The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) holds eight webinars per year for members. NAWM Member webinars cover a variety of topics encompassing wetland science, policy, program implementation, and legal issues. These webinars, including recordings for past webinars are available to NAWM members.
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For more information about this webinar series, please contact Laura Burchill at laura@nawm.org or
(207) 892-3399. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
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View Past NAWM Members' Webinar Series Here
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Innovative Approaches to Wetland Mitigation and Restoration
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 - 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EDT
PRESENTERS
ABSTRACTS
Challenges and Opportunities to Wetlands Mitigation Banking in NYC (Emily Walker)
In New York City, tidal wetlands are a critical part of coastal resiliency and provide numerous ecological and social benefits. While state and federal wetlands mitigation regulations require that development resulting in wetland impacts offset those losses through wetland creation, restoration, and enhancement, NYC has limited physical space for wetlands mitigation. Additionally, the need for mitigation has only grown due to the increased number and scale of renewable energy development, coastal development, and resiliency projects. Join Emily Walker of the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) to learn more about the recently released Wetlands Mitigation Banking in New York City: Challenges and Opportunities, which outlines the current landscape of mitigation in NYC, and proposes possible solutions for ensuring that the city can meet its no-net loss goals, while also protecting and restoring vital wetland ecosystems in the most dense urban environment in the United States.
Smart Permitting for Restoration (Danielle Bissett)
Join Danielle Bissett, Restoration Permitting Policy Lead for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, for an overview of practical approaches to improve ecological restoration permitting. This presentation will define "smart permitting" and share examples of how regulatory processes can be modified to accelerate restoration efforts, including both voluntary and mitigation projects. The talk will examine EPIC's strategic framework, focusing on three key areas: getting through the process faster, fundamentally changing the process, and raising the bar on avoiding impacts. We'll cover examples from states working to improve their permitting processes, including Colorado's Dredge and Fill program, Washington's Habitat Recovery Pilot Program, and Virginia's Permitting Enhancement Platform. The session will also touch on recent legislative initiatives in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, highlight engaging state legislators and regulators, and demonstrate useful tools that create more transparency around restoration opportunities. Participants will leave with practical insights and resources to advance and advocate for smart restoration permitting in their jurisdictions.
BIOS
Emily Walker oversees the NAC’s advocacy and policy strategy, and works across coalitions to help raise awareness of urban natural areas and the resources needed to make them thrive. Prior to joining the NAC, Emily served as the executive director of the Broadway Mall Association and was previously the longtime director of outreach and programs at New Yorkers for Parks, where she oversaw the creation of the Play Fair for Parks campaign and the Daffodil Project. Emily is a graduate of the Urban Park Leadership Program of CUNY SPS and the Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks. She also has received her certificate in horticulture from Brooklyn Botanic Garden. She holds a master’s in nonprofit management and a post-master’s certificate in sustainability strategies from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at the New School, and has a bachelor’s in legal studies from Scripps College. Emily is a member of the Board of Directors of the Forest Park Trust, serves as a Board Member on Brooklyn Community Board 5, and is an incoming Council Member on the District 19 Community Education Council.
Danielle Bissett is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner with 10 years of experience leading ecological restoration projects in New York City. As the Restoration Permitting Policy Lead for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), Danielle applies her practitioner experience to improve the permitting process to accelerate ecological restoration projects. Before joining EPIC, Danielle worked for NYC Parks' Natural Resources Group, where she collaborated with partners on implementing the Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed Plan, which addressed watershed management through a comprehensive ecological restoration approach. Later, as the Director of Restoration for Billion Oyster Project, Danielle led and scaled the Restoration Department, establishing strategic initiatives to assist the recovery of self-sustaining oyster populations in New York Harbor through partnerships and multi-habitat restoration approaches. Danielle holds a Master of Science in Environmental Policy from Bard College's Center for Environmental Policy and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from Adelphi University.
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