ORAL PRESENTER TITLE: New general permit to promote hydrologic restoration of streams, wetlands, and floodplains ABSTRACT: In May 2021, the Wisconsin legislature, working with Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA), other external stakeholders, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), passed WI Act 77, which required WDNR to develop a Hydrologic Restoration General Permit (HRGP). WDNR worked cooperatively with WWA and other stakeholders to draft permit language that meets the intent of WI Act 77. The HRGP represents Wisconsin’s first attempt at issuance of a performance- or outcomes-based general permit that focuses on net improvements in hydrologic condition, connections, and function. The permit will utilize integrated and flexible review requirements for a variety of wetland- and stream-related regulations, so long as an applicant is able to demonstrate that the proposed activities will achieve improvements to wetland, streams, and watershed health. It is hoped that the flexibilities offered through the HRGP will accelerate the implementation of voluntary wetland, stream, and floodplain restoration and management projects. Potential audiences/applicants include agricultural landowners and engineers, local units of government, fish and wildlife managers, restoration practitioners, emergency managers, and non-profit conservation organizations. This presentation will provide an overview of the HRGP conditions and the intended uses for the permit. BIO: Tom Nedland is a Professional Wetland Scientist with more than 20 years of experience in the wetland science and regulatory realm. While at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), he has held positions in the Waterways Program conducting permitting and serving as WDNR’s wetland delineation and wetland mitigation expert. Tom is currently the section manager for the Waterways Program’s Policy and Professional Services Section.