Wetland Mitigation & Monitoring

  • Dorothy Rainey

When a development project has wetland impacts that must be mitigated, the mitigation area, whether wetland or upland, must be bonded with a security to ensure its success. The Environmental Review Section monitors the progress of the mitigation areas to ensure they are successful, and when the mitigation area succeeds within the prescribed timeframe, the security is released.

 

The environmental reviewers ensure any required wetland mitigation for a development project is provided and, once completed, is monitored for performance. This includes wetland mitigation required to be provided by the County for roadway and other infrastructure projects.

 

For wetland mitigation required in conjunction with development projects the reviewer requires a wetland mitigation cost estimate and a security or bond is required to ensure the mitigation is completed and is successful. The status of the wetland and the bond are monitored periodically until the mitigation area is successful and the bond can be released. This involves requiring periodic (annual or semi-annual) monitoring reports indicating the progress of the wetland mitigation area and what, if anything, has been done to correct any issues with the wetland mitigation area.

 

(Section 719 of the Land Development Code)