WEBVTT 00:01.245 --> 00:04.078 (energetic music) 00:05.165 --> 00:07.624 - [Narrator] Wilmington District Regulatory Project Manager 00:07.624 --> 00:10.294 Christy Wicker is an avid kayaker. 00:10.294 --> 00:12.060 One of her favorite places to paddle 00:12.060 --> 00:15.200 is in the coastal wetlands of Wrightsville Beach. 00:15.200 --> 00:17.440 With a background in environmental science, 00:17.440 --> 00:19.930 she takes advantage of what they have to offer. 00:19.930 --> 00:21.864 - There's so many different things that you can see 00:21.864 --> 00:22.841 whenever you're out in the wetlands. 00:22.841 --> 00:26.408 ^You can see different types of birds and fish and crabs 00:26.408 --> 00:28.832 ^and just so many different types of beautiful species 00:28.832 --> 00:30.053 out in the wetlands. 00:30.053 --> 00:31.286 - [Narrator] Coastal wetlands like these 00:31.286 --> 00:33.404 are common in urban settings. 00:33.404 --> 00:35.024 They form a complex system 00:35.024 --> 00:37.763 that not only provides wildlife habitat, 00:37.763 --> 00:40.771 but also helps clean water and absorbs excess water 00:40.771 --> 00:43.442 during hurricanes or flash flooding. 00:43.442 --> 00:44.530 Wicker likes the fact 00:44.530 --> 00:47.762 that they also provide recreational opportunities. 00:47.762 --> 00:48.873 - That's one of the great things 00:48.873 --> 00:53.040 about being able to paddle in the saltwater marshes, 00:53.088 --> 00:55.279 is even though you still may be surrounded 00:55.279 --> 00:56.588 by houses and development, 00:56.588 --> 01:00.338 it's still such a pristine and great resource 01:00.462 --> 01:02.097 to be able to utilize. 01:02.097 --> 01:03.671 - [Narrator] Balance is a key component 01:03.671 --> 01:07.416 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulatory program. 01:07.416 --> 01:09.739 The permit program is designed to weigh the needs 01:09.739 --> 01:13.238 of economic development with the need for clean water 01:13.238 --> 01:16.094 and preservation of aquatic habitat. 01:16.094 --> 01:18.332 Project managers must look at the big picture 01:18.332 --> 01:20.553 when considering issuing a permit. 01:20.553 --> 01:22.984 They take a holistic approach in determining 01:22.984 --> 01:25.611 whether an aquatic system might be disrupted 01:25.611 --> 01:27.969 as a result of proposed activity. 01:27.969 --> 01:29.170 - The coast of North Carolina 01:29.170 --> 01:32.767 ^and elsewhere is a very, very popular place to live. 01:32.767 --> 01:36.069 ^And so, when you take those impacts cumulatively 01:36.069 --> 01:39.844 and add them together, you can you quickly reach a point 01:39.844 --> 01:44.011 where you start to affect habitat and water quality. 01:44.516 --> 01:47.933 Unfortunately for the individual project, 01:48.124 --> 01:51.548 it's tough to go out and touch or taste or see 01:51.548 --> 01:53.652 the effect of that single project. 01:53.652 --> 01:57.129 But cumulatively, those effects can be chronic 01:57.129 --> 02:00.129 and quite severe over the long term. 02:01.324 --> 02:03.209 - [Narrator] Roads and highways around Wilmington 02:03.209 --> 02:04.959 often skirt wetlands. 02:05.006 --> 02:07.390 Older roads were built that impacted wetlands 02:07.390 --> 02:11.459 long before regulatory permitting came into effect. 02:11.459 --> 02:13.647 Project Manager Brad Shaver works directly 02:13.647 --> 02:16.539 with the North Carolina Department of Transportation 02:16.539 --> 02:19.098 on the Wilmington bypass project. 02:19.098 --> 02:21.171 He coordinates with up to 15 local, 02:21.171 --> 02:23.255 state, and federal agencies, 02:23.255 --> 02:26.214 to ensure there's minimal or no impacts to wetlands 02:26.214 --> 02:28.477 and other environmental concerns. 02:28.477 --> 02:30.238 It's a complex process, 02:30.238 --> 02:32.991 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays a vital role 02:32.991 --> 02:35.193 to keep all agencies in synch. 02:35.193 --> 02:38.080 - In North Carolina we use what's called the merger process. 02:38.080 --> 02:40.163 ^The merger process blends 02:40.484 --> 02:42.654 ^the National Environmental Policy Actor, NEPA, 02:42.654 --> 02:45.110 ^with the 404 clean water guidelines 02:45.110 --> 02:48.860 And so all of these agencies have a part and have a role 02:48.860 --> 02:51.986 in that process so that you do have a collaborative product 02:51.986 --> 02:53.917 at the end so you can move forward. 02:53.917 --> 02:56.231 - [Narrator] Section A of the Wilmington bypass project 02:56.231 --> 03:00.398 stretches for eight miles from Highway 17 to Highway 74. 03:00.879 --> 03:02.992 Shaver says there are concrete examples 03:02.992 --> 03:06.409 of how collaborative efforts among NCDOT, 03:06.774 --> 03:08.296 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 03:08.296 --> 03:10.475 and wildlife resource agencies 03:10.475 --> 03:12.895 have minimized impacts to wetlands. 03:12.895 --> 03:13.798 - So you can see behind me, 03:13.798 --> 03:15.675 here's an example of avoidance and minimization 03:15.675 --> 03:18.075 that was decided or was negotiated 03:18.075 --> 03:20.113 during the merger process. 03:20.113 --> 03:22.581 The bridge itself crosses with pilings, 03:22.581 --> 03:24.559 so it's not a permanent impact. 03:24.559 --> 03:27.461 Also, below you can see some of the wildlife fences 03:27.461 --> 03:30.583 that help to herd the large mammals across 03:30.583 --> 03:33.128 underneath the bridge as opposed to crossing the highway 03:33.128 --> 03:35.522 to kind of avoid those traffic strikes. 03:35.522 --> 03:36.355 - [Narrator] Technology, 03:36.355 --> 03:38.548 such as geographic information systems, 03:38.548 --> 03:40.944 plays a big role in the day-to-day activities 03:40.944 --> 03:43.480 of regulatory project managers. 03:43.480 --> 03:45.742 Within the confines of their cubicles, 03:45.742 --> 03:49.220 it's possible for them to pinpoint wetlands disturbances, 03:49.220 --> 03:51.290 locations of endangered species, 03:51.290 --> 03:54.731 and significant cultural and historical resources. 03:54.731 --> 03:56.757 LIDAR can be a very important tool 03:56.757 --> 03:59.288 in assessing potential wetlands locations 03:59.288 --> 04:01.844 and stream origins on the coastal plain. 04:01.844 --> 04:03.401 - If the disturbance to the landscape 04:03.401 --> 04:05.350 ^was done before the LIDAR was created, 04:05.350 --> 04:08.097 ^the LIDAR is going to pick that up. 04:08.097 --> 04:10.890 If the disturbance was done after the LIDAR was created, 04:10.890 --> 04:13.973 sometimes we would be able to go back 04:14.044 --> 04:15.195 and look at the landscape now 04:15.195 --> 04:18.612 and compare it to what the topography was 04:18.847 --> 04:21.167 back whenever the LIDAR was taken. 04:21.167 --> 04:22.993 - [Narrator] Wetlands are not separate entities 04:22.993 --> 04:25.888 that function independently of one another. 04:25.888 --> 04:27.051 They're a system, 04:27.051 --> 04:30.096 and they need to be whole in order to function properly. 04:30.096 --> 04:32.338 If they need to be removed or impacted, 04:32.338 --> 04:34.713 there are methods in place by the Corps of Engineers 04:34.713 --> 04:36.597 to minimize those impacts 04:36.597 --> 04:40.481 or to replace the areas that have been impacted or removed. 04:40.481 --> 04:41.335 If you'd like to learn more 04:41.335 --> 04:44.151 about the Wilmington District's regulatory program, 04:44.151 --> 04:46.568 ^go to www.saw.usace.army.mil.