MassDEP's Wetlands Circuit Rider Program

A solid success story for MassDEP is the Wetland Circuit Rider Program. Established by the Wetlands and Waterways Program, Circuit Riders promote fair, consistent and environmentally sound wetland permitting by the 351 local conservation commissions in the state. Circuit Riders accomplish these goals by offering technical, administrative, and regulatory assistance on numerous wetland topics to hundreds of commissions, municipal boards, and consultants each year. The program has become a leading State resource for answering regulatory and technical wetlands questions and has received overwhelming support and praise for the Circuit Riders' fair and consistent responses to questions and unparalleled professional outreach work from conservation commissions, municipal staff, and the regulated community alike.

Commissions should look here for upcoming training opportunities for eDEP Wetland Forms and WIRe, through their regional circuit rider, or by contacting Alice Smith, Wetlands eDEP/WIRe Coordinator, by phone 617.292.5854 or by email: alice.smith@state.ma.us. Alice will also respond to eDEP/WIRe-related questions for MassDEP's Central Regional Office. Any other questions should be directed to your regional Circuit Rider or to Nancy Lin by phone at 617.556.1109 or by email: nancy.lin@state.ma.us.

Get to Know Your Regional Circuit Rider

	Alice Smith is the statewide Wetlands Data Manager and eDEP/WIRe Coordinator. She coordinates all eDEP activities and related outreach and training with our regional Wetlands Circuit Riders. Alice holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. She also completed a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a focus on Hydrology and Water Resource Management. You can reach Alice by phone, 617.292.5854, and by email: alice.smith@state.ma.us.
	Christine Odiaga is the Circuit Rider for the Southeast Regional Office and the satellite office on Cape Cod. She has a BS in Biology and minor in Marine Studies from Northeastern University, and worked as Conservation Agent in two municipalities. Christine did NPDES field work on the Central Artery/Tunnel project for six years, which included revising the Best Management Practices section of the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, and served as President of the Northeast Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association from 2005-2009. You can reach Christine by phone, 508.946.2836 (in Lakeville) or 508.771.6117 (in Hyannis), and by email: christine.odiaga@state.ma.us
	Mark Stinson is a Circuit Rider for the Western Regional Office. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and has also taken Masters level courses in Forestry Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He has over 13 years of experience at the conservation commission level as a commissioner, chair and agent for a Western Massachusetts community. Mark can be reached by phone, 413.755.2257, and by email: mark.stinson@state.ma.us
	Pamela Merrill is the Circuit Rider for the Northeast Regional Office. Pamela is currently enrolled in the UNH Wetland Certification Program where she is working towards becoming a Certified Wetland Scientist in New Hampshire. She has 5 years of experience working as an agent for 2 North Shore Conservation Departments. Pamela also has experience working in the private sector, working with an environmental consulting company as an Associate Wetland Scientist. Reach Pamela by phone at 978.694.3249, and by email: pamela.merrill@state.ma.us

Fiscal Year 2011 Highlights for the Circuit Rider Program

MACC Award for Outstanding Public Service

On March 5, 2011 the staff of MassDEP's Wetlands Circuit Rider Program was honored with the prestigious Environmental Service award for "Outstanding Public Service" by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) at their annual environmental conference. In presenting the award, MACC notes that, "Since the Circuit Rider Program's inception in 1996, MassDEP's Wetlands Circuit Riders have served the Conservation Commissions and citizens of Massachusetts to strengthen their ability to better protect wetlands. The Circuit Riders are known for their dedication, enthusiasm and effectiveness in providing service and assistance to Conservation Commissions."

Wetlands Circuit Riders Pamela Merrill, Christine Odiaga, Alice Smith and Mark Stinson were present to receive the award before approximately eight hundred conference attendees.

These Circuit Riders bring extensive experience in serving conservation commissions and the citizens of our Commonwealth. They have worked for municipal boards, other state agencies, academia, environmental consulting and conservation organizations. This wealth of knowledge provides depth and breadth to their outreach offerings.

MassDEP's Wetlands Circuit Riders have reached every conservation commission in the state and continue to do so. They are an invaluable resource for commissions, other town boards, local officials, consultants, applicants, state/federal agency staff, and environmental groups. Despite limited resources (only 3 of 7 positions are currently filled), Circuit Riders continue their trademark informal hands-on approach and provide tailored training to meet the needs of the commissions and others who need direct technical assistance.

Since there is an average annual 30% turnover of conservation commissioners statewide, in FY12 the Wetlands Circuit Rider Program outreach effort will focus on providing basic technical and wetlands regulatory training/outreach as well as the more complex topics, such as applying Stormwater Management Standards and how to apply regulatory standards in riverfront areas. Circuit Riders continue to offer a variety of free technical, procedural and regulatory workshops and seminars throughout the year to help commissions administer, and applicants comply with, the state's Wetlands Protection Act and its regulations. Circuit riders also provide assistance to anyone that needs help in understanding wetland-related issues. Schedules for upcoming events can be found on MassDEP's website and by contacting your regional circuit rider.

July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 Wetlands Circuit Rider Accomplishments:

• 68 "How to Use eDEP Wetlands Forms" Workshops.
• 47 Regulatory, Procedural and Technical Workshops - The Circuit Riders wetlands related workshops throughout the state in the past year, many of which go beyond the fundamentals of the Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) regulations. Training sessions are developed by Circuit Riders to address specific needs that are identified by regional conservation commissions, their agents and others. Workshops can include stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, how to effectively complete the wetlands permitting paperwork and how to access and use MassGIS tools.
• 145 Conservation Commission Meetings and Site Visits - At the invitation of individual Commissions, Wetlands Circuit Riders attend regularly scheduled Commission meetings to provide regulatory, technical, and procedural assistance. Individual Commissions have requested several types of assistance ranging from presentations on a specific subject of greatest interest to them to very informal question and answer sessions.
• 10,315 emails, phone calls, and in person inquiries on wetland related questions - A very popular means of communication with Circuit Riders is phone and email contact. They answer a wide variety of questions ranging from the simple to the complex on technical, procedural, or regulatory implementation of the Wetlands Protection Act regulations.

Circuit Riders Are Available Give Assistance on How to Use eDEP's Wetland Forms

A crucial step to better protect wetland resources requires obtaining more robust information on wetlands loss, the types and extent of resource area impacts, and the kind of mitigation for those impacts. To accomplish this requires the input of electronic information through wetlands permits, and compliance and enforcement data. We need the concerted effort of conservation commissions, applicants and MassDEP to accomplish this. A summary and update of this effort, also called Wetlands Information Resource or WIRe, and eDEP Wetlands forms can be found at MassDEP's website.

In addition to bolstering the state's wetlands database, including powerful MassGIS orthophoto maps that will be made available to the public in the future, the input of wetlands information electronically will promote a greener, more efficient and economical solution for everyone engaged in the wetlands permit process. For the past three years, much of the Wetlands Circuit Riders effort has been devoted to promoting the use of eDEP Wetlands forms to save time and resources for everyone. This translates to savings in paper, postage and staff time so that resources can be reinvested to proactively protect and restore wetlands while also reducing our carbon footprint.

A substantial increase of eDEP filings for Notices of Intent, Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineations, Order of Conditions and Order of Resource Area Delineations attest to the steady success of the eDEP/WIRe and outreach/training effort.

Entity	# WIRe Users
Municipalities (Registered)	271
Municipalities using eDEP to issue OOCs	92 (26%)
Applicant Representatives Using eDEP to file NOIs	116
Other Agencies	(MNHESP, ACOE, MASSDOT, DMF trained - MassDOT using eDEP)

eDEP/WIRE Accomplishments for FY11 (7/1/10 to 6/30/11)	Number
# OOCs Filed Using eDEP	692
# Consultants Trained	22
# Towns Registered	271
# Towns Trained to Use eDEP	46
# Filings made electronically (NOI's, ANRADS)	474 (10%)
# Permits issued electronically (OOC's, ORADs) 7/1/10 to 6/30/11	803 (23%)

The map and listing below show the communities that are filing Notices of Intent, Orders of Conditions, or both on eDEP. (Click here or on the map for a larger view.) Kudos to everyone who is actively doing their part for the environment by using eDEP!

Are applicants within your community and your Conservation Commission using eDEP to submit Notices of Intent and Orders of Conditions? Circuit Riders are available at any time to give assistance on how to use eDEP's wetland forms.

Firm/Individual	Firm/Individual	Firm/Individual
Aecom	Garden Continuum, Inc	Northway Environmental
Atlantic Construction	GEI Consulting	Onyx Associates
Beals & Thomas	GLM Engineering	Outback Engineering
Berkshire Engineering	Graz Engineering	Oxbow Associates
Bertin Engineering	Green Hill Engineering	Paster Rice Consultant
Borden & Remington Assoc	Greylock Design Associates	Pioneer Engineering
Brown & Brown	Guerriere Hanlon	Prime Engineering
BSC Group	Guntlow Associates	Pureground Engineering
BSS Design Inc.	Haley Ward, Inc.	Quinn Engineering
BVH Integrated	Heritage Surveys	R. Van Der Kar Consultant
Castleman, LLC	Hill Engineering	Rimmer Environmental Serv
Cape and Islands	Holmes and McGrath	Rlevesque
Carol Johnson Associates	Infinigy Environmental Consultant	Robert Wollenberg Consultant
Carriagehouse Consulting	Inn House Archittects	Ross Associates
Caspian Associates	Insite Engineering	SEA Consultants
Certainteed Company	Jeffrey LeBeau Consultant	Sherman Frydryk Consultant
Charles Dauchy	JMP Engineering	Silva Engineering
CLE Engineering	JNL Civil Engineering	SK Design
Coastal Land Design	Judith Schmitz Consultant	Smyth Consultant
Cold Spring Environmental	Justin Billard Consultant	Sovereign Consultants
Comprehensive Design/Build	Kairos Environmental	SRA/NE Engineer Group
Conestoga Rovers Assoc.	Kleinfelder Sea Consultant	Stockman Associates
Cushing, Jammallo Wheeler, Inc.	Kohl Construction	Terra Environmental
Daniel Watne Consultant	Landtech Consultant	Thompson Liston Associates
Decoulos & Co.	Levesque Associates	Tighe Bond Associates
Derek Casillo Consultant	Lewis & Cook Surveyors	TRC Environmental
DL Bean	Maguire Group, Inc	Trinity Engineering
Douglas Fraser	Marie Romagnano Consultant	Turkey Hill Field Services
Dover Land Surveying	Mary Gagnon Consultant	Vaccaro Associates
Ducet Assoc	Matson Homes Consultant	VHB Environmental Consultants
East Cape Engineering	Matthew Puntin Consultant	Waterman Design Associates
ECOTech Environmental Consult	Michael Clark Env Consultant	Wesley Smith Consultant
Edmund St. John, Consultant	Mill River Environmental Consult	White Environmental
Erica Larner Consultant	Minglewood Consulting	Whitman Bingham Associates
For Seasons Eco Landscape	Nangle Associates	Woodard Curran Consultant
Foresight Land Services	New England Environmental	Worldtech Engineering
Frank Postma Consultant	Norfolk Ram Group	Weston Sampson Consultants
Fuss O'Neill, Inc.	Norse Design Services

The following Conservation Commissions are issuing OOCs electronically:

Town	Town	Town
Acushnet	Harvard	Pittsfield
Agawam	Harwich	Raynham
Amherst	Hingham	Revere
Arlington	Holden	Richmond
Ashburnham	Holliston	Seekonk
Ashby	Holyoke	Sheffield
Attleboro	Lee	Shelburne
Avon	Lenox	Shutesbury
Barnstable	Leominster	South Hadley
Becket	Lincoln	Southampton
Belchertown	Littleton	Southborough
Belmont	Ludlow	Southwick
Bolton	Marlborough	Spencer
Canton	Mashpee	Springfield
Charlemont	Maynard	Sturbridge
Charlton	Medfield	Sutton
Chelsea	Medway	Topsfield
Chesterfield	Mendon	Truro
Dartmouth	Middlefield	Tyringham
Deerfield	Milford	Warren
Dover	Montague	Warwick
Dunstable	Newburyport	Watertown
Gardner	North Andover	Wellesley
Goshen	Northampton	West Springfield
Grafton	Northbridge	West Stockbridge
Granby	Northfield	Westfield
Great Barrington	Orleans	Westminster
Greenfield	Otis	Weston
Groton	Palmer	Westport
Hamilton	Peabody	Whately
Hanson	Pepperell

Contact your regional Wetland Circuit Rider to help you optimize using eDEP.

Calendar of Events

Circuit Rider Workshops and Other Events in the Southeast Region

In addition to MassDEP-sponsored workshops, this page lists other events of interest to conservation commissions and wetlands professionals, primarily in the southeastern area of the state.
Web page

For other regional workshops and training opportunities, please see MassDEP's calendar of events.