Justin Elkins
WV Mitigation Program Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District
Huntington, WV
Gabrielle David, PhD (V)
Research Physical Scientist
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
Hanover, NH
Brian Topping
Environmental Protection Specialist
US Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC
Tracie-Lynn Nadeau, PhD
Environmental Scientist
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
Portland, OR
Adam Riggsbee
President
RiverBank Conservation
Austin, TX
Todd Tugwell
Mitigation Project Manager
Wilmington District, USACE
Wake Forest, NC
Andrea Seager
Mitigation Program Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, OR
Session begins with presentations on two recently released technical reports as mentioned below that include findings and scientifically supported recommendations. These will be followed by a moderated discussion to explore challenges and opportunities to improve stream mitigation programs and outcomes.
The Mitigation Rule has prompted the growth of stream compensatory mitigation frameworks and assessment methods nationwide. While federal and state agencies have developed a variety of assessment methods and standard operating procedures for calculating the amount of impacts (debits) and compensation (credits) produced by various projects, stream mitigation programs generally are not as mature as wetland mitigation programs, and there remain many gaps in needed tools and processes to build the capacity and efficacy of stream mitigation programs.
“Technical guide for the development, evaluation, and modification of stream assessment methodologies” and
“Stream mitigation accounting metrics: exploring the use of linear-based, area-based, and volume units of measure to calculate impacts and offsets to different stream archetypes.” Both reports result from collaborative efforts including a team of stream scientists and restoration practitioners from the public and private sectors representing nationwide expertise. Each provides evaluation findings and an analytical process, informing the development and use of scientifically credible assessment and mitigation accounting approaches for federal, state, tribal regulatory staff and their IRT partners responsible for developing and implementing stream compensatory mitigation programs nationwide.
