FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Feb. 8, 2002
OLYMPIA -- When a wetland is destroyed to make way for development, can its functions be re-created or replaced in another wetland?
According to a new report, the answer is yes, but more often than not, projects intended to replace lost wetlands fail due to a lack of monitoring, maintenance and inspections.
The report also concludes that projects to enhance existing wetlands are doing a very poor job of compensating for wetland losses, but creating wetlands from scratch is doing better than expected.
In a two-phase study, the state Department of Ecology examined how well man-made ("mitigated") wetlands are working in Washington. The first phase evaluated whether 45 randomly selected projects followed their mitigation plans and met permit requirements. The second phase evaluated 24 projects to determine how ecologically successful they were and to what extent they replaced the functions of the wetlands that were lost.
In the first phase, the agencies found that attempts to implement plans were made 93 percent of the time, and 55 percent were constructed correctly.
However, only 29 percent of the projects met all permit requirements.
The second phase found that 46 percent of the projects were fully or moderately successful from an ecological standpoint - leaving 54 percent that were minimally successful or unsuccessful.
"Some will look at our statistical findings and say that mitigation is a failure, but a deeper analysis shows that wetland mitigation is more complex than that," said Andy McMillan, a wetlands specialist who led the study.
"Some of the sites that failed to meet all permit requirements still provided ecological functions that adequately replaced what was lost."
The study also evaluated the factors that contributed to success and failure. Researchers concluded that, to be successful, projects must be inspected to ensure work is completed, and sites monitored over time so that problems can be caught and fixed.
McMillan said Ecology will work with developers, local governments and others who have a role in designing and constructing wetlands to develop new guidance on how to design, construct, monitor and maintain mitigation sites.
Another solution is already in the works. The Ecology Department is in the process of adopting a regulation that will establish criteria and a certification process for setting up "wetland mitigation banks."
Mitigation banking provides a way for local governments, developers or others to generate "credits" by restoring, creating, enhancing or preserving wetlands before they cause damage to an existing wetland. The credits can then be used by that party or sold to someone else to compensate for land-use activities that damage or eliminate wetlands.
"There's a lot of money being spent to compensate for lost wetland functions, and it's important to make sure they work," said McMillan.
"Investing more time and energy into following up on mitigation sites and ensuring that they are constructed and maintained appropriately is the best way to achieve success."
An executive summary of the report, entitled "Washington State Wetland Mitigation Evaluation Study: Phase 2," is on the Internet at
(Select the following to go to:) Mitigation Study http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/mit-study
The full version of the report will be available on the Web next week. Printed versions can be ordered from the state Department of Printing (360-753-6820); the cost is $5.
More information about the proposed wetland-banking rule is available at
(Select the following to go to:) More information http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetmitig/index.html
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Editor's note: Photos of wetland mitigation projects, reflecting various degrees of success and failure, can be seen
(Select the following to go to:) Photos at:: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetlan.html.
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