Mitigation Banking

Mitigation banking is a preferred method for providing compensatory wetland and stream mitigation for impacts. Wildlands establishes mitigation banks by acquiring, restoring, enhancing, and preserving sustainable wetland, stream, and riparian buffer habitats that are carefully planned and strategically located within critical watersheds. Project proponents impacting wetlands or streams within these watersheds may purchase mitigation bank credits to offset their impacts.

Wildlands develops compensatory mitigation banks for jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional wetlands, which may also include endangered/special status species such as vernal pool invertebrates, California tiger salamander, giant garter snake, delta smelt, Chinook salmon, and steelhead.

Project Highlights

River Ranch Wetland Mitigation Bank

The River Ranch Wetland Mitigation Bank is a 114-acre wetland mitigation project that was completed in 2014 in Yolo County, California. The Bank is approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide riparian and freshwater marsh credits for projects with impacts within the Bank’s service area, which includes portions of Yolo, Placer, and Sacramento Counties.

San Luis Rey Mitigation Bank

The 56.5-acre San Luis Rey Wetland Mitigation Bank is located in Northern San Diego County, California. The Bank was approved in 2014 by multiple natural resource regulatory agencies led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, South Coast Region. The Bank provides mitigation credits for unavoidable permitted impacts to federal and state jurisdictional wetlands, waters, and other habitat types for projects within the Bank’s approved service area in Southern California.

Nookachamps Mitigation Bank

The Nookachamps Wetland Mitigation Bank is a 282-acre site located along the Skagit River in Skagit County, Washington. The Bank consists of 282 acres of re-established floodplain wetlands, floodplain forest, open water channels, and riparian habitats. The restoration activities at the Bank have successfully enhanced degraded habitats within the Skagit River Basin and provides important off-channel rearing habitat for Skagit River salmonids.

Pajaro River Mitigation Bank

The 302-acre Pajaro River Mitigation Bank is located on the San Benito/Santa Clara County line in California. The Bank is approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The wetland habitats on the Bank consist of natural wetlands, as well as constructed seasonal marsh, semi-permanent emergent marsh, and seasonally open water/mudflat habitats. Mitigation credits at the Bank are suitable compensation for offsetting wetland impacts within the Bank’s approved service area.