In mid-August, Ҵýapp prepared written recommendations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the agency works to review and revise the decade-old Compensatory Mitigation Rule, which addresses mitigation requirements for Clean Water Act (CWA) permits. Ҵýapp’s recommendations focus on how the Corps could reduce mitigation uncertainty and inconsistency in the process, increase mitigation banking capacity, and help alleviate some of the delays on projects related to the CWA permit approvals. Ҵýapp also encourages the Corps to provide for alternative, programmatic, and multipurpose options for mitigation.
Ҵýapp sent its recommendations during the “pre-proposal” phase---serving as an overview of concerns raised by Ҵýapp members. The Corps will consider Ҵýapp’s and others public feedback in drafting its proposal to revise the current regulatory language. Although delayed, revision of the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation Rule continues to appear on the agency’s list of regulatory actions, and a proposal is now expected by the end of 2019.
For more information, contact Melinda Tomaino at tomainom@agc.org.