Wetland Mitigation

One of the fields that is part of this project was originally a wooded wetland.  The project owner retained Stantec, a global sustainable design and engineering firm, developed a plan to convert a portion of the farm into a wetland mitigation bank. The first phase of the proposed wetland mitigation bank received final approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (“WDNR”).

Developers on a watershed that desire to fill wetlands to facilitate a proposed project must obtain a permit to authorize such filling.  In the event the permit is issued, the developer must purchase credits from an authorized wetland mitigation bank as a condition to filling wetlands.

Mitigation banks are newly created wetlands that have been approved by the USACE and WDNR to accrue and sell credits to such developers located within the watershed who propose to fill wetlands needed for development. Leach Farms is currently the only source of its primary type of wetland mitigation credits (sedge meadow) in its watershed. Estimates show there are approximately 520 wetland credits available from this property if all three phases are established (187 credits for Phase One).

Wetland Mitigation Credits (Phase One)