Preservation of Wetlands as a Preferred Option for Impact Mitigation
Abstract
Current Section 404 regulatory policy focuses on wetland
restoration and creation as the primary means of
compensating for unavoidable wetland impacts. However,
most wetland restoration and creation projects are inefficient;
restoration efforts are often expensive, confined to small
parcels, not coordinated with regional conservation plans,
and of questionable functional value. In contrast, preserving
existing wetlands is a cost-effective means of maintaining
and enhancing a wide variety of aquatic ecosystem functions,
and can be more easily directed within the framework of a
statewide resource protection plan. Therefore, wetland
preservation meets the goal of the Clean Water Act to restore
and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters, and the
Section 404 permitting program should favor impact
mitigation plans that emphasize wetland preservation over
restoration or creation.