Introduced by Senator Patricia Birkholz, Senate Bills 1450 and 1451 will amend Part 301 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA).

Under current law, a person is required to obtain a permit from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Department) in order to dredge bottomlands, drain wetlands and perform certain other activities that would interfere with the natural flow of a lake or stream.

Section 30306b requires that if a permit applicant requests, the Department must meet with the person to review a proposed project’s permit application and lists specific provisions concerning any such meetings. Currently, this pre-application meeting requirement expires on December 1, 2010. Senate Bills 1450 and 1451 would extend this sunset an additional five years, until December 1, 2015.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed the bills, which now await the Governor’s signature.