The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and its partners recently released a report outlining the path forward for wetland replacement, or mitigation, in northeast Minnesota.
The interagency report, “Siting of Wetland Mitigation in Northeast Minnesota” is the culmination of a coordinated effort for improving wetland compensatory mitigation to better serve the public and the environment. The joint approach outlined in the report recognizes the need to offset potential wetland losses in the region from a watershed perspective that focuses on the unique wetland characteristics associated with northeastern Minnesota.
Further, the report focuses on the ultimate goal of restoring wetlands that provide the greatest ecological benefit to the region.
“This report represents a huge step in the right direction for a coordinated interagency approach to wetland mitigation in Minnesota ,” said Tamara Cameron, St. Paul District regulatory chief .
The report authors provided several recommendations to improve wetland mitigation while maintaining the ecological integrity of northeast Minnesota watersheds. Key recommendations are:
· Clarification of wetland mitigation search criteria;
· Alternative mitigation options in northeast Minnesota;
· Revisions to wetland mitigation siting criteria; and
· Program improvement.
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Press Release, March 20, 2014