Wisconsin Ag Connection - DNR Upgrades Online Water Permitting Process

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DNR Upgrades Online Water Permitting Process
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 05/16/2012

Landowners and developers who need to apply for certain water-related permits from the state can now use a new online system to save on paperwork and get quicker service. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced on Tuesday that its web-based application system is now available at the DNR website.

"We see this new system as a win-win for everybody," says Pam Biersach, who leads the Bureau of Watershed Management. "We think it will allow for quicker and better decisions on permit applications, reduce workload for our staff and ensure projects get a more consistent and comprehensive review to better protect our lakes, rivers and wetlands. It will also be much more transparent for the public, who will be able to follow an application online."

The online permit system has a number of different parts that are being phased in over the next year. Currently, applicants will find 72 of the nearly 100 water-related permit applications in the same place. And applicants for three of the most popular permit types can now fill out their applications, pay any fees, and track the progress of their application online.

Biersach says three or four more water permits will be added every quarter until all of water-related program permit applications can be handled online.

So far, the site offers individual permits for wetland and waterway projects; permit applications for wastewater pit trench de-watering, and permit applications for aquatic plant management on private ponds. Last year, DNR received applications for more than 2,000 individual permits for wetland and waterway projects alone. More complicated projects require individually tailored permits instead of the "general permits" that prescribe general standards avoid harming the environment with lower risk projects.

Biersach says the online permit system will enable applicants to not only fill out and pay their permits online, it also will allow the information to be shared with external customers and partners while giving the applicant round-the-clock access to track where the application is in the process.

The DNR says the new tool will decrease workload for DNR staff, as will the online tracking system, which should reduce how long staff spends on the phone updating applicants on their permit status.

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