Kissimmee Ridge Mitigation Bank
The Kissimmee Ridge Mitigation Bank is a 90.94 acre conservation area established to provide compensatory mitigation for wetland impacts located in the Kissimmee Ridge, part of the Kissimmee River basin. The Bank consists of bay swamps, hydric flatwoods, wet flatwoods, and wet prairie, with an upland scrub buffer. The Bank has been degraded by cattle grazing, clearing for pasture, selective logging of pine trees, exotic species invasion, and prolonged fire suppression, resulting in long unburned wetland habitats. The restoration of the Bank consisted of bay and oak tree thinning, exotic species eradication, supplemental planting, and reintroduction of prescribed fire to restore all of the wetland and upland buffer habitats to optimal condition.
The Kissimmee Ridge Mitigation Bank has palustrine forested and palustrine emergent credits available approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), as well as federally threatened Wood Stork Suitable Foraging Habitat (SFH) credits. The Kissimmee Ridge Mitigation Bank also has freshwater forested and freshwater herbaceous credits available approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
