Design of US Habitat Banking Systems to Support the Conservation ...

Appendix IAppendix IEffective Banking PracticesThe Permitting Process• Wetland mitigation banking– Fully exhaust avoidance and minimization measuresbefore employing wetland compensatorymeasures• Avoid impacts to wetland habitat to themaximum extent practicable- Difficult to replace habitats (i.e, bogs,fens) should be avoided• Minimize wetland impacts to habitat to themaximum extent practicable– Permit only those impacts for which compensationhas a demonstrated track record of replacinglost habitat functions.• Habitat banking– Carefully consider the relative benefits of avoidanceand minimization versus compensatorymeasures when mitigating endangered speciesimpactsThe Bank Approval Process• Impacts to one type of habitat should generallybe offset by credits benefiting the same speciesor habitat type. In the case of wetland mitigationbanking, the exception is when it is environmentallypreferable to allow out-of-kind mitigation pursuantto an area-wide management plan to restore aparticularly vulnerable or valuable habitat type(s).• Require banking agreements to be approved byteams comprised of all agencies with regulatoryresponsibilities for the habitat and/or species ofconcern.• Require banks to conform to rules no less detailedthan those that apply to wetland mitigation banksunder the Clean Water Act or species conservationbanks under the Endangered Species Act and theseActs associated federal regulations and guidance.• Ensure that bank service areas are no larger thanis necessary to ensure the replacement of the mostlocalized values that the regulatory program isintended to protect.Site Selection• Conduct selection of bank sites at the appropriatescale (i.e., on a watershed scale for wetland banksand ecoregional scale for habitat banks) in orderto maintain habitat diversity, connectivity, andappropriate proportions of habitat types neededto enhance the long-term stability of the affectedsystems.• Take larger regional plans and conservation strategiesinto consideration when selecting sites.Bank Design & Management• Design banks to be self-sustaining to the maximumextent practicable by following the following guidelines:– Consider the hydrogeomorphic and ecologicallandscape and climate– Adopt a dynamic landscape perspective.– Restore or develop naturally variable hydrologicalconditions.– Whenever possible, choose habitat restorationover creation.– Avoid over-engineered structures in the restoredor created habitat’s design.– Pay particular attention to appropriate plantingelevation, depth, soil type, and seasonal timing.– Provide appropriately heterogeneous topography.– Pay attention to subsurface conditions, includingsoil and sediment geochemistry and physics,groundwater quantity and quality, and infaunalcommunities.– Consider complications associated with habitatcreation or restoration in seriously degraded ordisturbed sites.– Conduct early monitoring as part of adaptivemanagement.• Wetland mitigation banking– Favor mitigation methods that support no netloss of habitat, such as restoration, over methodsthat contribute to a net loss, such as preservation.• Habitat banking– Favor mitigation methods that support no netloss of species survival, which may, in somecases include preservation as a first choice.– Require management techniques to ensure thatpreserved habitat continues to support no netloss of species survival.Design of U.S. Habitat Banking Systems to Support the Conservation of Wildlife Habitat and At-Risk Species 119