Effectiveness of Maryland Compensatory Mitigation Program

The Maryland Department of the Environment's (MDE) Wetlands and Waterways Program has included a nontidal wetland mitigation section since the program’s inception in 1991. Maryland's Nontidal Wetlands Act requires a “no net loss” of wetland acreage and function. In order to achieve the goal of “no net loss,” compensatory mitigation is required when wetland impacts are unavoidable. The mitigation section is tasked with ensuring that the compensatory mitigation is successfully completed. 

In December 2007, MDE completed a report designed to determine the overall effectiveness of MDE’s nontidal wetland mitigation section by critically analyzing all of the various aspects and components involved with mitigation projects, and then to provide recommendations on how to correct any deficiencies found. The ultimate goal is to generate new, up-to-date guidance that will allow the mitigation section to be more efficient and successful.

Title Page
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Mitigation Report - Final

As part of the effort to evaluate the mitigation program, MDE developed a rapid mitigation site scoring method.

For more information, please contact Kelly Neff at 410-537-4018 or kelly.neff@maryland.gov.


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