Wisconsin REALTOR®
December 1998
Volume 15, Number 3
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Wetland Banking Restores Habitat, Helps Developers
By Tom Larson and Tom
Sanford
Wetlands, like other natural resources, are vital to Wisconsin’s landscape. An incredibly complex and important ecosystem, wetlands are home to a wide variety of species from microorganisms to plants, fish, amphibians, birds and many other forms of wildlife. In addition to providing an animal habitat, wetlands act as filters by removing pollutants from the water and by aiding in nutrient absorption. Wetlands also help prevent erosion, discharge clean water into lakes and streams, and inhibit the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - a key component to global warming - by slowing the decay of organic materials.
Sadly, Wisconsin has lost approximately 50% of its wetland habitat over the years. However, a relatively new concept known as “wetland banking” is helping to reverse this devastating trend while simplifying the process of responsible development.
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What is Wetland Banking?
Wetland banking is a federally approved mitigation program that allows developers to fill wetlands on one site in exchange for the creation or restoration of wetlands on another site. However, unlike other forms of mitigation, the developer is not required to actually create or restore the wetlands himself. Rather, the developer can purchase credits from a “bank” that will create or restore the wetlands for him on another site.
Typically, a wetland bank is a restored wetland that has been approved by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers for use as compensation for wetlands that have been lost somewhere else. The bank is broken down into units that are expressed as saleable credits, with one credit being equal to one acre. When all of the available credits have been sold, the bank is considered closed and is then protected forever.
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Advantages of Wetland Banking
According to federal law, anyone who impacts wetlands must develop additional wetlands to compensate for the wetlands that are disturbed. In the past, a developer had two options: create new wetlands on the site, or create wetlands somewhere else. However, these options have been unpopular due to the time and expense that is incurred in developing substitute wetlands. For example, to create substitute wetlands a developer generally must hire a wetland engineer or consultant to help with the design and actual construction of the wetland. Additionally, federal law requires that once the wetland is created, the developer is responsible for monitoring the wetland for a period of at least five years. If problems arise, the developer is required to intervene and ensure the wetland’s long-term success. In addition to the monitoring requirements, federal law requires the developer to be responsible for the health and well-being of the wetland forever.
According to Madison developer Tom Sanford, wetland banks offer clear advantages over on-site mitigation. From an economic standpoint, wetland banking, by making credits available up-front, makes it easier for developers to measure the ultimate cost and feasibility of proposed projects as well as reduce permitting time. In addition, because the bank – not the developer – bears the risk and associated costs for development, monitoring, maintenance and long-term care of the wetlands, wetland banking eliminates the developer’s risk of perpetual care for the substitute wetland.
From an environmental perspective, wetland banks effectively contribute to the nation’s overall effort to increase wetland area, rather than the historical trend in wetland reduction. In addition, wetland banking increases the chances of providing a valuable habitat, by preserving or enhancing large contiguous areas.
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The Walkerwin Wetland
Despite the clear advantages, Wisconsin currently has only one commercial wetland bank, which is located on 143 acres in Columbia County, just northeast of Portage. Named after the Walker family who owned the land, the Walkerwin Wetland was funded using private sector dollars through the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s wetland restoration program. Many years ago, the Walker flank site was a spring-fed wetland. Like many wetlands in Wisconsin, it was ditched to remove the water, and the land was then cropped in corn.
According to Sanford, who purchased wetland credits for a golf course development located near Madison, restoration has seen the Walker site transformed from a cornfield to a serene wetland fringed with emergent vegetation and surrounded by a wet meadow. Under the guidance of one of the leading wetland experts in Wisconsin, Walkerwin is a pristine wetland complex with high functional value. In addition to substantially improving water quality, it now provides habitat for many ducks, teal, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, and, as Sanford notes, one very large snapping turtle. Furthermore, because the Walkerwin bank site is deed restricted, it will forever remain a part of the Wisconsin landscape.
Hopefully, as more developers discover the economic and environmental benefits of wetland banking, more banks like the Walkerwin site will be created.
Additional Information
In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments on wetland banking, please contact Tom Sanford at (608) 223-2779 or via e-mail at
t2green@inxpress.net or Tom Larson at (800) 279-1972 or via e-mail at tlarson@wra.org.
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