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
Download file
The Ocean Farm Design Tool
Connecticut Ocean Farm Lease and Permit Application Example
Download file
Lesson 3 What Does a Successful Application Look Like?

Back to: Leasing & Permitting 101

The Key to a Successful
Application

Many farmers ask, what makes a lease or permit application successful? Unfortunately, there is no secret recipe, just a significant amount of work. The success of your application will depend on the regulatory landscape of your region, how effective you are at getting buy-in from your community, how organized and professional your application materials are, and a small element of luck. When you start this process, you are never guaranteed a lease and a permit, however, you can certainly increase your chances of success by following these steps.

  1. Stay Organized

    The permitting process requires compiling and communicating a lot of different information at different times to different people. The more organized you can be in housing all this information in one spot and ensuring that you’re being consistent across applications, the easier your life will be. If you filled out the Site Evaluation Questionnaire when you were scoping sites, or recorded data elsewhere, now is the time to unearth your records. You’ll likely need to include the depths, water quality, and existing uses of your proposed farm site in your application. Providing clear records of site visits and observations will help show you’ve done your research and instill confidence in your application.

    We recommend keeping a running log to track communication you’ve had with permitting agencies, the date, and files and documents you’ve submitted. By the end of the permitting journey, this list could be several pages long!

  2. Meet with Your Permitting Agency

    Identify the contact person in the lead agency who will be receiving your application. Reach out to them, and request a “pre-submittal” or “scoping meeting.” This gives the permitter the chance to meet with you, learn about your plans, and provide any feedback if they identify any possible challenges or concerns about your project.

  3. Be Conscious of Deadlines

    Some states, such as Alaska, have an annual window when they receive new lease and permit applications. If you miss this deadline, you’ll have to wait until the following year. Other states accept rolling submissions but might require follow-up actions within a set timeframe. Many permitters complain that farmers don’t respond to their email or letter notices, which slows down or stalls the process. The more organized you can be to fill out forms completely, meet deadlines, and provide the appropriate information when requested, the more likely your application is to succeed. Your goal should always be to make the permitter’s job as easy as possible.

  4. Be Polite & Responsive

    It’s important to cultivate a positive and productive working relationship with regulatory agency staff. When communicating with your regulators, take a calm, helpful, and considerate approach. Listen and pay attention to what they have to say. Strive to lessen their workload by submitting a thorough, detailed application from the start. If and when questions arise—which you can expect and should be prepared for—provide a detailed response as quickly as possible to help move things forward.

Many state regulatory agencies will provide past examples of successful lease and permit applications on their websites or be willing to supply them upon request.

To see an example of a full lease and permit application in Connecticut, including permissions from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, local Shellfish Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, download this PDF.

GreenWave Tip

The most likely thing to slow down the permitting process, or even stop a farm from getting in the water, is failing to provide all of the required information the permitter needs.