Wetland Mitigation and Species Conservation in Florida Transcript Victoria: So a wetland mitigation bank, as you know, is a protected land. And it’s an average acreage of about 1,000. They range anywhere from 300 acres to 25,000 acres within the state of Florida. And a wetland mitigation bank is not just a great site. It needs to be degraded. We need to bring it back up to its natural state. So if we find a suitable mitigation
Wetlands are between aquatic and land-based ecosystems, temporarily or permanently submerged in water. They are the water systems in the landscape, capturing, storing and slowly releasing water. They provide habitats and refuge for up to 40% of biodiversity including vulnerable and endangered flora and fauna. They support many birds, amphibians, fish, and plant species by providing vital breeding, feeding, and nesting grounds. They also form corridors for migrating species. Healthy wetlands provide many benefits and services that far exceed those of terrestrial
How to Permit a Wetland Mitigation Bank in Florida? Permitting a wetland mitigation bank is a structured, regulated process that involves multiple steps and agencies. Below is a detailed breakdown of how to permit a mitigation bank in the U.S., following the Federal Mitigation Rule (33 CFR Part 332). The Mitigation Bank Florida Statute, 373.4136, and Mitigation Bank Rule, 62-342, provide the framework for permitting state of Florida wetland mitigation banks. Mitigation banks are authorized by a state permit, issued by
BREAKING NEWS The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are in receipt of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona’s August 30, 2021, order vacating and remanding the Navigable Waters Protection Rule in the case of Pascua Yaqui Tribe v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In light of this order, the agencies have halted implementation of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and are interpreting “waters of the United States” consistent with the pre-2015 regulatory regime until further notice. WHAT DOES THIS
Last year, Florida’s governor, signed an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to build a massive $3.4bn reservoir west of Palm Beach, which would help restore the flow of freshwater to the Everglades. The goal is to restore the flow and treat dirty water from Lake Okeechobee so that by the time it reaches the Everglades, the water is mostly free of the nutrients that cause toxic algae blooms. Construction is underway to create a network of marshes spanning
Join MBG, Inc. in a discussion on “Wetland & Species Mitigation Banking” @ 4:00 PM EST: April 22, 2021 Hosted by Ecological Services and Markets, Inc. This webinar will include information on the administrative and policy barriers, strategies of credit sales, best practices for credit ledgers, sales contracts, integration with RIBITS, and matching project impacts with banks & credits. RSVP HERE
Join Us on This Upcoming Webinar to Discuss The Future of Wetland Mitigation Banking March 17th, 2021, 12:30 – 1:30 pm ET In this webinar, we will dive into the current state of affairs around wetland mitigation banking and respective policy with bankers, consultants, and policymakers. We will also introduce how some bankers, regulators, and consultants are leveraging technology to reduce risk and increase resiliency in due diligence planning, bank design, implementation, and monitoring. Moderators: Jeremy Schewe PWS, Chief Scientific Officer, Ecobot
A UF student who is studying ecological restoration contacted MBG for more information on the Environmental Restoration Industry. Victoria put her in touch with John Lesman, Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc to discuss the ins and outs of the environmental industry. Lesman says, “We need more people in the mitigation field (especially mitigation banking). It is a growing industry and there is a vacuum when it comes to skilled manpower (monitoring, permitting, etc.). It is a very challenging field and there are many
MBG, Inc. is a proud sponsor of the February CFAEP Webinar Join The Central Florida Association of Environmental Professionals and Eric Olsen Olsen, Attorney, Hopping Green & Sams as he discusses: FDEP Assumption of Section 404 Wetland Permitting as well as the Navigable Water Protection Rule (New WOTUS Rule) All environmental professionals from across Central Florida are welcome! Thursday, February 18th, 2021 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Many environmental consultants in Florida and throughout the U.S. are working on fixing broken swamps to create wetland mitigation banks. There are approx. 120 mitigation banks in the state of Florida, which are approved at the State and Federal Level. In the 1950s, landowners ditched and drained their swamps because the USACOE was not aware of wetlands critical importance to our environment. Since then, Mitigation banks were established as restoration projects – where we bring the land back to its
