IDEM works to match groups with potential wetland restoration sites
A new tool on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Web site was unveiled Wednesday at the Indiana Geographic Information Council Annual conference in Bloomington. The tool will encourage the restoration and creation of wetlands, a vital part of Indiana’s ecosystem. Construction and other land disturbing projects often affect wetlands, which store rainwater and slow the movement of floodwater. Wetland replacement, which is required by law, is known as mitigation. Finding appropriate mitigation sites often takes a great deal of time.
IDEM and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) unveiled public portal for a new Volunteer Mitigation interactive site. The site will assist in the connection of property owners willing to provide land for mitigation and organizations that must complete mitigation as part of their project. The goal is to easily identify potential sites and streamline wetland restoration and creation. The public portal can be found at IdemMaps.idem.IN.gov/apps/MitigationVolunteer/ and is currently accepting entries from property owners.
IDEM developed the project in cooperation with INDOT, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. In recent months, the agencies have been testing a version of the site.
“The Volunteer Mitigation site is a revolutionary way to streamline the wetland restoration process,” said Thomas Easterly, IDEM commissioner. “It will allow groups that need locations for wetland restoration to find and work with interested property owners easily and efficiently.”
Organizations that disturb wetlands through construction or other activities are required to restore or create new wetlands to offset the impact. In order to increase the probability that new wetlands will survive and to offset the amount of time it takes for the area to mature, groups must create more wetlands than they disturb.
IDEM issues permits and water quality certifications for construction, excavation, and dredging projects in Indiana wetlands, streams and other water bodies. Hoosiers planning a project of this nature that could affect the quality of Indiana waters should call the IDEM Office of Water Quality Wetlands Program at (800) 451-6027 or visit the Wetlands Program Web site at wetlands.IN.gov.
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