The environmental permitting process associated with building and maintaining North Carolina's transportation system is lengthy and highly complex, involving many state and federal agencies. In an effort to improve the workflow effectiveness and efficiency of the environmental permit development, coordination, and issuance process, the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) jointly sponsored a process improvement initiative. The initiative was initially undertaken with the primary purpose of developing quality permit applications and issuing environmental permits that support the timely delivery of the transportation program while minimizing disruption to the natural and human environment. In North Carolina, the permitting process is an integral part of the project development and National Environmental Policy Act decision-making process. While the original intent of the initiative was to improve the permitting process, the project development process also had to be examined in order to effect substantive change. The result has been a mutually agreed upon project development and environmental permitting process that incorporates the true essence of environmental streamlining and stewardship: early and continuous interagency coordination, avoidance and minimization of high quality resources (beyond those required for regulatory compliance), shared environmental and transportation decision-making, and well-defined dispute resolution procedures.

Permitting Process Improvement
Reference Material

• Scoping Document
• Sponsor Agreement (MOU)
• Permitting Information Booklet
• Permitting Implementation Action Plan
• Launch PDF Presentation
• Merger Document