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Yeah, EPA rescinded all CSC JD policy memos the other day. A wetland is now only jurisdictional if it directly abuts an RPW/TNW - i.e., the three-parameter wetland boundary has to intersect the OHWM. Wetlands any higher in the floodplain or connected only by a discrete conveyance are no longer...

I'm sensing an opportunity for a new HGTV reality series here..."Building Department Nightmares" or something (lol).

We haven't had firings yet but have been under hiring freeze for almost 2 years for unrelated reasons. Lost about 1/3 staff during that time with no apparent effect on permitting efficiency (ironically we've actually improved in some areas). Enforcement is minimal/non-existent though. The...

That's really neat, thanks for sharing! My only hesitation would be putting the blame for slow permitting all on the consultants b/c of something like this. There are plenty of slow/poor performing permitting staff out there too. I noticed sample size is pretty small for most agents in that...

One of DOGE's reforms is for the federal government to adopt a performance culture a la Silicon Valley. As stated in the "Fork in the Road" email that went out to all federal workers on Jan 28: How does your office "reward and promote those that exceed expectations"? And how do you...

Good question. EPA is in charge of developing the Corps' Section 404 regulations so it will be interesting to see how far they roll things back. The 2023 Sackett decision removed ephemeral waters and lots of wetlands from our jurisdiction. I expect that Mr. Zeldin and Corps ASA will issue regs...

LOL. Yeah, I definitely telework best when I'm the only one in the house. During COVID, my wife and I were both working from home, and had to manage having our two boys (ages 6 and 2 at the time) around as well. That was super stressful...I remember feeling at my limit constantly throughout...

I hear you, but yeah, not sure I'm up for driving in five days/week. Speaking only for myself, I feel that I've been perfectly professional/productive working from my home office...but I know that not everyone does WFH well. The administration just offered all federal employees a buyout offer...

Yeah I have a guy in my office who actively tries to be in 5 days/week, even though he doesn't have to (yet). He openly chats about how bad for his marriage it would be if he had to be around his wife all day/every day ("I love her but...", lol). That aside, I can relate to wanting to get out...

I guess the smaller counties are simply assuming the work was completed based solely on the fact that a permit was pulled? I'm assuming the larger counties are able to follow up because they have the resources to do so, whereas the smaller counties probably don't. It is interesting how...

Agreed. If you're applying for a job, the credential may help get you in the door. But if, in the interview, you can articulate your philosophy toward professional enforcement and legally defensible documentation practices like Dave did above, that's what's really going to sell you.

Thanks for clarifying that, Maria. So what exactly is your permitting question with this one then? You're wondering if it falls under "Utility (Misc.)" code provisions?

Thanks! No, I appreciate that perspective. I imagine a lot of building departments are full-time in office since you have permit counters and inspectors, etc. We've always been more heavily paperwork focused with little/no actual facetime with applicants. I think WFH becomes more critical in...

Looks like us Feds are headed back five days/week pretty soon, which will be a big adjustment for our district considering we're only in office one day/week right now. Plus, our main office is in downtown Los Angeles, which is a beast for most folks to commute to. For those who have completed...

Thanks for the update. Monarchs are common enough in SoCal that I imagine we'll be consulting on them quite a bit. Is it just me or does it seem like proposed ESA listings increased during the Biden administration? Over the past couple years, our district has had new critical habitat proposed...

Yeah, my impression is that they're relatively "hands off." For ADEQ to assume that chemicals leaking into the ground will all just combine and become 100% inert does seem like fantastical thinking. Sounds like they just didn't want to deal with the problem. Our district includes southern...

I had a laundry room remodel completed last summer and the contractor actively discouraged me from getting permits. I went ahead and handled the permitting myself and found my local jurisdiction to be extremely accommodating. I even let my 10-year-old son handle the site/floor plan drawings (see...