What is the value in pro-active wetland bank creation?
One noteworthy project of ours was the creation of North Fork Wetlands Bank. The bank was originally conceived for on-site mitigation for the proposed Disney’s America project. When the Disney project was scratched, WSSI chose to continue development for speculative mitigation requirements. Now, developers who need off-site mitigation to offset wetland impacts have a high-quality source from which to purchase credits, rather than having to create numerous smaller, off-site wetlands, which may not be as successful or valuable as a larger-scale site, such as North Fork. North Fork has 7 acres of openwater, 76 acres of wetlands, and 42 acres of upland buffers and features a diverse mix of forested, shrub-scrub, and emergent wetlands. In July 2000, the site was donated to the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, who will serve as the bank’s long-term steward. In this manner, the Scouts will benefit from the wetlands for educational uses, and the wetlands will benefit
