Corps of Engineers, partners release report addressing wetland mitigation in northeast Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and its partners recently released a report outlining the path forward for wetland replacement, or mitigation, in northeast Minnesota.

The interagency report, “Siting of Wetland Mitigation in Northeast Minnesota” is the culmination of a coordinated effort for improving wetland compensatory mitigation to better serve the public and the environment. The joint approach outlined in the report recognizes the need to offset potential wetland losses in the region from a watershed perspective that focuses on the unique wetland characteristics associated with northeastern Minnesota. Further, the report focuses on the ultimate goal of restoring wetlands that provide the greatest ecological benefit to the region. 

“This report represents a huge step in the right direction for a coordinated interagency approach to wetland mitigation in Minnesota,” said Tamara Cameron, St. Paul District regulatory chief. 

The report authors provided several recommendations to improve wetland mitigation while maintaining the ecological integrity of northeast Minnesota watersheds. Key recommendations are:
·         Clarification of wetland mitigation search criteria;
·         Alternative mitigation options in northeast Minnesota;
·         Revisions to wetland mitigation siting criteria; and
·         Program improvement.

The report is available at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/AdditionalInformation.aspx.  The agencies involved in this report include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. 

The nearly 650 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

-30-