Evaluation Methods Wetlands trend analysis, conducted on regular intervals by DEM, will help to identify significant wetland changes and to evaluate and revise permitting and monitoring activities. In order to develop a more effective 401 Certification Program under the auspices of a General Permit, three new positions in DEM would be created to review and enforce wetlands regulations. One staff member would be stationed in a regional office for enforcement through groundtruthing efforts, and the remaining two staff members would be involved in enforcement efforts in Raleigh. This action would accelerate wetland permitting decisions, improve water quality, and focus regulatory and mitigative efforts on valuable wetlands. Costs are associated with compliance, yet the failure of individuals to correct regulatory violations incurs costs to those already in compliance.
Enhanced enforcement ensures that all actors are affected equally.
The benefits of enhanced enforcement efforts are improvements in wildlife habitat, water quality, and overall river basin functioning arising from retarding or halting the degradation of wetlands. The magnitude of these benefits would depend on the success of enforcement efforts and the cumulative negative environmental impacts that are avoided because of better compliance. It is important to note that these benefits should be judged not in comparison to the current state of wetlands, but to the level of degradation that would be expected in the absence of improved enforcement efforts. Funding Strategy DEM would request an expansion budget from the General Assembly for the fiscal year 1994-1995.