ELI has released a 50-state study identifying laws that can limit the ability of state agencies to protect wetlands, streams, and other water resources more broadly than federal law. The study finds that over two-thirds of all U.S. states have versions of these “stringency” and property rights laws.
This report offers model language that could be incorporated into in-lieu fee program instruments being developed by state agencies and non-profit organizations. It was designed to comply with the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation Rule. It was developed using the best available information and uses examples from the approved and draft in-lieu fee instruments that were available as of December 2009. Funding for this project was made possible thanks to a grant provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The first two steps in the CWA section 404 sequencing process have received far less attention at a national level. This study looks at how the avoidance and minimization requirements are applied by permitting officials in state and federal regulatory and resource agencies, where they find weaknesses, and how the process could be improved.
ELI’s groundbreaking mitigation research continues with the completion of the 2005 Status Report on Compensatory Mitigation in the United States. The report, an update of the seminal 2001 Banks and Fees Study, is designed to determine the extent and nature of wetland mitigation banking and in-lieu fee mitigation activities in the nation.
The Wetlands, Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Hazards in the Cedar River Basin, Iowa workshop report is the final report of the 2012 Wetlands Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Hazards in the Cedar River Basin Workshop designed to find ways to protect wetlands and wildlife habitat and promote resilience to flooding.
Developed in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, this ELI resource was designed to provide land trusts with the tools they need to navigate the federal wetland and stream compensatory mitigation program and evaluate their engagement in the program.
Appendix 5: Potentially Vulnerable Wetland and Stream Types Identified in Scientific and Conservation Literature, by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region and State
State Wetland Protection: Status, Trends & Model Approaches is the final report of a 50-state study that described and analyzed seven "core" components of state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities. This report focuses on status and trends, model programs, and summary data for all 50 states.
This report is the fourth and final phase in ELI's multi-year study on the "core" components of state wetland programs (which include: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities). Each phase of the study examines a cross-section of states representing various approaches to wetland protection and regulation, as well as geographic diversity.
ELI is currently conducting a multi-phased study designed to describe and analyze seven "core" components of state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities. Each phase of the study examines a cross-section of states representing various approaches to wetland protection and regulation, as well as geographic diversity.
