TxDOT Wetland Mitigation Alternatives: Options and Procedures for In-Kind Mitigation

An increasing number of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) projects are requiring mitigation of wetland impacts. Many of these sites are very small, which can be very difficult and expensive to develop with no real assurance of success. There is considerable statewide concern and nationally documented evidence that, even using the best available knowledge and care, many mitigation efforts are relatively unsuccessful. Several other states have already adopted alternatives to in-kind wetland mitigation such as commercial banking, inter-agency agreements, in lieu fee, and so forth. This project examines the wetland mitigation efforts and needs of TxDOT, the regulatory framework that governs wetland mitigation in the state, evaluates alternatives to in-kind mitigation, and develops alternatives and a strategy for implementation of alternatives to current practice.