Approvals from other agencies
Besides BCDC, San Francisco Bay is protected by the work of various other agencies that administer critical environmental laws. Most projects that need a permit from BCDC also need to get permits or approvals from other agencies.
Approvals required before BCDC can act
If your project requires any of the following types of review or approval, copies of these approvals must be provided as part of your permit application to BCDC. That means you must have received these approvals before we can consider your application.
- Local discretionary approvals, which may include:
- Lot line adjustments
- Subdivision approvals
- Rezonings
- Conditional use permits
- Planned unit development approvals
- Engineering review
- Other actions taken by planning commissions, port authorities, special committees, boards of supervisors or city councils, and regional bodies
- Other discretionary approvals from your local government
- Does not include “ministerial” local governmental permits
- Environmental documents under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and/or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as applicable
- Depending on the project, these could include:
- Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
- Negative Declaration
- Categorical Exemption
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- Joint Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement
- CEQA documentation is not required if BCDC is the “lead agency” under CEQA
- Depending on the project, these could include:
- Lease or other permission from the State Lands Commission
- This is required on property owned or controlled by the State Lands Commission
- Contact the State Lands Commission for additional information
- Water Quality Certification or waiver of certification from the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board
- This is required for projects involving discharges into the Bay or waterways leading to the Bay
- Contact the Regional Board for additional information
- Biological Opinion or Take Authorization
- For projects that may impact “listed” or “special status” species under either the federal or state Endangered Species Acts
- These could be issued by:
- Approval by the Department of Toxic Substances Control
When other approvals are not required
The approvals above are not required before BCDC can act on an application for an abbreviated regionwide permit.