28 Apr 2025

Wisconsin Environmental Restorations Mitigation Proposal

Expiration date: 5/28/2025

This project involves the modification of an existing, approved wetland mitigation bank site. Mitigation banks are approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of providing compensatory mitigation credits which sponsors sell to permittees seeking Department of the Army authorization for impacts to aquatic resources. The Corps originally approved the Bluff Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank on October 9, 2020. The Sponsor completed site construction and seeding in 2020 and received their initial credit release for construction in January 2021. In 2022 the Sponsor and Interagency Review Team (IRT) identified issues with the site performance, specifically the failure of an outlet structure and deficient of wetland hydrology or vegetation. As a condition of the continued sale of previously released credits and future release of additional credits, the Corps required the Sponsor to develop a corrective action plan to address these issues and bring the site into compliance with the objectives of their mitigation plan.

17 Apr 2025

WETLAND AND STREAM COMPENSATORY MITIGATION BANK PROPOSAL

Expiration date: 5/17/2025

This proposal was previously advertised on public notice on January 25, 2023, and the sponsor has made several revisions to the original proposal. The revisions include the addition of four parcels (Parcels A-D in Figure 1) and modification of the stream restoration design (Figure 6). The objective of the project is to re-establish a functioning stream/wetland complex that complements the adjacent DNR owned fisheries conservation easement on the Little La Crosse River, increase functions of the existing wetlands on site, and provide water quality improvement for the contributing drainages. The successful achievement of the objectives would result in the re-establishment of 15.87 acres of shrub-carr and 0.40 acre of wooded swamp; the re-habilitation of 8.15 acres of shrub-carr and 28.23 acres of wooded swamp, the establishment of 20.16 acres of buffer; and the restoration of 1,456 linear feet of stream. The site, if approved, would have approximately 47.08 compensatory wetland mitigation credits and 389 functional feet of compensatory stream mitigation credits that applicants for Department of the Army permits could purchase to offset unavoidable losses of wetlands and/or streams. More refined credits amounts will be determined if the sponsor moves on to the DMBI stage.

15 Apr 2025

Mill Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank

Expiration date: 5/15/2025

The proposed bank is located within an ecological landscape that has been degraded predominately by drainage and conversion to agricultural land use. Based on historic aerial imagery, the site has been cleared of most trees, was ditched, and cropped for agricultural land use before 1941. Farming ceased by 1990 in the southwest and northeast corners of the site and hardwood swamp wetland communities began to establish. Some of the fields were used for sod farming. The site was utilized as a tree plantation prior to 2005 with large portions of the site planted with stands of various coniferous and deciduous trees. After 2017, active maintenance of the fields and tree plantation rows ceased, and vegetation was left to grow naturally. The objectives of the project are to restore wetland hydrology to areas that were historically drained by ditches and tiles for agricultural purposes and to establish native plant communities that are appropriate for the postrestoration hydrologic conditions. The project proposes to restore wetland communities by reestablishing 34.87 acres of fresh wet meadow, rehabilitating 5.14 acres of fresh wet meadow, enhancing 24.29 acres of existing fresh wet meadow and hardwood swamp, and restoring 3.68 acres of upland buffer to mesic prairie.

11 Apr 2025

Wisconsin Line 5 401a2 Public Hearing

Expiration date: 6/13/2025

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the United States Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District (Corps), will conduct a virtual public hearing on May 13-14, 2025. The Corps is conducting this public hearing in response to an objection received from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (BRB), under Section 401 (a)(2) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), for the application from Enbridge Energy to discharge dredged and/or fill material in waters of the U.S., including wetlands, for the Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project (Project) and in response to a request from BRB that we conduct a public hearing.

10 Apr 2025

Special Public Notice- Emergency Processing Procedures in Minnesota and Wisconsin

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the United States (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Vally Division has approved the use of special emergency processing procedures by the St. Paul District in accordance with 33 CFR § 325.2(e)(4) for the National Energy Emergency established by Executive Order (EO) 14156, which was issued on January 20, 2025 under the President’s legal authorities, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq) and section 301 of title 3, United States code.

9 Apr 2025

City of Lino Lakes Mitigation Bank Proposal

Expiration date: 5/9/2025

The sponsor states that the proposed project is located in a region of the state that contains less than 50% of pre-statehood wetlands. The site is located within the Mississippi (metro) Watershed (20), which is within the Twin Cities metro area and is located in a high impact area that would benefit from enhanced water quality controls and biological diversity within a highly fragmented system. The sponsor expects that restoration and enhancement of this site will provide exceptional wetland mitigation options for development that is occurring within the City of Lino Lakes and aligns with the goals of the Rice Creek Watershed District Watershed Management Plan, where banked wetland credits are vital to District Projects. The sponsor expects restoration of the site in this location will significantly increase habitat diversity, provide refuge for wildlife amongst a developing city, and improve water quality and overall watershed conditions within the Clear Creek minor watershed.

7 Apr 2025

WETLAND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION BANK PROPOSAL

Expiration date: 5/7/2025

As stated by the sponsor in the prospectus, urban development, infrastructure and agricultural land use all contribute to the demand for compensatory wetland mitigation bank credits. The proposed Minnesota Meadow Restoration Preserve Wetland Bank is located within a broader landscape that contains a large amount of residential and commercial development. This project is needed to maintain natural resources and their functional values amidst cultivation and urban expansion and would do so by providing wetland credits. According to the sponsor, as of March2025there were80state and federally approved wetland credits available within BSA 7 where the recent average yearly demand for credits has been approximately 140 credits. The objective of the project is to restore self-sustaining and high-functioning fresh wet meadow wetlands with mesic prairie upland buffers to generate state and federal approved wetland mitigation bank credits. These objectives would be achieved by discontinuing agricultural (sod production) use; plugging and/or filling open ditches; and seeding and establishing native, noninvasive vegetation.

6 Jan 2025

Special Public Notice (MNWI SQT release)

Expiration date: 1/6/2030

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District Regulatory Division (Corps) is announcing the release of version 1.0 of the Minnesota and Wisconsin (MNWI) Stream Quantification Tool (SQT) and Debit Calculator. The MNWI SQT replaces, updates, and merges the Minnesota SQT (MNSQT) version 2.0 and the beta version of Wisconsin SQT (WISQT) to create a single tool for quantifying functional change on streams throughout the two states.