Wetland mitigation banking

Mitigate permitted wetland impacts with mitigation bank credits.

Service Areas

Mitigation banking is divided into 12 watersheds that serve as the areas within which banks may sell credits and be considered "in service area." If mitigation bank credits are not available in the service area, further guidance on how to determine credit ratios can be found in the 2013 Guidelines for Wetland Compensatory Mitigation in Wisconsin (Version 1), under Chapter 3.

Prospective Mitigation Bank Sponsors

Any individual or entity may establish and operate a wetland mitigation bank in Wisconsin. Wetland Mitigation banks are regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the DNR. 

Listed below are links to statutes, code, guidance, and map tools that may be helpful to a prospective bank sponsor.

Resources for site guidance

• Starting a Wetland Mitigation Bank: What You Need to Know [PDF]
• USACE St. Paul District Site Selection Criteria for Compensatory Mitigation Proposals [PDF]
• USACE St. Paul District Mitigation Site Prospectus Requirements [PDF]
• USACE St. Paul District Mitigation Site Compensation Site Plan Requirements [PDF]
• Surface Water Data Viewer - use to identify sites with wetland mitigation potential

Resources for regulations

• USACE St. Paul District Mitigation Web Page - search for guidance documents, public notices, and regulatory updates
• 2013 Guidelines for Wetland Compensatory Mitigation in Wisconsin (Version 1) [PDF] Chapter 6
• 281.36, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR] - wetland permitting and mitigation statutes in Wisconsin
• Chapter NR 350, Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR] - compensatory mitigation process and requirements
• USACE 33 CFR part 332 [exit DNR] - the 2008 Army Corps and EPA federal compensatory mitigation rule