At Delta Land Services, we implement and sponsor mitigation bank and restoration sites throughout the southeastern United States. In doing so, we make the purchase of mitigation credits simple for our clients.
A mitigation bank is a wetland area that has been restored, established, enhanced, and/or preserved and protected in perpetuity to compensate for future conversions of wetlands for development activities. This credit/debit system is created so developers can purchase credits to compensate for the loss of wetland, stream, and/or other aquatic resource functions and area, allowing for multiple projects to be developed. The establishment of these designated ecological areas must be done in accordance with strict government regulations.
It’s an easy, effective solution for you – with the added bonus of benefiting the environment!
Permit Assistance
Permit assistance often goes hand in hand with mitigation banking and obtaining the proper permits for a project involving jurisdictional wetlands or streams is often one of the biggest challenges in development activities. Delta’s team of experts can help you complete the permitting process quickly and smoothly.
Development activities, whether public or private, sometimes impact our nation’s waters – including wetlands and streams. The Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits any land development activity that adversely affects wetlands and streams in the U.S. unless coordinated and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the CWA. All impacts to wetlands and streams must be avoided and minimized as best as possible. If impacts are unavoidable, Delta can help with those projects by replacing the loss of wetland and aquatic resource functions through compensatory mitigation.
Mitigation Planning & Design
For clients needing assistance with the planning, designing, and implementation of successful mitigation sites, Delta can help.
Planning and Design Services
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Locating potentially suitable land and assistance in acquisition and feasibility analysis of parcel
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Assist in market analysis and feasibility
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Regulatory agency coordination
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Navigation/completion of the 12 Step mitigation banking process (detailed below)
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Marketing and credit sales
12 Step Process
The 12-Step Process refers to the conditions that have to be met when a mitigation plan is submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for approval. Those conditions, necessary per 33 CFR 332.4 (c) (2) through 33 CFR 332.4 (13), are:
- Objectives
- Site selection
- Site protection instrument
- Baseline information
- Determination of credits
- Mitigation work plan
- Maintenance plan
- Performance standards
- Monitoring requirements
- Long-term management plan
- Adaptive management plan
- Financial assurances
Once a site is acquired, our technical team will draft a mitigation plan that meets all the required conditions. The process is done entirely in-house by wetland professionals with extensive agency relations. When the Corps and the Inter-agency Review Team (IRT) receive a mitigation plan from us, they know – even before opening it – the prospectus and the Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) will be complete, technically sound, and well written.
Turnkey Mitigation
If you need wetland and/or stream mitigation, Delta will deliver comprehensive, customized solutions making mitigation a simple process for our clients. We handle the planning, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business. And because our staff is 100% in-house, we never outsource services – keeping your costs to a minimum.
Our turnkey mitigation services include:
- Site identification, selection, and acquisition
- Field assessment and delineation
- Drafting of a complete mitigation plan that meets all conditions of the 12-Step Process
- Drafting of a complete mitigation work plan, which includes long-term and adaptive management measures
- Construction, monitoring, maintenance, and management of the mitigation site throughout the life of the project
- Financial assurances (both short and long-term)
Our strong working relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one the key components of our turnkey mitigation services. We have built relationships with key personnel in the southeastern U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts. These relationships allow us to expedite the planning and permitting process while providing a clear understanding of what is expected of all parties.
You can rest assured we have the experience, expertise, and resources to provide turnkey mitigation solutions to meet your unique needs in a professional, timely, and cost-effective manner.
