Wetlands
The State of Compensatory Mitigation
Compensatory mitigation has been a rapidly growing industry among states, nonprofits, and the private sector ever since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) released their 2008...
Brownfields to Green: A Proposal for Redevelopment of Brownfields Property for Natural Resource Value
There are many sites in the United States that are blighted or undeveloped because of actual or perceived environmental contamination. Often, these sites are “orphans,” without existing owners having the wherewithal to undertake...
Hawkes v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Is a Wetlands Jurisdictional Determination Reviewable Under the Administrative Procedure Act?
On March 30, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Hawkes Co. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit asks whether a wetlands jurisdictional determination (...
The Mythology of Mitigation Banking
Fragile but economically, culturally, and ecologically important, Louisiana’s wetlands comprise 40% of all wetlands in the United States, but its wetland loss is 80% percent of the national total. The state loses the equivalent of a...
Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District: Will It Impact Mitigation Conditions in §404 Permits?
Required mitigation of wetlands impacts is a mandatory feature of many Clean Water Act §404 permits. In Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District, the U.S. Supreme Court held that government agencies must show a...
Rapanos Guidance III: “Waters” Revisited
On May 2, 2011, EPA andthe Corps issued draft joint guidance for the interpretation of the phrase “waters of the United States” under the CWA. Determinations of CWA jurisdiction are critical for the agencies in issuing permits to fill...
The Next Generation of Mitigation: Advancing Conservation Through Landscape-Level Mitigation
Editors' Summary:
In coming years, the United States will experience significant loss of natural habitats due to population growth, infrastructure and energy development, and climate change. These trends will significantly impact...
New Directions for Wetland Mitigation and Implications for the Nation's Waters
Editors' Summary: Many parties and factors are participating in shaping the future of wetland loss mitigation. Considerations of the status and viability of the "no net loss" wetlands policy are urgent in light of increasing...
A Nexus Runs Through It: Wetlands, Hydrological Connections, and Federal Jurisdiction in the Post-<i>SWANCC</i> World
Editor's Summary: The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC) has certainly caused much confusion about the exact contours of wetlands jurisdiction. In this...
What Happens When a Wetland Mitigation Bank Goes Bankrupt?
Editors' Summary: The wetland mitigation banking business has grown dramatically in the last decade. But as is true with any business, mitigation banks are subject to risk, including the risk of going bankrupt. This Article looks at how...