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Dredge summit delegates call permitting process the chief barrier to Cape Cod dredging
Summary
Delegates who attended a recent dredge summit reported that overlapping federal and state permitting requirements and time-of-year restrictions are the primary constraints on dredging projects; delegates suggested county staff assistance to help towns navigate permitting and noted a consultant report is expected in June.
Delegate Elizabeth Hatter, who attended the recent dredge summit, told the Assembly of Delegates on May 21 that representatives from eight permitting agencies described complex, slow and inconsistent permitting steps that are hindering dredging across Cape Cod.
"You have to absolutely jump through hoops to get a permit, and it takes forever," Hatter said, summarizing testimony from agency representatives and consultants. She said agencies represented included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and state agencies including the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, MassDEP, the Division of Marine Fisheries and Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Attendees said a key problem is time-of-year restrictions tied to species protections and habitat seasons; Hatter observed some of the underlying studies date to 2012 and that migratory and species-timing patterns (for example, horseshoe-crab activity or piping-plover nesting) have changed. Delegates heard that outdated timing rules, variable local staff capacity and the inability to track permit status consistently have produced scheduling uncertainty that undermines dredge operations.
Summit recommendations discussed by delegates included: hiring county-level staff to assist towns with permits and scheduling; conducting updated, region-wide reviews of time-of-year restrictions and species data; pre-filing time-of-year waiver requests where appropriate; and improving monitoring tools (for example turbidity monitoring during work) so agencies and towns can make more timely, data-driven decisions.
Hatter said small towns without dedicated permitting staff are particularly disadvantaged compared with larger towns that routinely run dredge projects. She added a consultant report commissioned earlier is expected in June and delegates said the county should review that report to determine next steps.
The Assembly did not take a formal vote on dredging policy at the meeting; delegates asked staff to circulate summit materials and the recorded session is available on YouTube for delegates and the public to review.
