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7/29/2019 Environmental Mitigation - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
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Environmentalmitigatio n - W ikipedia, thef ree encyclopedia
org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation
Environmental mitigationFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the
United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to
offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream, wetland, endangered species,
archeological site or historic structure. To "mitigate" means to make less harsh or hostile. Environmental mitigation
typically a part of an environmental crediting system established by governing bodies which involves allocatingdebits and credits. Debits occur in situations where a natural resource has been destroyed or severely impaired an
credits are given in situations where a natural resource has been deemed to be improved or preserved. Therefore,
when an entity such as a business or individual has a "debit" they are required to purchase a "credit". In some case
credits arebought from "mitigation banks" which are large mitigation projects established to provide credit to
multiple parties in advance of development when such compensation cannot be achieved at the development site o
is not seen as beneficial to the environment. Crediting systems can allow credit to be generated in different ways.
For example in the United States, projects are valued based on what the intentions of the project are which may b
to restore, create, enhance, or preserve a natural resource.
Contents
1 Advantages
1.1 Development friendly
1.2 Mitigation industry
1.3 Targeting ecological value
1.4 Cost burden
1.5 Benefit to landowners
2 Disadvantages
2.1 Incorrect allocation and valuation of credits and debits
2.2 Effects on land cost and availability
2.3 Problems with pre-existing credit
2.4 Undermining preservation efforts
3 Notes
4 External links
Advantages
Environmental mitigation and crediting systems are often praised for the following reasons:
Development friendly
Mitigation is a more development-friendly alternative to strict environmental laws because it allows development to
occur where environmental laws might prohibit it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Undermining_preservation_effortshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Problems_with_pre-existing_credithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Effects_on_land_cost_and_availabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Incorrect_allocation_and_valuation_of_credits_and_debitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Advantageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Undermining_preservation_effortshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Problems_with_pre-existing_credithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Effects_on_land_cost_and_availabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Incorrect_allocation_and_valuation_of_credits_and_debitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Disadvantageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Benefit_to_landownershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Cost_burdenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Targeting_ecological_valuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Mitigation_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Development_friendlyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation#Advantageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitigation_banking7/29/2019 Environmental Mitigation - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
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Environmentalmitigatio n - W ikipedia, thef ree encyclopedia
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Mitigation industry
Mitigation inevitably creates a "mitigation industry". By requiring those who impact natural resources to purchase
credits, a demand for mitigation credit is formed. Businesses related to environmental work typically benefit from
such a system.
Targeting ecological value
Assuming regulation assures that credit adequately reflects ecological value, mitigation has the potential to save and
restore the most valuable environmental resources at the least cost. This is because buyers are typically looking for
mitigation credits that are both cheap and the most likely to meet regulatory requirements for creation of credit.
Cost burden
Mitigation systems place the environmental costs of development mostly on the individuals or entities that are
impacting the environment. Without environmental mitigation, costs of alleviating environmental damage caused by
development could be placed in the hands of the government which would in turn pass costs on to taxpayers not
responsible for environmental impacts.
Benefit to landowners
Land previously unused or impractical for development is given greater monetary value under a mitigation system.
For instance, land in floodplains may be impractical for commercial or residential development but conductive for
mitigation activities. Land in rural areas with very little potential for growth are more valuable when given the
opportunity to be used for mitigation credits.
isadvantages
The following are criticisms of environmental mitigation and crediting systems:
Incorrect allocation and valuation of credits and debits
Mitigation regulations may not properly take into account the total ecological losses and gains associated with
environmental impacts or mitigation when allocating debts and credits. Governing bodies are primarily responsible
for prescribing the ecological criteria required to attain credits for mitigation. They are also responsible for valuatio
of credit. Problems with the allocation and valuation of credits and debts might be due to the complexity of
assessing the ecological value of natural resources, their capacity to change over time, and/or a lack ofunderstanding about what is beneficial or harmful to the environment.[citation needed]
Effects on land cost and availability
Some mitigation work requires buying large amounts of land or putting it in conservation easements. Because of
this, mitigation could be seen as contributing to increasing the cost of land. Mitigation can be in direct competition
with other rural land uses such as agriculture and residential development.
Problems with pre-existing credit
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Because mitigation credit can be applied to existing natural resources, landowners can be given credit to sell for
resources that already exist and would have been preserved or naturally restored regardless of mitigation laws.
Undermining preservation efforts
Despite its goals of minimizing ecological loss, mitigation can be seen as a "loophole" that allows environmental
destruction to continue.[1] The lower the cost of credits are, the more cost effective it becomes for buyers to simpl
mitigate for environmental impacts rather than preserving them. Because ecological success of mitigation work is nguaranteed, there is a greater risk of net environmental loss through failed, ineffective mitigation work intended to
compensate for existing functioning natural resources.[citation needed]
Mitigation can also undermine existing preservation efforts. If an environmental asset is set aside for mitigation
purposes, that asset can continue to be damaged until a project arises that requires mitigation. At that point, the
asset in question may be damaged beyond repair or the cost of mitigation may increase. Even if no further damage
has been done, a net loss to society has occurred if the cost of mitigation is higher than if volunteers completed the
work.
Notes
1. ^ New "recovery crediting system" could undermine federal actions to safeguard imperiled species
(http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/press_releases_folder/2008/08_01_2008_new_rules_lack_safeguards_for_
mperiled_species.php) , Lazaroff, C.,Defenders of Wildlife, 08-01-08.
External links
United States EPA Compensatory Mitigation website (http://www.epa.gov/wetlandsmitigation/)
National Mitigation Banking Association (http://www.mitigationbanking.org/)
Endangered Species and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Recovery Crediting Guidance
(http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-17579.pdf/)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environmental_mitigation&oldid=471817236"
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