N.J. Admin. Code § 7:7A-8.1 - General provisions for transition area waivers
(a) This
section sets forth the requirements for transition area waivers. The Department
issues the following types of transition area waivers:
1. An averaging plan transition area waiver,
addressed at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-8.2
;
2. A special activity
transition area waiver for stormwater management, linear development,
redevelopment, or activities eligible for an individual permit, addressed at
N.J.A.C. 7:7A-8.3
;
3. A hardship transition
area waiver, addressed at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-8.4
;
4. A general permit
transition area waiver. If a general permit authorizes disturbance of a
transition area, an authorization issued under the general permit constitutes a
transition area waiver for the activities covered by the general permit. This
waiver is not addressed in this section, but in each general permit in N.J.A.C.
7:7A-7 that covers transition area disturbances. All general permits except for
general permits 1, 6, 7, and 23 authorize activities in transition areas;
and
5. An access transition area
waiver. Each general permit authorization, individual freshwater wetlands
permit, and mitigation proposal shall include a limited transition area waiver
to allow access to the authorized activity. No fee or application is required
for this waiver and the disturbance authorized under this waiver is not counted
in calculating the amount of disturbance under the permit or mitigation
proposal. However, an access transition area waiver will allow regulated
activities only:
i. In that portion of the
transition area bordering on that portion of the freshwater wetland in which
the authorized activity is to take place; and
ii. For an activity that the Department
determines is necessary to accomplish construction, and for future use, of the
activity authorized in the wetlands under the general permit. An activity not
directly required in order to obtain access to the permitted activity shall
require a separate transition area waiver. If the activity authorized under the
permit eliminates the wetland in its entirety, the transition area associated
with that wetland may also be eliminated in its entirety without a separate
transition area waiver. If the activity authorized under the permit partially
eliminates the wetland, the access shall be limited to the transition area
adjacent to the location of the approved wetland filling. Any additional
impacts to the transition area shall require a separate transition area
waiver.
(b)
If necessary, the Department shall include in a transition area waiver
additional conditions to ensure that an activity does not result in a
substantial impact on the adjacent wetlands, and does not impair the purposes
and functions of transition areas as set forth in N.J.A.C.
7:7A-3.3. Such conditions may
include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Construction activities shall be conducted
in such a way that there will be no regulated activities in the transition area
or the wetland except any that are authorized by a permit;
2. The structure is designed and shall be
used in such a way that there will be no regulated activities in the transition
area or the wetland except any that are authorized by a permit;
3. The modified transition area shall be
permanently marked, in a manner determined appropriate by the Department, so as
to clearly delineate its boundary and to prevent people from disturbing the
transition area and/or wetland. Examples of appropriate markers include
permanent fencing, concrete monuments, and boulders.
i. In determining the appropriate type of
marker, the Department will consider such factors as the type of project
proposed, wildlife that may be present, and the likelihood for people to
disturb the transition area and/or wetland. For example, it may be necessary to
mark the boundary of a modified transition area associated with a single-family
home or duplex with permanent fencing because in many of these situations the
modified transition area is directly adjacent to back yards and, therefore, the
likelihood of homeowners disturbing the transition area is great. However, it
may be appropriate to identify a modified transition area associated with a
commercial or industrial development with concrete monuments because the
likelihood of people disturbing the modified transition area is usually less
around these types of developments;
ii. If the Department determines that it is
appropriate to delineate the boundary of the modified transition area with
monuments, boulders, or similar markers, the number of markers and spacing
between markers shall be determined by the Department and shall be that
necessary to clearly identify the modified transition area, taking into
consideration the size of the modified transition area to be
delineated;
4. The
permittee shall execute and record a conservation restriction, in accordance
with the procedures at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-12, which prohibits any regulated
activities in the remaining transition area as appropriate.
(c) If a site has more than one
freshwater wetland, the Department shall treat each wetland and its associated
transition area separately for purposes of transition area waivers. To
determine whether a freshwater wetland area is all one wetland or is made up of
multiple separate wetlands, the Department shall consider the following
factors:
1. The proximity of the wetland
areas to each other; and
2. Whether
the wetland areas are hydrologically connected.
(d) An applicant whose application does not
meet the requirements for any of the transition area waivers listed in (a)
above may obtain a transition area waiver through scientifically documenting
that a proposed activity will have no substantial impact on the adjacent
wetlands. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, nutrient or
sediment transport models, buffer models, or wildlife habitat suitability
studies. An applicant is not eligible for a waiver under this subsection if the
applicant took action that rendered its application ineligible for any of the
transition area waivers listed in (a) above. An application submitted under
this subsection shall address the following, as they relate to the adjacent
wetlands:
1. Sediment, nutrient, and
pollutant transport and removal;
2.
Impacts on sensitive species; and
3. Surface water quality impacts.
(e) Transition area waivers may be
conditioned on the recording of a Department-approved conservation restriction
in accordance with the requirements at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-12, restricting future
activities in the remaining transition area.
1. If the permittee does not conduct
regulated activities before the transition area waiver expires, the following
apply with regard to the transition area:
i.
If no activities have been conducted, regardless of whether or not a
conservation restriction was recorded, the permittee shall obtain a new
transition area waiver to conduct regulated activities in the transition area;
or
ii. If no activities have been
conducted and a conservation restriction was properly recorded, but the
permittee wants to reconfigure the project to use portions of the property
contained within the restriction or easement, the permittee shall apply for a
new transition area waiver, together with a request for a modification of the
conservation restriction or easement in accordance with the procedures at
N.J.A.C. 7:7A-12;
2. In
the case of a subdivision for which a transition area waiver was approved, if
one or more lots remain undeveloped when the transition area waiver expires,
the following shall apply with regard to the transition area:
i. If no activities have been conducted on a
lot which was part of a larger subdivision, regardless of whether or not a
conservation restriction was recorded, the permittee shall apply for a new
transition area waiver for the lot, using the same plan that was used to obtain
the transition area waiver for the subdivision as a whole. That is, if a
transition area waiver averaging plan was obtained for the subdivision as a
whole and that transition area waiver averaging plan expires, the individual
lot owner shall apply for a transition area averaging plan for the individual
lot using the original averaging plan for the subdivision as a whole. The
Department shall consider proposed changes to the originally approved plan only
if the conservation easement or restriction was recorded and the changes meet
the standards for a de minimis modification at N.J.A.C.
7:7A-12;
3. If the
permittee does not properly record a required conservation restriction, he or
she shall be in violation of the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act and this
chapter.
(f) The process
at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-13 is also available to applicants for a transition area
waiver.
(g) A transition area
waiver allowing the reduction of the transition area adjacent to an exceptional
resource value wetland shall be conditioned on a transition area averaging plan
which provides an average transition area width of at least 100 feet.
(h) With the exception of a transition area
waiver for access in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:7A-8.1(a)5, a
transition area averaging plan waiver in accordance with N.J.A.C.
7:7A-8.2
, a special activity waiver
for linear development in accordance with N.J.A.C.
7:7A-8.3(e)
, and a
special activity waiver for redevelopment in accordance with
N.J.A.C.
7:7A-8.3(f)
, the
Department shall not issue a transition area waiver under this section and a
general permit authorization for the same site and for the same activity, if
the combined effect of the transition area waiver and general permit
authorization would be to expand the general permit activity beyond the limits
set forth in the general permit.
(i) With the exception of a transition area
waiver for access approved in accordance with (a)5 above or a transition area
waiver meeting the requirements for an individual permit at
N.J.A.C.
7:7A-8.3(g)
, a
transition area waiver shall not be approved to allow encroachment within 75
feet of an exceptional resource value wetland.
Notes
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