wetlands management Program

Program Manager Contact Information:
Wetlands Management Program Manager  |  252-466-3631

The purpose of the Wetlands Management Program at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point is to comply with Federal, state, and Marine Corps regulations and policies regarding wetlands management and protection. It is the intent of this program to identify and protect the Air Station’s wetland resources, evaluate their potential for restoration, and obtain the appropriate permits and provide mitigation for unavoidable wetland impacts that may result from Air Station activities. The Marine Corps is committed to preserving and enhancing the natural and beneficial values of wetlands while conducting its activities. The Wetlands Management Program at MCAS Cherry Point is administered under the Natural Resources Division (NRD) of the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD).

Marine Corps policy requires that all Marine Corps installations and activities comply with all applicable environmental requirements, which may include Federal, state, local, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Navy (DON), Marine Corps, and MCAS Cherry Point rules, regulations, and requirements. Legal and other environmental requirements related to the Wetlands Management Program are maintained on the EM Portal.

The requirements of the Wetlands Management Program are stipulated by Federal and state regulations, Executive Orders, and Marine Corps policies and procedures. Since the Wetlands Management Program is administered under the NRD of EAD, both the Natural Resources Manager and the Environmental Affairs Officer have key roles in the program. The Wetlands Management Plan (WMP), Wetlands Inventory and Mapping Summary Report, and Wetlands Mitigation Plan, which are appended to the Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP), are the primary documents MCAS Cherry Point uses to comply with the Federal, state, and Marine Corps regulations and policies regarding wetlands protection and management. A complete description of the responsibilities of the Wetlands Management Program is available on the EM Portal. Major components of the Wetlands Management Program include:

• Reviewing projects and activities aboard the installation for wetlands impacts
• Applying for regulatory permits
• Complying with regulatory permits

Guidance Documents and Project/Activity Review

The Wetlands Management Program is required to implement a WMP, Wetlands Inventory and Mapping Summary Report, and Wetlands Mitigation Plan, which are the primary instruments for compliance. In addition, all proposed projects and activities at MCAS Cherry Point must be reviewed for impacts to wetlands identified in the inventory report and to Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) Areas of Environmental Concern (AECs) as well as for consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).

Permit Application

In accordance with the Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, and CAMA, projects or activities aboard MCAS Cherry Point proposing impacts to wetlands or coastal areas may require preparation of permit applications to the United States Army Corps of Engineers and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Water Resources. If a proposed action falls within, or will affect, the coastal zone, MCAS Cherry Point must be consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the relevant enforceable policies of CAMA.

Permit Compliance

Permitted projects and activities aboard MCAS Cherry Point achieve compliance by maintaining the conditions under which the project or activity is permitted or through adherence to the conditions or actions specified by the permit.

There are no additional training requirements specific to this program.

The risk of negative environmental impacts from MCAS Cherry Point operations may be assessed by analyzing the practices that occur at the facility. Aspects are the characteristics of these practices that can cause an impact to the environment or other resource. It is Marine Corps policy that all Marine Corps installations identify and assess the environmental risk of the practices and aspects associated with each environmental program. Significant practices and/or aspects associated with this program include:

• There are no significant practices and/or aspects associated with this program.

When necessary, objectives and targets (O&T) are developed in order to minimize the environmental risks posed by the facility’s practices and to track progress towards achieving environmental goals. Any O&Ts related to the Wetlands Management Program and their associated actions to improve performance are maintained on the EM Portal. Currently, there are no O&Ts associated with this program.

The Wetlands Management Program Manager participates in the planning, design, and inspection of military construction projects to ensure compliance with wetlands laws, regulations, and policies.