WEBVTT 00:01.633 --> 00:04.800 (bright upbeat music) 00:11.700 --> 00:12.787 - Hi, my name name is, Faye Healy. 00:12.787 --> 00:14.080 I'm a senior ecologist, 00:14.080 --> 00:16.270 I'm with the St. Paul District. 00:16.270 --> 00:18.000 Today, we are doing what we're calling, 00:18.000 --> 00:19.840 our delineation short course. 00:19.840 --> 00:20.930 So it's the second day 00:20.930 --> 00:23.380 it's a follow-up for our DA interns 00:23.380 --> 00:26.270 to learn a little bit more about practical application 00:26.270 --> 00:28.360 of wetland delineation. 00:28.360 --> 00:29.870 - Basically as project managers, 00:29.870 --> 00:32.180 we're approving permits for impacts to wetlands 00:32.180 --> 00:33.990 and we need to make sure when we're talking about this, 00:33.990 --> 00:36.680 that we're talking about the correct areas 00:36.680 --> 00:38.510 and the size of the wetlands really matters. 00:38.510 --> 00:40.830 So having those boundaries for the wetland 00:40.830 --> 00:41.663 is really important. 00:41.663 --> 00:43.230 So we've been out here today, 00:43.230 --> 00:45.760 kind of learning more about how we can do our best 00:45.760 --> 00:48.850 to accurately determine what those wetland boundaries are. 00:48.850 --> 00:52.000 - That is important because we work in regulatory. 00:52.000 --> 00:54.890 So we're working to find that boundary 00:54.890 --> 00:56.670 between the wetland and the upland, 00:56.670 --> 00:59.580 and that helps us issue permits 00:59.580 --> 01:01.930 and make sure that we're doing the correct thing 01:01.930 --> 01:03.570 for moving forward. 01:03.570 --> 01:04.820 The thing I find most valuable 01:04.820 --> 01:07.060 about doing this kind of training is that it really helps 01:07.060 --> 01:09.930 with that communication and collaboration, 01:09.930 --> 01:11.300 but it also just makes sure 01:11.300 --> 01:12.970 that everybody's on the same page. 01:12.970 --> 01:15.530 When we see a delineation come across our desk, 01:15.530 --> 01:17.550 there's a lot of different ways to review 'em 01:17.550 --> 01:20.500 but at least we're all looking at the same things 01:20.500 --> 01:23.500 and finding the same outcome time and time again. 01:23.500 --> 01:24.640 - For me, I got really excited 01:24.640 --> 01:27.160 about doing this soil digging. 01:27.160 --> 01:29.320 I don't have much of a soils background. 01:29.320 --> 01:30.930 I spend a lot of time with the plants, 01:30.930 --> 01:33.490 they're above ground, it's what everyone sees, 01:33.490 --> 01:35.100 but it's definitely exciting to get in 01:35.100 --> 01:37.840 and get in the dirt and see that there are different stories 01:37.840 --> 01:40.050 being told by the soils and learning 01:40.050 --> 01:41.720 that the different colors and textures 01:41.720 --> 01:42.970 all mean something different 01:42.970 --> 01:44.350 and that some of them indicate 01:44.350 --> 01:45.420 that you might be in a wetland 01:45.420 --> 01:47.440 and some of them say that you are not in a wetland. 01:47.440 --> 01:49.830 So learning to tell what the soil has to say 01:49.830 --> 01:51.780 about wetland delineation was exciting. 01:51.780 --> 01:53.330 - But when you have the staff 01:53.330 --> 01:54.720 that's been doing this a long time, 01:54.720 --> 01:56.300 there's a lot of institutional knowledge. 01:56.300 --> 01:58.180 And a lot of times they've actually helped develop 01:58.180 --> 02:00.600 the delineation manuals themselves. 02:00.600 --> 02:03.090 And so, they give you some background and knowledge 02:03.090 --> 02:04.870 that you never previously could have found 02:04.870 --> 02:07.090 that really helps bring that next generation 02:07.090 --> 02:10.190 of project managers up into their roles. 02:10.190 --> 02:12.370 Minnesota and Wisconsin have a lot of water 02:12.370 --> 02:13.820 and a lot of organic soils. 02:13.820 --> 02:16.450 So it's a lot different than other parts of the U.S 02:16.450 --> 02:17.650 and other parts of the world. 02:17.650 --> 02:20.390 So you come in here and you're working 02:20.390 --> 02:23.850 in a lot more wetlands than most areas have, 02:23.850 --> 02:26.250 and it makes it a lot more challenging, 02:26.250 --> 02:27.803 but also a lot more rewarding. 02:28.781 --> 02:31.948 (bright upbeat music)