Declares that streamlining the permit approval process is essential for reducing project delays and for making the most efficient use of every transportation dollar. To this end, the legislature directs that substantive standards and best management practices governing the construction of transportation projects be jointly agreed upon by both the department and Washington's natural resource agencies. After these substantive standards have been agreed upon, the legislature finds that the greatest efficiency and effectiveness in both protecting our environmental resources and in constructing the transportation infrastructure required to serve Washington's growing population will come from the implementation of these standards by the department itself, with appropriate oversight, as defined in this act, by both natural resource agencies and local governments.