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The basics:

• Operation FAST reduces NJDEP freshwater wetlands backlog by 42%
• LOI inventory falls from 1,102 cases to 638 as of June 18
• Initiative aims to speed reviews, improve permitting transparency
• Faster determinations could reduce development delays and costs

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection introduced Operation FAST in April to streamline permitting processes, reduce delays and improve responsiveness. About two months later, the program celebrated marked progress.

The Facilitated Approvals for Sustainable Transformation implemented an application review blitz, according to NJDEP. Along with other operational improvements, the agency said June 24 it has reduced the backlog for Freshwater Wetland Letters of Interpretation by 42% since the launch.

The efficiency endeavor aligns with the Sherrill administration’s Saving You Time & Money agenda, as well as executive orders (2 and 5) to address project timelines and regulatory transparency.

NJDEP issues LOIs before the start of a development project that indicates the presence or absence of freshwater wetlands and their buffers. According to NJDEP, the Watershed and Land Management Program has reduced its backlog from 1,102 at the start of the new administration to 638 as of June 18.

New Jersey boasts more than 613,000 acres of freshwater wetlands, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

NJDEP says improving Freshwater Wetland LOIs will provide certainty for applicants. It also cites minimized stranded costs, which can affect the job creation, economic growth and community ratables associated with development projects.

“While there is more work to do to eliminate the backlog completely, in the coming months these efforts will dramatically reduce the average amount of time it takes to process this important determination,” said acting NJDEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “This would not be possible without the hard work from the dedicated professionals at the DEP.”

FAST work

The Watershed and Land Management program oversees environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement functions to carry out Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act Rules, Coastal Zone Management Rules, Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules and Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act Rules.

NJDEP says the the program received 5,500 applications for permits and jurisdictional determinations over the last year. Of that figure, about 730 represented applications for LOIs. The first step in determining the applicability of freshwater wetland regulations, the LOI offers buyers and developers insights into how much of a site is subject to regulations requirements, before they apply for a permit.

The backlog helped produce an average processing time of one year, according to NJDEP. The short-term blitz reallocated staff and workload to address the issue.

DEP Assistant Commissioner for Watershed and Land Management Jennifer Moriarty assured, “The DEP has been able to achieve this significant backlog reduction without compromising the quality of our review process.”

Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Operation FAST on her 100th day in office. The program sought to reorganize permitting programs, hire and train additional staff, expand the Office of Permitting & Project Navigation, as well as streamline review processes to reduce backlogs. It will also bring updates to NJDEP technology systems and internal platforms as well as improve transparency.