The Mitigation Banking Debate

The term "mitigation bank" usually refers to a wetland creation, restoration, or enhancement project undertaken by a developer to not only compensate for wetland impacts from a particular project, but also to act as a bank with credits to compensate for future wetland impacts. Wetland mitigation banking has recently become the focus of great debate. On August 9, 1991, President Bush issued a wetlands policy statement that called for the use of a federal mitigation bank. Under the proposal, an interagency committee will refine the details of a mitigation banking system that will provide incentives for the restoration or creation of wetlands to mitigate the effects of wetland development.