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Updates

The 2012 FDOT Mitigation Plan was approved at the February 28, 2012 Governing Board meeting. Links to the meeting agenda and notebook are provided. This agenda item was revised as follows: “If a mitigation bank exists in the basin, the FDOT Mitigation Program will purchase credits from the mitigation bank when that purchase offsets the wetland impacts of the FDOT project; provides equal benefit to the water resources as other mitigation options being considered and provides the most cost effective mitigation option. If a mitigation bank is not available, the mitigation project identified in the Plan will be selected as the mitigation option. Should the number and type of available mitigation credit be insufficient to offset the wetland impacts or the cost of the mitigation credit purchase exceed the money provided to the District by the FDOT for that project, the mitigation project identified in the Plan will be selected as the mitigation option.“

Background

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) historically conducted mitigation for wetland impacts associated with roadway construction on a project by project basis. The majority of these mitigation activities were associated with creation and enhancement of habitats adjacent to the roadway facilities. Existing and future commercial, industrial and residential developments along these roadways subject constructed mitigation areas to many limitations and risks in achieving the desired ecological benefits needed to compensate for wetland impacts. These developments also reduce mitigation opportunities as well as increase the cost of mitigation projects, primarily a result of the availability of property and the cost of acquisition.

In 1996, the State Legislature determined that mitigation would be more effectively achieved with regional, long range mitigation planning instead conducting mitigation on a project by project basis and created the FDOT Mitigation Program (see Section 373.4137, Florida Statutes). This program is administered by the state’s Water Management Districts, which are responsible for annually developing a mitigation plan with input from various Federal and State regulatory and resource agencies, including representatives for public and private mitigation banks.

Wetland Impacts

The FDOT annually provides the District an inventory of anticipated construction-related wetland impacts and updated information for previously identified transportation projects. Advance information is also provided for larger projects scheduled beyond FDOT’s current work program for mitigation planning purposes. The inventory provides information such as the watershed locations, impact acreages, habitat types and quality of wetlands associated with each project. Within this region, the cumulative inventory for all the anticipated facilities from 1996–2020 currently includes 133 transportation projects.

Mitigation Projects

Based on the provided wetland impact information, the District collaborates and coordinates with various resource agencies and private mitigation bankers to evaluate potential mitigation options for the program. These options typically include combinations of land acquisition and/or habitat improvements with particular emphasis toward the enhancement, restoration and creation of wetland habitats. Potential mitigation options are nominated in consultation with other agencies responsible for the regulatory permitting of the wetland impacts and designated mitigation projects. These agencies include the U.S. Army Corps Engineers (USACOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Commission (NMFC), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC). Other interested state and local agencies, private mitigation banks and the public also provide requests and recommendations.

Mitigation projects are selected within the same drainage basin as the proposed wetland impacts. Since commencement of the program, half of all the submitted wetland impacts in this region are located within the Tampa Bay and Hillsborough River watersheds. As a result, the majority of the 47 total designated mitigation projects adopted to the program are also located within these two basins. Of all the designated mitigation projects on the program, only 20% are associated with property owned and managed by the District. This cooperative partnership with various public agencies and the private sector has resulted in the opportunity to appropriately mitigate for the proposed wetland impacts, save substantial funds for FDOT and the taxpayers, and conduct significant ecological improvements that comprise over 13,000 acres throughout the region.

General Information

General information for the program, roadway projects, wetland impact and designated mitigation projects can be accessed within the complete annual approved 2012 FDOT Mitigation Plan . Direct links to individual mitigation project information are also provided within the drainage basin categories.

If you have any questions, recommendations or request additional information concerning the program or any of the associated mitigation projects, please contact: