Certifications and licenses for Wetland Soil Professionals

1
Certifications and licenses for (Wetland) Soil
Professionals

• SSC 470/570 Wetland Soils
• Mark Connolly
• 2 December 2008

2
Entities

• Federal
• US Army Corps of Engineering
• Non-governmental organizations
• Society of Wetland Scientists
• Soil Science Society of America
• State
• NC Board for Licensing Soil Scientists

3
US Army Corps of Engineers

• Permit dredging and filling of delineated
  wetlands
• Certification seemed like a good idea
• 1990 Water Resources Development Act directed US
  ACE to develop Wetland Delineator Certification
  Program
• The intent of the WDCP is 1) to improve the
  quality and consistency of wetland delineations
  submitted to the Corps and 2) to streamline the
  regulatory process by developing procedures for
  expediting review and consideration of
  delineations submitted by certified delineators.
  The Corps will give expedited review to wetland
  delineations submitted by certified wetland
  delineators. Participation in the program is
  optional.

4
US Army Corps of Engineers

• Certification program design included
• Prerequisites (none unless you fail the test)?
• Validity (in your District Division, for five
  years)?
• Recertification (experience-based, every five
  years)?
• Revocation (District Engineer can unlist
  delineator for history of substantial
  inaccuracies)?
• Testing (written and practicum)?
• Three pilot programs in 1993
• Washington, Maryland, Florida

5
US Army Corps of Engineers

• No activity since 1997
• On hold until publication of the final
  regulations.
• The final regulations have not been published and
• there is no proposed date for publication.
• Therefore, there is no effective date of
  certification.
• The previously published written test dates for
  the winter of 1997 were cancelled
• none have been rescheduled
• Seem to be happy to let states worry about
  certification (or count on other certifications
  such as ...)?

6
Society of Wetland Scientists

• International society of scientists and
  professionals
• Lobbies for sound science in wetland policy
• Communication and education through journal and
  programs
• Professional Certification Program fills the gap
  at the national level left by US ACE
• Intended to be international in scope
• Interesting because the US ACE likely will treat
  certified scientists as credible

7
Society of Wetland Scientists

• Professional Certification Program
• Professional Wetland Scientist or Wetland
  Professional in Training
• BA or BS
• 15 hours biological sciences
• 15 hours physical sciences
• 6 hours in quantitative areas (math, comp sci,
  stats, etc)?
• PWS
• Additional 15 hours in wetland-related courses
• Five years experience
• WPIT
• Meet educational OR experience requirements

8
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)?

• Not specifically wetland more oriented towards
  agriculture
• Certifications
• Certified Professional Agronomist
• Certified Crop Adviser
• Certified Professional Soil Scientist/Classifier
• Certified Professional Soil Scientist/Classifier
• Requires exams and experience
• Directory listing can be tagged with various
  Professional Expertise tags, including
• Wetlands Identification

9
Soil Science Society of America

• Helps soil scientists in their states
• Occupational licensing development advice
• Licensing exam development and processing
• Locals push the state legislature

10
NC Board for Licensing Soil Scientists

• Genesis from legislation passed in 1995
• Wetland soils are in scope
• This is the one that matters (legally speaking)
  in North Carolina

11
NC House Bill 826

• 1995 North Carolina Soil Scientist Licensing Act
  (89F)?
• ...any service or work, the adequate performance
  of which requires education in the physical,
  chemical, and biological sciences, as well as
  soil science training and experience in the
  application of special knowledge of these
  sciences to the use and management of soils by
  accepted principles and methods...
• a licensed soil scientist will be in responsible
  charge for all practice of soil science by a
  corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship
  in North Carolina, except when the organization
  does not offer its services to the public for
  hire

12
NC House Bill 826

• Covers
• Interactions of water, soil, nutrients, organisms
• Waste disposal systems, including waste-water
  irrigation
• Soil erosion and sedimentation
• Identification of hydric soils and redoximorphic
  features?
• As of January 1, 1997, the licensing statue makes
  it a misdemeanor for any person to willfully
  practice as a soil scientist as defined in the
  Act or to use the title of soil scientist unless
  the person is licensed.

13
NC House Bill 826

• Created the North Carolina Board for Licensing of
  Soil Scientists
• Administer and enforce provisions of the bill
• Examine and license applicants with reasonable
  standards, including continuing education and
  renewal without examination

14
NCBLSS Licensing qualifications

• 'good moral and ethical character'
• BSc (or higher)?
• 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in
  agricultural, biological, physical, or earth
  sciences
• at least 15 semester hours or an equivalent
  number of quarter hours in soil science.
• Pass exam
• Provable experience

15
NCBLSS Exam

• SSSA Fundamental Soil Science Exam (not specific
  to wetland soils)?
• Apply through NCBLSS
• Test through SSSA Council of Soil Science
  Examiners

16
NCBLSS Experience requirements

• at least three years of professional work
  experience as a soil scientist under the
  supervision of a licensed soil scientist, or a
  soil scientist who is eligible for licensure
  under this Chapter
• OR a minimum of three cumulative years of
  professional work experience as a soil scientist
  in responsible charge of work satisfactory to the
  Board
• OR applicant may substitute an advanced degree in
  soil science for a portion or all of the
  professional work experience requirement (15
  years experience)?

17
NCBLSS Scientist-in-training

• Trained, needs experience
• Can apply for a license upon completion of the
  professional work experience requirement

18
Recap

• US ACE wants to deal with competent people
• State wants licensed professional involved in
  soil science evaluations and decisions
• Society of Wetland Scientists and Soil Science
  Society of America certifications underscore
  credibility
• NCBLSS license is credible and legal
• DENR Aquifer Protection asks who the soil
  scientist was
• Session Law 2006-136 explicitly allows licensed
  soil scientists to complete soil and site
  evaluations
• Soils report for waste-water irrigation system
  must be performed by a soil scientist

19
References

• US ACE
• Wetland Delineator Certification Program
• http//www.usace.army.mil/cw/cecwo/reg/wetcert.htm
  
• Society of Wetland Scientists
• http//www.sws.org/
• http//www.sws.org/regional/southatlantic/
• Soil Science Society of America
• https//www.soils.org/
• 1995 House Bill 826 An Act To Provide for the
  Licensing of Soil Scientists
• http//www.ncblss.org/hbill826.html
• NC BLSS
• http//www.ncblss.org/
• NC DENR (useful for searching for general statute
  documents concerning soil scientist
  requirements)?
• http//www.enr.state.nc.us/