Wetland Mitigation Program
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has developed 13 wetland banks that will eventually provide a total of 5,422 acres of habitat available as credits toward individual project mitigation needs. The banks are in nearly all of Alabama's major river basins.  The ALDOT's wetland banking program was established by an agreement between ALDOT, FHWA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alabama Department of Conservation, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.  The agreement lays down criteria for mitigation success credit availability, monitoring, and any long-term management plans proposed by ALDOT.  For more information, contact John Shill, shillj@dot.state.al.usshillj@dot.state.al.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Ecoregion-based Approach to Wetland Mitigation
Since 1996, the Arkansas (IHighway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has set up wetland mitigation banks in the State's five ecoregions: the Ozark Highlands, the Arkansas River Valley, the Ouachita Mountains, the Gulf Coastal Plain, and the Delta Ecoregion (the Mississippi Alluvial Plain). The banks are ecoregion-based because they must respond to and support the geographically distinct areas having different environmental conditions, species, and ecological dynamics.  Collaboration among AHTD, FHWA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, and the Arkansas Soil and Water Commission was required to assure that each bank functioned to best serve the ecoregion in which it is located. Developing ecoregion-based wetland mitigation required that each bank be located in the best site with the greatest potential for success and provide the greatest number of benefits to wetlands and wildlife habitat. The landscape-scale or ecoregion approach recognizes and promotes ecological connectivity and prevents further habitat fragmentation. For more information, contact Phillip Moore at phillip.moore@arkansashighways.com.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Tampa Bay Water Wetlands Creation/Enhancement
The wetlands creation project was ancillary to the construction of a 15 billion gallon capacity raw water pumped storage reservoir for the west central Florida utility, Tampa Bay Water Supply Authority.   The wetlands project consisted of the creation of 450 acres of new wetlands and the enhancement of 600 acres of adjacent existing wetlands and uplands.   Approximately 1,500,000 individual plants consisting of over 150 species of Florida native wetlands plants, shrubs, and trees were planted over a two year period and approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of earth material moved to construct the project.   The project was completed in the late fall of 2004 and is currently in a five year monitoring phase.   Constructed cost was approximately 7.5 million dollars.   One innovative practice was that all wetland muck used in the creation portion of the project was salvaged from wetlands taken from the reservoir interior.   This practice provided a beneficial seed source of native Florida wetland species in the created wetlands.   This project is purported to be the second largest wetlands creation or enhancement project performed in Florida to date and is second in size and scope only to an earlier project performed on the Walt Disney properties in Orlando.

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Wetland and Wildlife Habitat Mitigation Program
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and five Florida Water Management Districts (WMDs) implement mitigation for impacts to wetlands and surface waters resulting from State transportation projects.  The FDOT provides funding at an annually adjusted fee per acre basis.  The FDOT-funded wetland mitigation has provided more than 5,000 acres of wetlands to compensate for anticipated wetland impacts over the life of the program covering projects in 16 counties and 11 drainage basins in Central Florida.

For more information on FDOT's Wildlife Habitat Mitigation Program, contact Vicki Sharpe at vicki.sharpe@dot.state.fl.us.   For FDOT's Wetland Habitat Mitigation Program, contact Joshua Boan at joshua.boan@dot.state.fl.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Georgia DOT Umbrella Mitigation Banking Instrument (GUMBI)
The Georgia Department of Transportation Umbrella Mitigation Banking Instrument (GUMBI) was created in order to facilitate easier operation of the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) 17 mitigation banks. There are one or more mitigation banks in each watershed in Georgia, and they will be used primarily for compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to wetlands, streams, and riparian corridors throughout te State of Georgia that result from GDOT transportation improvement activities.

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LaGrange Wetland Bank
The Illinois DOT purchased 1,645 acres of former agricultural property to restore as the LaGrange Wetland Mitigation Bank. In return, the IDOT will receive credits offsetting unavoidable highway impacts to wetlands and natural resources in the region.  After purchasing the property, IDOT removed most of the existing drainage structures installed water level control to maintain wetland hydrology and to provide floodwater and sediment storage for the watersheds of the Illinois and LaMoine Rivers.  Eventually, full restoration will require re-vegetation, invasive plant control, and some additional earthwork to return the site to a multi-habitat system.  This will be a complex of open water, marshes, shrub wetlands, grasslands, and upland and floodplain forest land buffers.  For more information, contact Denny O'Connell at O'ConnellDM@nt.dot.state.il.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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South Shore Wetland Mitigation Site, Kentucky
The South Shore Wetland Mitigation Site was established to compensate for unavoidable wetland losses that occurred as part of two Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) projects. Although the project was originally intended to meet the Cabinet's regulatory requirements, it appears that the site has been much more successful than anticipated. Approximately 26 more acres of wetland were created than were actually needed to comply with USACE and KDOW permits. Many wildlife species have been observed using the area, including several waterfowl species, deer, racoon, and fish. Wood duck nesting boxes have been added to encourage use of the site. KYTC has entered into an agreement to transfer ownership of the site to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). This will assure long-term protection and management of this valuable wetland resource. Partnerships such as this one between KYTC and KDFWR can demonstrate successful environmental stewardship. The USACE and KDOW are assured that the South Shore Mitigation Site will be maintained and managed for its best functional use and that KYTC has followed through on the commitment to compensate for wetland losses caused by roadway projects. Get more information from the AASHTO Environmental Stewardship Demonstration site, or contact Karen Mynhier at Karen.Mynhier@mail.state.ky.us.

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Fish Passage Policy and Design Guide
Fish Passage Policy and Design Guide

The purpose of the Fish Passage Policy and Design Guide is to establish a policy, process, and design guide with best management practices for fish passage. The document was developed for Maine Department of Transportation projects with water-crossing structures, such as bridges, pipes and culverts. The primary goal regarding fish passage is to meet regulatory requirements and resource needs, while delivering safe, cost effective, and timely projects. A multi-agency Fish Passage Work Group was formed to examine current regulations and practices for agency coordination, existing standards for fish passage, and design and engineering considerations. When examining whether fish passage and associated habitat issues are compatible with new stream crossing structures or improvements to existing structures, Maine DOT must balance the interrelated needs of the site, including regulatory, biological, hydrological, structural, and economic. The goals for crossings should:

• Maintain or replicate natural stream channel or flow conditions;
• Pass peak flows in accordance with Main DOT drainage policy;
• Comply with existing regulations on passing fish;
• Consider potential impacts to rights of way, utilities, and traffic;
• Meet appropriate standards and safety requirements;
• Provide reasonable life cycle costs; and
• Consider the least environmentally damaging solutions.

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Maryland State Highway Administration NPDES Program
Maryland State Highway Administration owns and maintains hundreds of miles of stormdrain systems and about 1,500 stormwater management facilities. To successfully comply with the permit requirements in an environmentally responsible and cost efficient manner, Maryland SHA developed a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program, which places all activities related to stormwater management under a single umbrella and provides a structured template to systematically address stormwater pollution prevention. The Stormwater Management Facilities Program is an example of one of the many programs that fall under Maryland SHA's NPDES umbrella and shows how to go beyond compliance as part of doing business. This comprehensive maintenance program is used to locate, inspect, evaluate, remediate and enhance all of the stormwater management facilities in order to improve water quality, protect sensitive wetlands and water resources, and enhance the aesthetic quality of communities. This program has demonstrated environmental stewardship in the areas of innovative and integrated Best Management Practices (BMPs), enhancements to visual and functional quality, state of the art inspection and data management technology, training, partnering, and unprecedented maintenance and remediation techniques. The program was a winner of the Federal Highway Administration’s 2003 Environmental Excellence Award for water quality.

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Wetlands Banking
MDOT has worked closely with state and federal environmental agencies to ensure that transportation projects are environmentally sound and minimize disruption to existing ecosystems.  A pre-mitigation program has been developed that provides the basis for ongoing mitigation opportunities that are implemented as they become available.  MDOT has set up several hundred wetland banks throughout the state in different watershed areas.  In 2005, approximately $4.75 million was authorized for construction of seven wetlands, covering over 220 acres, including 125 acres of wetland bank credits to be used for future projects.  In addition, MDOT initiated the design of six additional wetland bank sites.

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Bob Jacobson Restoration Site
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Board of Water and Soil Resources worked together to create a wetland bank to mitigate the impacts of road repair and reconstruction projects.  The Mn/DOT purchased the land and the BWSR manages the area. This cooperative effort has restored natural areas that had been farmed for decades to approximately 750 acres of wetlands and 1,150 acres of native upland vegetation. More than 130 individual wetland basins or prairie potholes have been restored and range in size from 1/2 acre to 50 acres.  The Bob Jacobson site will be transferred to the DNR to become one of the state's Wildlife Management Areas. The site links two existing federal waterfowl production areas, creating one contiguous public land complex of more than 2,600 acres.  For more information, contact Sarma Straumanis, Sarma.straumanis@state.mn.us.   Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Deaton Ecological Preserve
The Mississippi DOT, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, purchased and enhanced the Deaton tract to gain mitigation credits for ongoing transportation improvements and enabling the perpetual protection of one of the most pristine ecosystems in North America. The Pascagoula River Basin is one of the largest unaltered river drainages remaining in the lower 48 States, and it supports a vast expanse of salt marsh bordering the Gulf of Mexico.  The tract provides habitat for federally threatened and endangered species such as the Gopher tortoise and the Mississippi sandhill crane.  The MDOT gained valuable coastal wetland mitigation credits that will reduce project delays and offset transportation impacts, while the Conservancy now has the resources to restore and preserve one of Mississippi's "last great places."  For further information on this wonderfully cooperative effort, contact Claiborne Barnwell at cbarnwell@mdot.state.ms.us and see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Missouri Section 404 Protocol for I-70
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Missouri Division are using tiering to address the long range needs of a 200-mile section of Interstate 70 (I-70) in their state. MoDOT chose to use tiering in order to involve and inform the public about project decisions, to address problems before final decisions were made, and to decide promptly whether or not to build a parallel facility.

During the first tier MoDOT and FHWA focused on studying strategies and collective impacts on the entire corridor, decreasing the risk of dividing potentially impacted environmental resources and identifying opportunities where mitigation efforts for project subsections could be combined. Now in the second tier, MoDOT and FHWA are studying the project-specific impacts and issues of the first tier strategy for seven corridor subsections, allowing them to address local community concerns and environmental issues in each subsection. Throughout the entire tiering process, MoDOT and FHWA have met early with state and Federal resource agencies to discuss tiering the I-70 project process, fostering relationships based on trust.

As part of this effort, MoDOT established a Protocol for Identifying and Delineating Wetlands and Stream Impacts for the Interstate 70 Corridor Second Tier Environmental Documents and Preliminary Jurisdictional Wetland Determinations. Wetland identification tasks include:

• Summary of Wetland Identification Tasks
• Compilation of Wetland Inventory Database.
• Wetland Impacts Analysis for Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Relocation Concepts.
• Wetland Impacts Analysis for Environmental Assessments (EA) and Categorical Exclusion’s (CE).
• Wetland Impact Analysis and Permit Documentation

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Missouri Statewide Umbrella Banking Instrument
The Umbrella Banking Instrument provides guidelines and assigns responsibilities for the establishment, use, operation, and maintenance of MoDOT Banks established in Missouri within the USACE Districts.  Banks are used for compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to wetlands, streams, and other aquatic resources that result from MoDOT activities authorized under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), andFHWA rulemaking on Mitigation of Impacts to Wetlands.  In addition to compliance with the regulatory authorities, the Banking Instrument is intended to be the primary method by which MoDOT meets the net-gain goals expressed in the FHWA rulemaking on Mitigation of Impacts of Wetlands, the President's Wetland Plan of 1998, and the Missouri Executive Order 96-03.

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Washoe Lake Mitigation Area
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) created this 335-acre wetland mitigation bank to offset transportation impacts in and around Carson City and nearby areas.  The site was a collaborative effort between the NDOT, FHWA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada Division of State Parks, and the Nevada Division of State Lands.  The wetlands have high value as a wildlife breeding and brooding area and a resting and feeding area for migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, amphibians, raptors, and mammals. Long-term monitoring of the site is an ongoing commitment due to potential water shortage issues.  For more information, contact Gail Bellenger at gbellenger@dot.state.nv.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Chocorua Lake Watershed Partnership
Volunteers monitoring Chocorua Lake became increasingly concerned about the levels of phosphorous in the lake. The phosphorous, which was traced to a variety of sources including fertilizer, gasoline and oil, primarily from nearby Route 16, was contributing to deteriorating water quality. The Chocorua Lake Watershed Team, made up of state and federal agencies and local citizens, approached NHDOT to find a solution.  NHDOT worked with the watershed team on a "Berms and Swales Project". This Best Management Practice approach involved installing a system of berms, swales, and settling and filtering basins to control storm run-off.  The results have been dramatic; the amount of phosphorous entering Lake Chocorua has been reduced by 80%.  The North American Lake Management Society recently recognized this project with a Technical Achievement Award. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, NHDOT pledges to continue this cooperative relationship to protect the lake. This agreement is believed to be the first of its kind in New Hampshire.

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Route 101 Mitigation Site
The New Hampshire DOT created a 320-acre wetland mitigation site as part of a project to improve a nearby 17.6-mile stretch of Route 101. The NHDOT worked with a variety of State federal and local agencies to develop and adopt a mitigation strategy that focused on a broad "landscape approach" to fit ecosystem and resource management needs. In the process, more than 100 acres of freshwater wetlands were created and enhanced (the biggest wetland-creation project ever undertaken by NHDOT).  The site is the central focus of an overall ambitious mitigation package which has protected a variety of natural and human-based resources important to the region while at the same time enabling a much-needed transportation improvement.  For more information, contact Den Danna at ddanna@dot.state.nh.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm

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Innovations in Highway Erosion Control
The NMDOT is in the forefront of experimenting with innovative techniques for slope stabilization and erosion control in the extremely dry climate of New Mexico. The NMDOT Recycling Task Force, formed in 2002, has been actively investigating alternative measures to combat erosion and control sediment run-off from highway construction. The Task Force has partnered with the NM Environment Department, the NM Recycling Coalition (NMRC), local governments across the state, and private compost and mulch manufacturers to develop an effective compost-mulch product for use on NMDOT construction and maintenance projects (view a picture of one of the projects). As a result of these partnerships, in the past 18 months over 40,000 cubic yards of compost-mulch has been placed on highway right-of-way throughout the state. It is proving to be an extremely successful and cost-effective erosion control method for NMDOT. In addition, it is providing economic development opportunities for both local government and small private compost operators. Due to the amount of acreage involved in highway construction and maintenance projects, the NMDOT has the potential to becoming the largest consumer of compost-mulch products in the state.

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Stormwater MOU
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) recognizes that, with its extensive network of state highways, it is in a position to assist in improving New York’s water quality.  NYSDOT routinely incorporates erosion and sediment control and water quality enhancements into its activities and retrofits existing highway drainage systems where appropriate.

When the NYSDOT received a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit for stormwater discharges during construction activity in 2003 from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), there were provisions that would limit the NYSDOT’s ability to maintain and operate the State’s highways and bridges in a safe, timely, cost effective, and environmentally sound manner.  The NYSDOT was able to successfully negotiate with the NYSDEC to come up with mutually agreeable principles, practices, and understandings regarding the implementation of the SPDES permit.  Download a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding.

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Stewart Airport Access Improvement Project
The 4.7-mile Stewart Airport Access Improvement Project involves a comprehensive mitigation package which includes 13 acres of created wetlands and adjacent upland buffer areas. The site was constructed within the confines of a very large tract of forest land previously held by the DOT and turned over to the State Natural Resources Department for perpetual management as an additional mitigation measure. During the project surveys, NYSDOT crews located 12 vernal pools within the protected buffer areas and created complimentary tree-snag and brush-pile cover areas and enhanced the pool habitats with organic material excavated from other parts of the project.  All of the work was founded on information generated from the intensive habitat assessments and other studies of the area during the planning and design phases. The mitigation package includes a 10-year monitoring program for the 12 vernal pool sites and other measures. NYDOT also plans to contract research to examine the functions and colonization of the created vernal pools.  For more information, contact William J. Gorton, bgorton@dot.state.ny.us.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Ecosystem Enhancement

North Carolina’s Ecosystem Enhancement Program

A national model, the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) evolved from a multi-year effort by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Implemented in 2002, the program is intended to reduce environmental impacts through increased avoidance and minimization, to streamline the project delivery process for transportation improvement projects by eliminating compensatory mitigation from the critical path for project delivery, and to produce the most environmentally beneficial mitigation possible with public dollars. The EEP has been endorsed at the highest levels of participating agencies, in particular, USACE.  This program will substantially improve the quality of the life in NC’s communities by improving the natural environment through collaborative planning and implementation.

For more information:  http://www.nceep.net/. Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Carolina Bays Ecosystem Initiative
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) built the 28-mile Carolina Bays Parkway.—a model transportation project that also funded measures to mitigate impacts to the natural areas located along the route. Developing this project without jeopardizing the fragile local wetland ecosystems of the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve required innovative solutions and collaborative partnerships.  The SCDOT committed to preserving and expanding the preserve and its wildlife corridors in addition to mitigating the direct project impacts.  This was done with oversight from a cooperative Ecosystem Committee made up of members of the SCDNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.  For more information contact Patrick Tyndall at Patrick.tyndall@fhwa.dot.gov.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Sandy Island Ecosystem Preserve
South Carolina DOT, in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy and various state and Federal partners, preserved a pristine 16,825-acre island in South Carolina.  It provides one of the largest intact coastal wetland ecosystems on the east coast.  The SCDOT and the Conservancy bought the acreage as part of a wetlands mitigation bank developed by strong public-private partnerships at federal, state, and local levels. Under the agreement involving the purchase, SCDOT may use the site to compensate for impacts to wetland resources resulting from future highway improvements in the state's coastal plain.  The Sandy Island Ecosystem Initiative has already allowed three large transportation projects - U.S. 17 improvements, the Conway Bypass, and the Carolina Bays Parkway to move ahead.  For more information, contact Patrick Tyndall, patrick.tyndall@dot.gov.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Wetland Mitigation Banks
During the 1990s, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) established several wetland banks by purchasing, more than 9,000 acres of diminishing bottomland hardwood habitat through a partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).  Texas DOT selected the sites with input from a Mitigation Banking Review Team made up of several state and federal agencies.  Under a subsequent agreement, the DOT proceeded with work to restore, enhance, preserve, and manage these lands to obtain credits against future transportation projects impacting wetlands.  The agreement specifies that the mitigation banks have an anticipated 20-year credit life to meet the goals of the bank management plans and to speed the processing of transportation projects within the banks' geographic service areas. More than 90 transportation projects have been expedited by using various bank credits. The unused credits after 20 years will be available to TxDOT when the wetlands areas transfer to the TPWD to manage.  For more information, contact Tom Bruechert, tom.bruechert@dot.gov.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Legacy Nature Preserve
The Utah DOT has funded the development of a landscape-scale ecosystem enhancement program through joint efforts with and support from resource agencies, local governments, and local environmental groups.  The preserve is located between the Great Salt Lake and the 14-mile Legacy Parkway Offsetting the anticipated wetland and wildlife habitat impacts of the parkway, the UDOT developed the preserve as a vital component of the parkway project.  The preserve provides buffer areas and linkages to enhance the Greater Salt Lake Ecosystem.  It is starting to function as a naturally self-sustaining ecosystem after the effects of previous development on the site were removed through and overall cleanup, re-vegetation, and grading effort.  It will eventually become a complex of mudflats, seasonal wet meadows, deep emergent marshes, and open water channels with surrounding upland buffers.  Long-term management of the site will be conducted under a collaborative Adaptive Management Plan.  For more information, contact John Thomas, johnthomas@utah.gov.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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Woodrow Wilson Bridge
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project has a requirement that it can not place untreated water in the Potomac River.  The project’s Environmental Management Group developed a way to chemically treat the wash water from construction and reuse it within the project.  Originally, project wash water was captured in a steel container located on a barge, and then pumped into a pit on the shoreline.   At the shoreline, the water was allowed to settle to reduce turbidity. 

It was found that pumping untreated water into a land-based pit works well for small quantities; however, the project was producing too much water for the pit and there was not room to expand the existing pit or build another one.  This left the choice of either hauling untreated water to a facility that could treat it or finding another solution to change the properties of the water on site.   The decision was made to treat the water on site, making it benign.  The water is treated with carbon dioxide gas, causing a reaction that creates carbonic acid.  Carbonic acid is self buffering and changes the ph of the water from base to neutral.   This treated water is then re-used on site to keep dust down on unpaved roads on the site.   Although add-mixtures in concrete have a certain amount of toxicity, microbes in the soil are active enough to detoxify any remaining elements.  Typically, potable water is used for this.

The process is beneficial because it is a complete full-cycle solution.  It also avoids the cost, delay, and use of fuel associated with trucking and disposing of untreated water.

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Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Management Area
This 750-acre property is located in the Northwest River watershed, adjacent to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and US Route 17. The VDOT procured the site as mitigation for improvements to 12 miles of Route 17. A collaborative approach with a variety of state, federal, and local agencies resulted in a conservation easement that forms a new State wildlife management area and enhances local wetland resources. The VDOT will minimize impacts to wetlands by constructing a temporary work bridge on temporary pilings and piers. This avoids placing temporary fill in sensitive wetland areas.  For more information, contact Ricky Woody at ricky.woody@virginiadot.org.  Also see FHWA’s Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ecosystems/index.htm.

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WisDOT partnering on erosion control and stormwater management

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is working to foster and promote collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to identify and implement practicable improvements to WisDOT erosion control and stormwater management design and construction activities. The initiative will include efforts to improve erosion control training for WisDOT staff, consultants, contractors, and utilities as well as updating and revising applicable erosion control and stormwater management regulations. Get more information from the AASHTO Environmental Stewardship Demonstration site, or contact Dan Scudder, at dan.scudder@dot.state.wi.us.

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Watershed Management Handbook Released At White House Conference

A handbook to assist communities in managing watersheds was released on Aug. 30, 2005, at the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation. The 98-page handbook, Community-Based Watershed Management: Lessons from the National Estuary Program, describes innovative approaches developed and conducted by the 28 National Estuary Programs, which are community-based watershed-management organizations that restore and protect coastal watersheds. View the handbook.

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