The Wetlands Division has undertaken a major project to dispose of historic records. Prior to the hurricanes of 2024, EPC Wetlands Division housed a large volume of historic paper files. Due to storm damage, the Wetlands Division was required to relocate these records and identify a long-term solution for their management. Because the majority of Wetlands projects are subject to a five-year retention period, this effort presented an opportunity to systematically review and dispose of eligible records, excluding those of heightened or ongoing interest. The Division is now nearly halfway through this project, which began in May 2025, and has disposed of thousands of historic project files, significantly reducing physical storage needs.

This records disposition project has also provided staff with insight into how project reviews were conducted in the past and highlighted how advances in technology have greatly expedited the review process. Where projects once required significant time to process and transfer photos, images are now available immediately following inspections.

Through the use of ArcGIS Survey123, Environmental Scientists can document field inspections in real time and capture GPS-enabled data directly in the field. For Nuisance Vegetation Removal projects, authorizations are often issued on-site due to the availability of digital inspection reports. These and other modern tools help ensure projects move efficiently through each stage of review. 

The Wetlands Division is composed of several specialized teams, each responsible for specific project types. This structure ensures that applications are reviewed by staff with subject-matter expertise. Recently, the Division has placed increased emphasis on an internal performance metric known as Time to Process (TTP). The Division remains committed to improving this metric in order to keep projects moving forward in a timely manner while continuing to produce a high-quality work product.