Courses / Leasing & Permitting 101

Course Content

Navigating the Process
Starting the Process
Common Features of an Application
What Are the Regulatory Agencies in My State?
Who Issues Leases and Permits?
What Does a Successful Application Look Like?
The Key to a Successful Application How Can I Check On the Status of My Application?
Application Approved!
Congratulations, Farmer!
Resources & Tools
Site Evaluation + Permitting Forum
Lease or Permit Application Project Description Template
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The Ocean Farm Design Tool
Connecticut Ocean Farm Lease and Permit Application Example
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Lesson 1 Navigating the Process

Back to: Leasing & Permitting 101

Common Features of an Application

Because leasing and permitting is so state-specific, it’s impossible to offer a cohesive, national, how-to guide. However, there are some common features of lease and permit applications that tend to apply across different geographies.

Chart plotter on a boat

Project description

Your project description is a narrative summary of your farm plans. You’ll need to describe the species you intend to grow, the gear with which you’ll cultivate your crops, and the exact dimensions and location of your farm site. If you’ve designed your farm with the Farm Design Tool, you can download a draft project description to get you started. Or, use this fill-in-the-blank project description template to write the narrative description of your application.

GreenWave Resource
Project Description Template
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Your application will likely include

  • A written project description

  • A detailed map of your desired farm site location

  • Cross-section plans of your farm design showing your arrays from multiple viewpoints

  • A list of species you intend to farm

  • A brief business plan or letter of commitment from a buyer

Site map

Your application will likely require a detailed map of your proposed site boundaries overlaid on either a marine chart or a satellite image. You’ll need to include GPS coordinates and a compass heading. Some state agencies have mapping resources online where you can make a site map. It’s also possible to create a map on Google Earth at no cost.

A site map is often overlaid on a marine chart or satellite image.

Farm diagrams

Your application will most likely require either hand-drawn or computer-generated diagrams of your farm plan. Typically, you’ll need to include both a cross-sectional diagram of one array and an aerial view of your farm. The more detailed your diagrams can be, the better. You’ll want to include your anchor type, line lengths, buoy size, the hardware you intend to install, etc.

GreenWave Tip

Get started on making your farm diagrams by downloading your designs from the Farm Design Tool. Keep in mind that these diagrams will need to be adjusted and tweaked to fit the real-world conditions of your site. Read more about the limitations of the farm design tool here. Be sure to verify your designs with a marine engineer before submitting your application.

Species list

You’ll need to include the common and scientific name of every species you intend to grow on your farm once it’s operating at scale. If you plan to start out growing one species, such as sugar kelp, but intend to scale your farm to grow other types of kelp or shellfish within the next few years, it may be worthwhile to include these species on your initial application. Typically, a permit will grant you permission to farm your site as you’ve described for a set number of years. If you want to change anything within that time period, such as adding a new species, you’ll need to file a farm amendment. This will require a separate application and more wait time. To avoid the hassle of a permit amendment, it may be worthwhile to include additional species on your initial application.

Business plan

A business plan is not always required, but some regulatory agencies may want to know that you’ve thought through the details of your business and how you’ll make money from your farm. To bolster your application, you might include additional details about your financial situation, such as the projections from the financial model you built in the last course. If you’ve had correspondence with a potential buyer, you could ask them to write a letter of intent to buy your crops, which signifies to the regulatory agency that there’s local demand in your region.