Critical Dunes – DEQ Releases Proposed New and Modified Guidance Documents for Public Comment
As a result of statutory changes to Part 353 (Sand Dunes Protection and Management) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently released four new/modified guidance documents for public comment:
1. Guidelines for Vegetation Written Assurance: Part 353 requires that a written assurance be submitted for all applications for permits for the use of a critical dune area. This is a new guidance document, intended to describe how DEQ would like the written assurances prepared and what information must be included (a checklist is provided).
2. Activities Not Constituting a Contour Change or Use: This guidance document identifies activities that are not considered to be a “contour change” or “use”, as defined by Part 353. The document has been modified to include two more items that do not require a permit under Part 353.
3. Critical Dune Special Exception: This is a modification of the existing guidance document, which outlines the Special Exception review process under Part 353 and provides guidance to the DEQ staff and local units of government for processing special exception requests.
4. How to Review a File Under Part 353: This is an updated DEQ policy guidance which provides instruction to DEQ staff in the review of Critical Dunes files, necessary due to changes to Part 353 as well as organizational changes in the DEQ’s Water Resources Division.
Public comments should be provided no later than April 15, 2013.
For access to the DEQ’s press release, click on the link below:
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3311_4114_4236-297343–,00.html
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