The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing to reissue a 2004 permit that governs wetlands losses for 48,150 acres in Bay and Walton counties, much of which is owned by the St. Joe Co. The "regional general permit" provides up-front permission and guidelines for wetland destruction within an area stretching from West Bay in Bay County to Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County, said Corps project manager Don Hambrick.
The purpose is to keep "high-quality" wetland losses to a minimum, while additionally controlling destruction of "low-quality" wetlands, he said.
When issued in 2004, it was seen as a companion to a state "ecosystem management" agreement between St. Joe and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Both agreements were challenged by environmental groups for their "blanket" approach to wetlands protection.
Opponents argued that individual projects would not get the scrutiny they deserve and the public would have little opportunity for input.
Melanie Shepherdson, an attorney with The National Resources Defense Council, for instance, said in 2004 that her organization thought the permit was illegal. Shepherdson was unavailable for comment Monday.
But Hambrick said Monday that individual projects are reviewed for compliance with the guidelines set forth in the general permit. If a project did not meet the permit criteria, it would have to go through the traditional permitting procedure.
"It's an upfront process for what would be allowable impacts and how to mitigate those impacts," said Hambrick, noting that the permit must go through a public reissuing process every five years.
Since the permit was issued, projects that have been approved under its guidelines include the 1,453-acre Watersound North project in Walton County, and the Breakfast Point Academy and Pier Park road extension in Bay County, among others.
The area covered by the permit follows just north of U.S. 98 from the Hathaway Bridge in Bay County to the Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County and balloons north along State 79 to West Bay.
Corps officials say they will accept comments on the reissue through May 2.
The permit sets limits on the amount of wetland damage that could occur. No more than 125 acres of "high-quality" wetlands could be damaged or destroyed, for instance.
No more than 20 percent of low-quality wetlands in each of the permit area's three "sub-basins" could be destroyed. Destruction of low-quality wetlands would be capped at 1,386 acres throughout the permit area.
The permit also sets aside 10 conservation units, which together include 13,200 acres, where development would be prohibited.
