NAWM Webinars/Conference Schedule

NAWM Webinar Series on Improving Aquatic Resource Protection through §401 Certification of Linear Energy Transmission Project Permits

Project Background:

Energy projects, particularly pipelines, affect a range of aquatic resources, including wetlands. A single pipeline can cross hundreds of wetlands and streams. Disturbance of wetlands during pipeline development may also release greenhouse gasses. State §401 Certification review of energy development projects is a highly complex and time-consuming task, one that challenges most state wetland programs. The use of Section §401 to effectively participate in the FERC, DOE and other permit planning and review process relies on understanding about how energy permitting processes work. Early, upfront coordination between the state wetland program, federal permitting agencies, developers and their consultant intermediaries has been shown to be a key to successful aquatic resource protection.

To support this work, NAWM worked with a national workgroup to develop documents detailing pipeline permitting processes, points of access for wetland managers, key points of consideration for permit reviewers, best practices for mitigation of both permanent and temporary impacts, template energy project review materials to be adapted by state wetland programs and an online resource page with links to guidance, templates, tools, recorded webinars and contacts.

For more information and/or to join our email list for notices about upcoming events, please contact Laura Burchill at laura@nawm.org or (207) 892-3399.

View a List of Past Pipeline Permitting Webinar Recordings Here

As part of this project, NAWM delivered four webinars on topics that have been identified to address specific training needs:

NAWM Pipeline Permitting Webinars:

July 18, 2018 – Improving the Information Pipeline: Working with Consultants During Oil and Gas Pipeline Permitting Processes – Clifford Brown, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources; Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers; and Evan Hansen, Downstream Strategies, LLC

July 24, 2018 – Cumulative Adverse Effects of Pipeline Development on Wetlands and Other Aquatic Resources – Wing Goodale, Biodiversity Research Institute

October 29, 2018 – Horizontal Directional Drilling: Understanding Context when Reviewing Oil and Gas Pipeline Permit Applications– Richard Dalton, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Patrick Ryan, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Rick Gitar, Fond du Lac Reservation; Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers

November 7, 2018 – Pipeline Permitting 101 – Clifford Brown, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources; Robert Parker, Ollsson Associates; and Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers

A List of Beaver Restoration Webinars Can Be Found Here. (PDF)

Members’ Wetland Webinar - Held March 20, 2019

Understanding State Agency Opportunities for Third Party Compliance Monitoring on Pipeline Projects

Presenters: Mike Warner, Transcon Environmental, Inc. and Jeff Davis, Transcon Environmental, Inc.

Members’ Wetland Webinar - June 12, 2019 - 3:00p.m.-4:30p.m. ET

Identifying Listed Species and Streamlining Section 7 Consultation for Wetland Permitting (And More): Introduction to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Online IPaC Tool

Presenter: Victoria Foster, National IPaC Program Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The above NAWM Members’ Wetland Webinars are only available to NAWM Members. This is one of the many benefits available to NAWM members. For more information on the benefits of membership and how to join, click here. If you are a member of NAWM, please log in to the NAWM website to view the webinar held on March 20th and June 12th.

Webinar #4: Pipeline Permitting 101

Held Wednesday, November 7, 2018 – 3-5 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]

PRESENTERS

Clifford Brown, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources [Presentation #1: PowerPoint Presentation] [Presentation #2: PowerPoint Presentation]
Robert Parker, Consultant [Presentation #1: PowerPoint Presentation] [Presentation #2: PowerPoint Presentation]
Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]

ABSTRACT

This webinar has been designed to help provide a basic overview for regulators that are new to oil and natural gas pipeline permitting and provide a review for others who already are engaged in this work. The webinar began with an overview of the expansion of oil and especially gas pipeline development in recent years and the associated growing need for review of pipeline permit applications by state and tribal aquatic resource regulators. The webinar covered pipeline basics – how pipeline projects are planned, the general steps in construction, and the potential to participate in a pre-application phase during which many key planning decisions are made. The webinar discussed the different processes involved in oil and gas permitting. Next, the webinar providef an overview of §401 Water Quality Certification and where this review process fits into overall planning and permitting. The webinar discussed examples of how states and tribes have dealt with conditioning §401 certifications and share lessons learned. The webinar concluded by describing new resources designed for those working on pipeline permitting that will soon be available on the Association of State Wetland Managers’ website.

BIOS

Clifford Brown has worked for West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section, since 1989 and currently serves in the DNR Environmental Coordination Unit as the lead for oil and gas related activities. Responsibilities include review of Section 401 applications, coordination with WVDEP and USEPA for mitigation and restoration associated with administrative orders and consent decrees, coordination with USFWS related to the National Wildlife Refuge System, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, coordination with the USFS for oil and gas projects on the Monongahela, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in West Virginia, and serves on the AFWA Energy and Wildlife Policy Committee and the agency coordinator for review of FERC projects in West Virginia. He holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the Pennsylvania State University.

Robert Parker has worked in state government, nonprofits and consulting firms, developing a critical breadth of knowledge about the regulatory process from many perspectives. He is the former Section 401 Coordinator at Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and currently works as a independent consultant. While at NDEQ Robert also coordinated the state’s Storm Water Management Plan Grants Program and served as project manager for Watershed Management Plans in development by Nebraska Natural Resources Districts under the state's Nonpoint Source Management Plan. Before relocating to the Great Plains, Robert worked in the Great Basin region with threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout. He has a B.S. in Fisheries Biology from Humboldt State University, where he completed undergraduate research in genetic and morphologic differentiation in isolated populations of rough sculpin (Cottus asperrimus) in California’s Pit and Fall Rivers. Prior to his career in science and policy Robert spent nearly two decades working as a professional whitewater and fly fishing guide in Alaska, California, Montana, and Chile.

Brenda Zollitsch, PhD is Policy Analyst at the Association of State Wetland Managers, leading ASWM’s research on wetland and stream issues. She has been the PI on an ongoing multi-year project exploring ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of state and tribal permitting of oil and gas pipeline projects. In addition to her work for ASWM, Brenda serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service teaching courses in public policy. She also assists water resource collaborations as a strategic planner and professional facilitator. Brenda holds her PhD in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service and a double Masters’ degree in International Relations and Environmental Resource Management from Boston University.

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

Webinar #3: Horizontal Directional Drilling: Understanding Context when Reviewing Oil and Gas Pipeline Permit Applications

Held Monday, October 29, 2018 – 3-5 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]

PRESENTERS

Richard Dalton, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [PowerPoint Presentation]
Patrick Ryan, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [PowerPoint Presentation]
Rick Gitar, Fond du Lac Reservation [PowerPoint Presentation]
Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]

ABSTRACT

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is often considered a best practice for pipeline construction. However, in practice, HDD is only appropriate in certain contexts. This webinar started with a geology primer identifying contexts where HDD both commonly works and does not work well and why. Next, the state and tribal regulators shared their perspectives on reviewing permits that include HDD and some of their lessons learned. They shared the kinds of information that it is beneficial for reviewers to request and common considerations when reviewing and conditioning permit applications that include proposed HDD. Alternatives to HDD and their strengths and weaknesses also was discussed. The webinar concluded with information about new resources for those working on pipeline permitting efforts that will soon be available on the Association of State Wetland Managers’ website.

BIOS

Richard Dalton is a Geologist and Manager for the Office of the State Geologist in the Division of Water Supply and Geoscience at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. He started with the Bureau of Geology and Topography in spring of 1967 where he was involved mapping the limestone and dolomite geology of northwestern New Jersey. He spent six years doing spill response of oil and hazardous chemicals, then was moved back to the New Jersey Geological Survey where he works in the Office of the State Geologist today. He is also a member of the New Jersey Well Drilled and Pump Installers Licensing Board. He holds a BA in geology from Rutgers University.

Patrick Ryan is an Environmental Supervisor within the Division of Land Use Regulation at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. He supervises a permitting staff responsible for environmental reviews of wetlands, highlands, waterfront, and flood hazard area permit applications for northern New Jersey. Mr. Ryan has a M.S. in Ecology from Penn State University and a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Cook College, Rutgers University.

Rick Gitar is the Water Regulatory Specialist and Tribal Inspector for the Fond du Lac Reservation – Office of Water Protection, located in northeast Minnesota, where he has worked for over 20 years. He is the administer of Fond du Lac’s Wetlands Protection and Management Ordinance, their Clean Water Act 401 Water Quality Certification program, and provides CWA Section 402 oversight for projects on the Reservation. Rick is also a credentialed inspector for EPA, conducting compliance inspections in the areas of wetlands and storm water. He conducts Fond du Lac’s environmental reviews under NEPA and the tribe’s Tribal Environmental Policy Act Ordinance. Rick received a double major B.S. in Biology (Botany Focus) and Journalism from the University of Wisconsin – Superior and a M.S. in Environmental Biology (Botany Focus) from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Rick is also a Master Herbalist and teaches adult extension classes. He is currently enrolled in the online Doctorate of Herbal Medicine Program with AMNAH College.

Brenda Zollitsch, PhD is Policy Analyst at the Association of State Wetland Managers, leading ASWM’s research on wetland and stream issues. She has been the PI on an ongoing multi-year project exploring ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of state and tribal permitting of oil and gas pipeline projects. In addition to her work for ASWM, Brenda serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service teaching courses in public policy. She also assists water resource collaborations as a strategic planner and professional facilitator. Brenda holds her PhD in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service and a double Masters’ degree in International Relations and Environmental Resource Management from Boston University.

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers Presenter: Richard Dalton, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Webinar #2: Cumulative Adverse Effects of Pipeline Development on Wetlands and Other Aquatic Resources

Held Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 3 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]
Webinar Series Information [PowerPoint Presentation]

PRESENTER

Wing Goodale, Biodiversity Research Institute [PowerPoint Presentation]

ABSTRACT

Energy projects, particularly pipelines, affect a range of aquatic resources, including wetlands. Impacts to wetlands from pipeline activities range from both short- and long-term destruction and disruption of wetlands and other aquatic resources to water quality impacts, habitat loss, increasing invasive species and compromised quality of critical areas. The adverse effects of a pipeline on a single wetland are important, but of equal or greater concern is the effect of pipelines that cross multiple watersheds and multiple wetlands. A single pipeline can cross hundreds of wetlands and streams, which can lead to cumulative adverse effects (CAE).

This webinar provided an introduction about how CAE can be conceptualized, the language used to discuss CAE, and the legal basis for CAE. The presentation discussed a framework for considering adverse effects, including a review of general approaches for CAE assessments and ways to address these effects. The webinar concluded with the presentation of a thought-provoking approach to conducting simple assessment of CAE that could be adapted for use by wetland professionals as they work to identify and address CAE for projects they are planning and/or permits they are reviewing. The webinar ended with information about the Association of State Wetland Managers’ recent pipeline permitting project and forthcoming resources on CAE that will be available on ASWM’s website.

BIO

Wing Goodale is Senior Deputy Director for the Center for Ecology & Conservation Research and Director for the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) in Maine. He is a NSF IGERT fellow in the UMass Offshore Wind Energy Program. Goodale has worked at BRI since 2000 and is now the deputy director. At BRI, he has raised or helped manage over $7.5 million of funds for more than 60 conservation biology projects. Goodale has served on municipal committees, environmental nonprofit boards, professional boards, and college boards, including the governor appointed Maine Board of Environmental Protection. Wing is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Environmental Conservation at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He also has his Master of Philosophy in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic and his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Colorado College.

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, ASWM
Presenter: Wing Goodale, Biodiversity Research Institute

Webinar #1: Improving the Information Pipeline: Working with Consultants During Oil and Gas Pipeline Permitting Processes

Held Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 3 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]

PRESENTERS

Clifford Brown, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources [PowerPoint Presentation]
Brenda Zollitsch, Association of State Wetland Managers [PowerPoint Presentation]
Evan Hansen, Downstream Strategies, LLC [PowerPoint Presentation]

ABSTRACT

This webinar provided insights about how wetland and other aquatic resource regulators can improve working relationships with consultants who serve as intermediaries for energy companies working on oil and gas pipeline development projects. This webinar shared insights from state permit reviewers on some of the common challenges, ranging from different understandings of permitting processes, points of access, pipeline terms and use of language. The webinar discussed helpful ways of working together to establish common understanding, share key concerns about impacts to aquatic resources and incorporate best practices to address those impacts. The webinar presented a new resource developed by ASWM to help guide more productive conversations and relationships between regulators and consultants, focusing on creating transparency, common understandings, and strong relationships that facilitate both efficient permit review processes and protection of aquatic resources.

BIOS

Evan Hansen is Principal of Water and Energy Programs for Downstream Strategies, LLC a consulting firm in West Virginia. Evan’s work focuses on resource and environmental problems and solutions in three areas: water, energy, and land. He manages interdisciplinary research teams, performs quantitative and qualitative policy and scientific analyses, provides litigation support and expert testimony, develops computer tools, provides training, and performs field monitoring. He is engaged in ongoing source water protection activities and works with watershed organizations and agencies on Clean Water Act and Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act issues such as permits, TMDLs, antidegradation, and watershed-based plans. Evan has his M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Evan is a Switzer Environmental Fellow and has worked with ASWM on this project through a Network Innovation Grant from the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.

Clifford Brown has worked for West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section, since 1989 and currently serves in the DNR Environmental Coordination Unit as the lead for oil and gas related activities. Responsibilities include review of Section 401 applications, coordination with WVDEP and USEPA for mitigation and restoration associated with administrative orders and consent decrees, coordination with USFWS related to the National Wildlife Refuge System, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, coordination with the USFS for oil and gas projects on the Monongahela, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in West Virginia, and serves on the AFWA Energy and Wildlife Policy Committee and the agency coordinator for review of FERC projects in West Virginia. He holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the Pennsylvania State University.

Brenda Zollitsch, PhD is a Policy Analyst at the Association of State Wetland Managers. Brenda conducts research and policy analysis on wetland and stream issues. Brenda has recently completed a national status and trends/state summaries project analyzing 50 state wetland programs across the United States and a national stream identification, delineation and mitigation study, a communications case study project and a wetland training needs assessment and enhancement project. She currently leads projects focused on increasing access to high quality wetland training and improving energy permitting to protect wetlands. In addition to her work for ASWM, Brenda is a Switzer Environmental Fellow, serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern Maine teaching courses in public policy and sustainable communities and assists water resource collaborations as a professional facilitator. Brenda holds her PhD in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service and a double Master’s degree in International Relations and Environmental Resource Management from Boston University.

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Clifford Brown, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources

View a List of Past Pipeline Permitting Webinar Recordings Here

The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) holds eight webinars per year for members. NAWM Member webinars cover a variety of topics encompassing wetland science, policy, program implementation, and legal issues. These webinars, including recordings for past webinars are available to NAWM members.

Not a NAWM Member? Join or Renew

For more information about this webinar series, please contact Laura Burchill at laura@nawm.org or
(207) 892-3399. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

If you haven’t used Teams before or you just need a refresher, please view our guide prior to the webinar.

View Past NAWM Members Webinar Series Here

View a List of Past NAWM Members Webinar Series Recordings Here

Exploring the Economic Benefits of Wetland Ecosystems and Management Programs

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - 3:00-4:30p.m. ET

Presenters

Glen Delaney, Earth Economics
Donna Bilkovic, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

ABSTRACTS

An Economic Valuation of H2Ohio’s Agriculture and Wetlands Program
Glen Delaney, Earth Economic

The H2Ohio initiative is delivering measurable results for Ohio’s people, economy, and environment. The goal of the initiative is to tackle the harmful impacts of excess phosphorus in surface waters, improving water quality through wetland restoration, reducing nutrient runoff, and promoting agricultural best management practices (BMPs), among other programs. The initiative has restored more than 180 wetlands covering 11,000+ acres and enrolled over 3,200 farmers to apply BMPs across 2.2 million acres in 2024 alone, preventing 420,000 pounds of phosphorus from entering waterways. Earth Economics valued the non-market benefits created by H2Ohio’s investment and calculated the ripple effect and job creation of the initiative's spending on wetlands and ag BMPs. Analysis by Earth Economics demonstrates that H2Ohio generates strong returns on investment from H2Ohio’s work restoring wetlands and supporting farmers to reduce nutrient runoff, as the program remediates harmful algal blooms, improves drinking water security, and strengthens local economies.

What are Marshes Worth? Valuing Coastal Community Benefits with SHORE-BET
Donna Bilkovic, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Marshes are important natural capital assets for many coastal communities, providing a range of ecosystem services such coastal protection and erosion control, nutrient removal, fish habitat, and recreational opportunities. We combined economic valuation techniques with human use and preference surveys, local ecological data, and physical and geospatial modeling to estimate the monetary value and spatial variation in services provided by marsh and living shorelines, within a NOAA habitat focus area in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, the Middle Peninsula. Our interdisciplinary approach aligns with the site-specific spatial scales of restoration decisions and can be translated to other types of natural capital (e.g., oyster reefs, beaches). This study demonstrated that marsh and living shoreline ecosystem service value is a significant asset for local communities, amounting to about $90M per year in benefits to the Middle Peninsula or ~ 3.3% of the region’s GDP annually. Moreover, insights from an important stakeholder group, recreational fishers, show they place a high value on marshes in the region. Marsh and living shorelines were the most used shoreline habitats by recreational fishers and generate more than 3X the value when compared to armored shores. We developed a decision tool - SHORE-BET: Coastal Community Benefit Tool for Marsh Restoration that calculates the economic value of community benefits to be gained by using living shoreline techniques that restore marshes. This tool helps to account for these ecosystem services so that coastal communities can be better informed when making decisions impacting their environment, economy, and overall quality of life.

BIOS

Glen Delaney (he/him) is a project director and director of partnerships at Earth Economics, a non-profit with a mission to quantify and value nature for better decision-making. He has led valuations of diverse ecosystems from salmon habitat restoration in Washington to the Greater Everglades. Previously, Glen was a British commercial officer in San Francisco, supporting the UK’s climate agenda during COP26.

Dr. Donna Bilkovic is a marine ecologist and professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary and Assistant Director of the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM). With over 25 years of experience, she employs socio-ecological theory, spatial modeling, and field ecology to investigate the intersection of coastal ecosystems and human communities. Her research advances understanding of how nature-based coastal protection techniques can enhance the resilience of ecosystems and communities, while also quantifying the ecological and economic benefits of these systems for decision-making. She works at the interface of science and management, developing tools, guidance, and partnerships that inform policy and on-the-ground implementation of nature-based solutions. Her efforts have helped shape coastal management practices in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond, with a focus on sustaining both ecosystem function and human communities in the face of climate change.

A Certificate of Attendance to be used toward Continuing Education Credits is available when participating in NAWM's live webinars. All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. Certificates are not available for viewing recorded webinars. More Information.

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View Past Members Webinar Series Here

View a List of Past Members Webinar Series Recordings Here

The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) formerly the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) collaborated to develop a series of webinars introducing the topic of restoration of aquatic ecosystems through the reintroduction of beavers, the use of beaver dam analogues (BDAs) or restoration designed to attract beavers to an area to contribute to changing hydrology and restoring ecosystem services. The webinar series was planned by a national workgroup of beaver restoration experts and webinars are presented by expert practitioners, managers and researchers working in the field. In 2020-2021, the six-part webinar series covered the basics of beaver restoration and continuing through implementation challenges and ways to encourage beaver restoration projects. The series has been added to our Online Trainings library, available here.