Archived Updates

Skagit County’s first wetland mitigation bank approved

Ecology proposing to adopt a new rule for wetland mitigation banks (Wetland Mitigation Banks, Chapter 173-700 WAC)

  • Ecology proposed to adopt a new rule for wetland mitigation banks. The purpose of the proposed rule is to provide an efficient, predictable framework to certify, operate and monitor wetland mitigation banks across the state. For more information on the rule, click here .  (Also see related Ecology News Release dated March 11, 2009.)

Joint Public Notice: Proposal for a Wetland Mitigation Bank in Skagit County

  • A Joint Public Notice concerning an application to construct and operate the Skagit Environmental Bank was posted January 7, 2009 and expired on February 6, 2009.  Clear Valley Environmental Farm, LLC is the applicant for this proposed wetland mitigation bank located in Skagit County, 1.5 miles northeast of Mount Vernon.

    The proposed work will restore wetlands and streams for use as a wetland mitigation bank.  The proposed project is located on 396 acres.  The Corps of Engineers and Ecology requested public comment on the application and mitigation bank instrument (MBI) that were submitted by the applicant.

    You can download the Public Notice and associated MBI on Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Public Notice Archives web page.  (Also see a related Ecology News Release dated January 8, 2009.)

Ecology Public Notice: Proposal to Certify a Wetland Mitigation Bank in Clark County

  • Ecology requested public comment on the certification of the Columbia River Wetland Mitigation Bank (bank) in Clark County, WA.   Specifically, Clark County Mitigation Partners, LLC proposed to create and enhance approximately 160 acres of wetland and associated upland habitat to establish the bank.

    The purpose of the bank is to provide, for sale to the general public, high-quality, consolidated, watershed-based compensatory mitigation.  Bank credits would be available – subject to regulatory approval- for future projects with unavoidable impacts to wetlands and other aquatic resources. The presence of a wetland bank does not change existing regulatory requirements to avoid, minimize, rectify and finally, compensate for wetland impacts.

    The public comment period to evaluate state certification for the proposed bank started December 4, 2008 and ended January 5, 2009.

    You can download the Public Notice and associated supporting documents on Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Public Notice Archives web page.  (Also see a related Ecology News Release dated December 4, 2008.)

Ecology gives top honors to Paine Field wetland bank project

  • (Department of Ecology News Release - September 24, 2008).   For the full text of the article, click here.  To go to the web page for the Paine Field wetland bank, click here.

Joint Public Notice: Proposal for a Wetland Mitigation Bank in King County

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the City of Redmond  considered a proposal from Habitat Banc NW, LLC to construct and operate the Lake Washington-Sammamish Watershed Mitigation Bank. The Joint Public Notice was posted March 31, 2008 and expired on April 30, 2008.

    Habitat Banc NW, LLC is the applicant for the bank located in King County, Washington. At the time of the Public Notice, the proposal involved approximately 117 acres within the city of Redmond. The Corps, EPA and Ecology solicited comments from interested parties in order to identify project aspects that needed to be addressed during the bank review process. If you would like to download this Public Notice and associated prospectus, go to Ecology's Wetland Mitigation Banking Public Notice Archives web page.

The Public was Invited to Attend Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on November 27, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on November 27, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Tacoma Municipal Building, Room 343 in Tacoma, WA. The Advisors Group consists of representatives from local, state, and federal agencies, environmental interests, banking, and agriculture and business communities. The Advisors Group provides guidance and identifies improvements to the Wetland Banking Program. The topic of this meeting was to discuss possible rule changes regarding Public Access/Allowed Uses, Site Selection, Credit Generation and Language Related to Local Approval. (Agenda, Minutes)

The Public was Invited to Attend Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on October 17, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on October 17, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Tacoma Municipal Building, Room 138 in Tacoma, WA. The topic of this meeting was to discuss possible rule changes regarding conservation easements and to discuss the SEPA process for bank proposals (Agenda, Minutes).

The Public was Invited to Attend Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on September 20, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on September 20, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Seattle District Corps of Engineers in Seattle, WA. The topic of this meeting was to discuss possible rule changes regarding conservation easements and to discuss the SEPA process for bank proposals (Agenda, Minutes).

Special Joint Public Notice: Submittal Opening for Mitigation Bank Proposals

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Seattle District), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 10), and the Washington Department of Ecology jointly accepted proposals for new wetland mitigation banks in Washington State. There was a 7-week open submittal period from August 13, 2007 through September 28, 2007. During the open submittal period, proposals were accepted and evaluated by the interagency Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT).

    Prior to that, the MBRT had only reviewed bank projects that were selected to participate in Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Pilot Program. While the pilot program continues, the MBRT agencies have decided to accept proposals for new mitigation banks in an effort to expand mitigation banking opportunities in the state. For more details, view the Public Notice (PDF file).

Updated Templates for Mitigation Banks are Available Online

  • In September 2006 the Department of Ecology's Wetland Mitigation Banking Program posted Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) and Appendices Templates for entrepreneurial wetland mitigation bank projects.

    Since then,  Ecology updated the templates and they are available online.  You can download the templates here

The Public was Invited to Attend Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on June 13, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on June 13, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Washington Department of Transportation HQ Office in Olympia, WA. The topic of this meeting was discussion of requirements for a wetland mitigation bank prospectus and opportunities for public comment/participation during the review and certification of wetland mitigation banks (Agenda, Minutes).

The Public was Invited to Attend Ecology’s Wetland Mitigation Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on May 2, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on May 2, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Seattle District Corps of Engineers in Seattle, WA. The topic of this meeting was to discuss and clarify the specific recommendations from the Advisors Group that have been identified from past meetings. In addition they discussed future meeting topics and how the group would like to proceed over the next few months (Agenda, Minutes).

Joint Public Notice: Proposal for a Mitigation Bank in Clark County

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) considered a proposal to construct and operate the multi-site Clark County Mitigation Bank. The Joint Public Notice was posted March 23, 2007 and expired on April 23, 2007 (extended to May 1, 2007).

    Clark County Mitigation Partners, LLC is the applicant for the multi-site mitigation bank located throughout Clark County, Washington. At the time of the Public Notice, the proposal involved six sites totaling approximately 1,000 acres. Additional sites may be added in the future as amendments to the approved Mitigation Bank Instrument. The Corps and Ecology are solicited comments from interested parties in order to identify project aspects that needed to be addressed during the bank review process. If you would like to download this Public Notice and associated prospectus, go to Ecology's Wetland Mitigation Banking Public Notice Archives web page.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ecology, and Clark County Invited the Public to Attend a Wetland Banking Workshop on April 17, 2007

  • The Corps, Ecology, and Clark County considered a proposal to establish a wetland mitigation bank on six parcels of land in Clark County, Washington.  There was a joint public workshop on April 17 in Vancouver, Washington, so members of the community could ask questions or comment on the proposed action. For complete details see the workshop announcement.  Also see the Corps Portland District's recent News Release

The Public was Invited to Attend the Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on March 28, 2007

  • Ecology met with the Wetland Banking Advisors Group on March 28, 2007 from 10 to 3 at the Lacey Community Center in Lacey, WA.  The purpose of this meeting was to discuss how to improve the accountability and timeliness within Ecology’s Wetland Banking Program.  (Agenda, Minutes). 

Guidance on Locating Mitigation Banks Using a Landscape-Based Approach is Now Available

  • On March 21, 2007, Ecology, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10, and the Seattle District Corps of Engineers issued a Special Joint Public Notice. This notice announced the opportunity for applicants to submit new proposals for wetland mitigation banks. In this notice, we strongly encouraged applicants to use a landscape-based approach to select sites for wetland mitigation banks.

    To help applicants in this process, the agencies developed Guidance on Locating Mitigation Banks Using a Landscape-Based Approach (Guidance). This Guidance is intended to help applicants identify some of the important landscape processes influencing wetlands and maintaining water flow processes.

    Although it is not mandatory for applicants to use the Guidance, thinking about landscape processes when selecting a site will help ensure you are choosing the best possible site for a wetland mitigation bank.

    Please see the Special Joint Public Notice and the Guidance for more information on using a landscape-based approach in your proposal.

Status of the Wetland Mitigation Banking Pilot Program - A Report to the Legislature

  • In December 2006, the Department of Ecology presented a report, Status of the Wetland Mitigation Banking Pilot Program, to the Washington State Legislature.

    The report provides background and legislative history on the Wetland Banking Pilot Program. It also includes an overview of the Pilot Program from 2004 – 2006, including program funding, government-to-government coordination efforts, and lessons learned. In addition, it provides a brief look to the future of the program, including program improvements, post-certification monitoring of wetland banks, and the next steps in formally adopting a Wetland Banking Rule.

The Public was Invited to Attend the Banking Program’s Advisors Group Meeting on February 20, 2007

The Public was Invited to Attend the Banking Program's Advisors Group Meeting on January 8, 2007

Ecology Hosted Forum on Wetland Banking

  • (Department of Ecology News Release - November 28, 2006).  Click here for the full text of the article or click here to view the agenda. 

    After opening remarks from Director Jay Manning and a status report on wetland banking in Washington State by Ecology’s Lauren Driscoll, panelists were asked to present their ideas on what a successful banking program looks like to them. Panelists for the event represented perspectives ranging from entrepreneurial bankers, to bank users, to regulators, to stakeholders with environmental or land use concerns. Click here to view summary (pdf, 4 pages)

Second private “wetland bank” approved under state pilot program

  • (Department of Ecology News Release - August 24, 2006).  Click here for the full text of the article.

Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank approval.

  • The state’s first urban wetland bank was approved by local, federal, and state agencies on August 22, 2006.  Click here for more information.

Public workshop set on Skagit Valley wetland banks

  • (Department of Ecology News Release - June 29, 2006).  Click here for the full text of the article or click here for the Public Workshop Notice (pdf, 44kb).

State "wetland bank" pilot program launched in Snohomish County

  • (Department of Ecology News Release - December 12, 2005).  Click here for the full text of the article.

10-Year Anniversary of Release of Federal Mitigation Banking Guidance

  • Ten years ago the EPA, the Corps, USFWS, NMFS, and NRCS released the Federal Mitigation Banking Guidance(November 28, 1995). To commemorate the event, EPA released a fact sheet entitled Mitigation Banking: Compensating for Impacts to Wetlands and Streams. The fact sheet discusses the concept of mitigation banking as well as the history, status, and benefits of mitigation banking. It also provides links to useful mitigation banking-related resources.

Last updated: 10/07/2009

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