Why Wetland Credits
Wetland
credits are normally required when land owners/developers will be
impacting more than one tenth of an acre of existing wetlands within any
one complete development project. Prior to that development, it is necessary for them to acquire a Permit from the State or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This Permit will be contingent on some form of compensation for the entire area of wetlands to be impacted.
More
often than not, the only means of compensation available has been in
the form of the purchase of wetland credits from a Wetland Bank. To find the wetland mitigation bank closest to your area, please go to Wetland & Stream Banks.Why Stream Credits?
Stream credits
are normally required when land owners/developers will be impacting
more than 300 linear feet of streambed for any one complete development
project. Prior to that development, it is necessary for them to acquire a Permit from the State or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
This Permit will be contingent on some form of compensation for the entire length of stream to be impacted. More
often than not, the only means of compensation available has been in
the form of the purchase of stream credits from a Stream Bank. To find the wetland mitigation or stream bank closest to your area, please go to Wetland & Stream Banks or Wetland Contacts by State.
Other options for the compensation of stream impacts can include the following:
- Stream Restoration – When a
stream has been straightened, channelized, or fallen into a degraded
state, it can be restored to a more original, naturally healthy state. While this activity demands more planning and physical operations, it provides the highest level of credit.
- Stream Enhancement – Enhancement can involve a number of activities to enhance the quality of the stream and stream buffer, including: Fencing
out livestock from the stream and a buffer area along the stream; or
plantings of tree and vegetative buffers along the stream. The buffers should normally include both sides of the stream. This activity provides less credit than restoration, but more credit than Stream Preservation (below).
- Stream Preservation –
Streams can be preserved in perpetuity by placing legal deed
restrictions against development within buffer areas along both sides of
a channel.
For further information in Virginia, go to http://www.deq.state.va.us/wetlands/mitigate.html.
For Consulting Services and assistance with this process, go to the listing of consultants on this website.
NOTE: The
permissible utilization of these options can vary from state to state.
You should always check with your state authorities or your consultant
before planning your project. For forther information in your state, go
to the "Helpful Links" page on this website.
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