The Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team (BRRIT) was formed to improve the permitting process for multi-benefit habitat restoration projects and associated flood management and public access infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay and along the shoreline of the nine Bay Area counties (excluding the Delta Primary Zone). Read More...
BRRIT Performance Survey
The BRRIT and the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority want feedback from project applicants and permittees about the BRRIT permitting process. The survey is open to the entire project applicant team and can be completed multiple times during any stage of the application or pre-application process. Please complete a separate survey for each project. Responses will be analyzed by the BRRIT and Authority on an ongoing basis. The survey can be found here.
Three New Restoration Permitting Tools
These permitting tools became available in 2022: California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Restoration Management Permit (RMP), State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Board) Statewide Restoration General Order (SRGO), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s (USFWS) Programmatic Biological and Conference Opinion for California Statewide Programmatic Restoration Efforts (Restoration PBO).
Who We Are
The BRRIT consists of staff from six of the state and federal regulatory agencies that may have jurisdiction over habitat restoration projects in San Francisco Bay.
(From left to right): Frances Malamud-Roam (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers); Alison Weber-Stover (NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service); Agnes Farres (San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board); Valary Bloom (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service); Tami Schane (California Department of Fish and Wildlife); and Schuyler Olsson (San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission). Dina Bowlin (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) not shown in photo.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) provides policy guidance at the management level on the Policy Management Committee (PMC) and participates on an ad hoc basis. EPA’s San Francisco Bay Program Priority List identifies the BRRIT as one of their program priorities to restore San Francisco Bay and build climate resilience.
Contact the BRRIT: BRRIT@waterboards.ca.gov
How we're doing so far
The BRRIT is showing promise for improving the permitting process for multi-benefit wetland restoration projects in San Francisco Bay. The BRRIT began permitting projects after its inception in August 2019, and is actively engaged with many more projects in the pre-application phase.
The BRRIT reports to the Restoration Authority Board on activities and progress in meeting performance measures. These performance memos include updates on the budget; work completed by the Policy and Management Committee; BRRIT operations and outreach; and other efforts the BRRIT is engaged in (such as coordinating with the Wetland Regional Monitoring Program and piloting the EPA’s Wetland Type Conversion Framework).
- May 8, 2020 Performance Memo
- 2021 Annual Report
- 2022 Annual Report
- 2023 Annual Report
- 2024 Annual Report
Our Funders
The BRRIT is funded by the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, State Coastal Conservancy, Valley Water, Bay Area Toll Authority, and East Bay Regional Park District. The state and federal regulatory agencies are providing additional in-kind resources, including management participation in the Policy and Management Committee and office space.
