulatory agencies involved in restoration permitting, and members will work exclusively on permitting multi-benefit restoration projects. According the EPA’s Luisa Valiela, support for the BRRIT acknowledges that “the really big projects that we want to see happen are super complicated…and they involve every single agency and authority.”

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About the author

Cariad Hayes Thronson covers legal and political issues for Estuary News. She has served on the staffs of several national publications, including The American Lawyer. She is a long-time contributor to Estuary News, and some years ago served as its assistant editor. She lives in San Mateo with her husband and two children.

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