The proposed Erosion fee and Erosion Code amendment is to provide cost recovery of the Department’s costs for mandated erosion control inspections, enforcement, and erosion and sedimentation land disturbance activity construction compliance during the full construction time span of an exceptionally large project [hundreds or thousands of acres].  The Erosion and Sedimentation Control Program is mandated to conduct inspections per the Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ, every 2 weeks cycle, or within 48 hours of any run-off producing rainfall event. The recommended proposed fee covers regular maintenance inspections of the required site plan features to be compliant with both local and State law and to prevent off-site sediment transport and protection of water quality, wetlands, perennial streams, and resource protection areas adjacent to land disturbance construction activity on any exceptionally large acreage site plan and scope of operations. The current fee is insufficient to cover the department’s budgetary costs for inspecting for an exceptionally large scale project due to the exceptionally long time period to access, view, and record site conditions.  The County has a four year contract with an established third party procured engineering firm certified to conduct inspections through DEQ and under the supervision and coordination with County personnel.