Purpose

Mitigation is a sequenced approach that considers avoiding any impacts to aquatic resource, minimizing the magnitude of the impacts, repairing or restoring impacted areas after the project is complete, and finally compensating for any unavoidable losses.

Responsibility & Timeframe

If identified wetland areas are located on or close to the project site, a wetland delineation should be conducted to clearly identify the wetland boundaries.  If the project is going to impact the delineated wetlands, then mitigation measures need to be taken.  This may mean changing the design so the wetland is not impacted, creating “new” wetlands, or purchasing wetland mitigation credits.

Process

Mitigation Steps

Compensatory mitigation includes basic steps:

  1. Assess the functions and values of the proposed impact area
  2. Identify the mitigation opportunity(ies) that best offset the impacts and develop a mitigation plan for the permit application.
  3. Carry out the approved compensatory mitigation.
  4. Monitor the success of the compensatory mitigation project and assure its management in the future, if applicable.

Planning Mitigation

Compensatory mitigation is to direct mitigation to the appropriate place(s) and ecosystem processes that will result in successful and meaningful mitigation and to offset the impacts of the proposed removal-fill project. 

Compensatory mitigation options include:

  • Purchasing credits from a mitigation bank or In-Lieu-Fee project.  Banks and ILFs are larger-scale mitigation projects approved under a detailed agreement with DSL to sell credits within a certain area
  • Permittee-responsible mitigation conducted on the project site or elsewhere within the watershed.  The mitigation obligation remains with the permit holder and a financial security or performance bond is generally required to ensure compliance.
  • Payment-in-lieu mitigation when no bank or ILF credits are available and when the applicant cannot identify a suitable mitigation project, DSL may accept payment-in-lieu of mitigation.

Visit http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/WW/Pages/Mitigation.aspx for more information.

Attachment

5.08.3.1 – Wetland Mitigation for Wetlands and Tidal Waters (Oregon Department of State Lands)