The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition Mitigation Fund
Currently there are two ILF programs that services Southeast Alaska: The Southeast Alaska Land Trust and the Great Alaska Land Trust. Both of these third party mitigation program offer only preservation opportunities to Section 404 permit applicants.
There are no active and approved third party mitigation programs (mitigation banks and/or In lieu Fee Programs) that carryout restoration, enhancement and/or creation to offset unavoidable permitted impacts to aquatic resources in Southeast Alaska.
Currently SAWC is engaged in a process with the Army Corps of Engineers to develop an In Lieu Fee program that will provide permit applicants with restoration, enhancement and/or creation opportunities to fullfill their permit requirements.
[button url=”http://alaskawatershedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SAWC_Prospectus_September_2012-1.pdf” color=”blue” width=”full” ]The Prospectus in PDF[/button] [button url=”http://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/SpecialPublicNotices.aspx” color=”green” width=”full” ]Access Alaska District Army Corps Public Notice for Prospectus[/button]Since 2010 SAWC has been working with the COE, USFWS, other regulatory agencies, organizations, and concerned citizens on the issues of aquatic resource mitigation. Because of the overwhleming responses we have received regarding this issue SAWC has taken a lead role in the region and State to develop relevant strategies and opportunities that work for Alaskan’s under the Clean Water Action Section 404 program.
[button url=”http://alaskawatershedcoalition.org/mitigation/” color=”magenta” width=”full” ]Mitigation services and trainings offered by SAWC[/button]There are four types of compensatory mitigation under the CWA Section 404 program
- Restoration
- Enhancement
- Creation
- Preservation
There are three different mechanisms a permit applicant can use to fullfill their mitigation requirements: