The Oregon Department of State Lands has begun a two-year pilot program to streamline Oregon's removal-fill permit process for projects in wetlands and waterways.

The new one-stop concept is called a Statewide Programmatic General Permit, which issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and administered by DSL. The goal was to make the application process easier, while maintaining environmental standards.

State Lands staff are touring the state this month to offer training workshops on the new permit. Locally, a meeting is scheduled:

n North Bend: 1 to 5 p.m., Jan. 31, at the North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave. All workshops will be run according to this schedule. The schedule includes DSL staff providing eligibility checklists, application materials and an explanation of the permit process at 1 p.m., followed by a break and then questions and discussion from 3 to 5 p.m.

Oregon is the only state west of the Mississippi River to try out the program. Examples of the types of projects include streambank stabilization, water control structures, utility lines; road construction, site preparation for property improvements, wetland restoration and minor fills.

The new permit does require applicants to provide more up-front documentation, it is important that consultants and others working in wetlands and waterways attend one of the workshops, state officials said.

Oregon's Removal-Fill Law requires people who will remove or fill 50 cubic yards or more of material in waters of the state to obtain a state permit. That includes streams, lakes, wetlands and other bodies of water on privately and publicly owned land. The movement of any amount of material in streams designated as essential salmon habitat or in a state scenic waterway may require a permit.