University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Results of IDOT Wetland Mitigation Needs Assessment

Pociask, Geoffrey; Wilm, Brian; Burkwald, Kimberly; Noyes, Audra; Nieset, Julie

Content Files
FHWA-ICT-24-003.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121790

Description

Title
Results of IDOT Wetland Mitigation Needs Assessment
Author(s)
  • Pociask, Geoffrey
  • Wilm, Brian
  • Burkwald, Kimberly
  • Noyes, Audra
  • Nieset, Julie
Issue Date
2024-02
Keyword(s)
  • Wetlands
  • Mitigation
  • Environmental Planning
Date of Ingest
2024-02-01T16:07:51-06:00
Abstract
The Illinois Department of Transportation is required to provide mitigation for impacts to wetlands and streams under Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act and the Illinois Interagency Wetlands Policy Act of 1989, regulations that protect the function and integrity of wetland and stream water quality and wildlife habitat. These regulations are enforced by the US Army Corps of Engineers at the federal level and by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at the state level. Permits are issued on the condition that compensatory mitigation for those impacts will be provided by the permittee prior to or concurrent with a particular project. As a frequent permittee, IDOT faces various challenges in meeting compliance with wetland and stream regulations. If these challenges are not met on schedule, construction projects may be delayed. The principal challenge is identifying and executing an appropriate approach to obtaining compensatory mitigation credits to offset wetland and stream impacts in advance of projects. Under this principal challenge, there are external factors that involve regulatory agencies and commercial mitigation credit vendors and internal factors that can be addressed through IDOT policy development and implementation. IDOT requested this special project to examine these factors, obtain feedback from other state departments of transportation regarding their compensatory mitigation programs, and to assess overall challenges to providing timely wetland and stream mitigation as well as potential solutions to address these challenges.
Publisher
Illinois Center for Transportation/Illinois Department of Transportation
Has Part
  • https://doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/24-003
  • ISSN: 0197-9191
Series/Report Name or Number
FHWA-ICT-24-003
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
technical report
Language
eng
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
IDOT-R27-SP61
Copyright and License Information
No restrictions. This document is available through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.

Owning Collections

Research and Publications - Illinois Center for Transportation PRIMARY