The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, said in its latest release that their regulatory section is working diligently to finalize the permit decision for the Owasco Flats Wetland Restoration Initiative, with an anticipated completion date the week of August 7.
Given the complexity of the project and the substantial State permitting review, the Corps of Engineers was awaiting receipt of the State’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification before completing the final evaluation, to ensure there were no further changes to the proposed work.
Once the State permits were issued on July 14, the USACE project manager prioritized the Corps of Engineers’ action so that a permit decision could be made in a timely manner.
The Corps of Engineers has worked closely with the Cayuga County Planning Department and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation throughout the permitting process, resulting in project modifications to reduce impacts to waters and wetlands.