For many more videos, see our video channel at YouTube.com/WetlandBank
This site embeds many YouTube videos. If your office firewall blocks YouTube and your job has anything to do with wildlife or wetlands, inform your admin that a vast amount of wildlife documentation is being censored from you.
On June 1st, 2010 we took some video and still photos from a plane. Compared
to some older pictures it helps show the progress and changes over the years at
Valencia Wetland.
Valencia Wetlands Mitigation Bank in Priest River, Idaho, is the first wetland
bank in the State of Idaho. It exists on the former Louisiana Pacific sawmill
property, which is being reclaimed and restored to its original wetland state.
It is one of the largest wetland banks in the nation, 291 acres! It’s large for
our area, since the need for wetland replacement is limited here. In an effort to
help us succeed, the Corps of Engineers has given us a large service area, from
our northern border with Canada, all the way to the Clearwater River to the
south, and parts of Western Montana. Our wetland bank is certified and supervised
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Idaho Fish and
Game. All of these agencies have contributed valuable knowledge and help to
insure our success. They will be providing long term oversight and support while
we complete our work and watch it grow. We have granted a conservation easement to
the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which will insure permanent protection of the
property. They will make certain that this property remains in the reclaimed state
it will be in when our work is finished several years from now. (We’ve been at it
six years already!) Part of creating wetland is documenting the wildlife.
If you like waterfowl, take a moment to browse through the many pictures and
videos we have posted. You can also see how we replaced our old dam to retain a proper water level. We continue to move fill from the old mill site log storage yard to
expose the wet soil below.
Most of us know that wetlands are vital in helping to keep our
water clean. They trap nutrients and sediment and prevent them from entering the
aquatic system. They filter shallow groundwater. They soak up flood waters like a
sponge. And they provide habitat for some critters we like to have around.
These are things we all want! And most of us are willing to make
some adjustments to see that they are protected. But there are other things we want, too. And need! Things like
roads, bridges, airports and driveways. Things we just can't do without. In the struggle to balance the importance of both sides of this
issue, the Federal Government has spent an enormous amount of time and
money trying to find a solution that addresses the critical needs of
both sides of the equation. They have required developers and highway
departments to create new wetlands to replace those that were unavoidably
destroyed. (this is called mitigation!) This program has met with mixed
success. The failure rates have been disappointing, with incredible amounts
of time and effort wasted. Many, many people have gone through the grueling process of
searching for a piece of property that was not a wetland, but might become a
wetland; then engineering a plan to turn it into a wetland; then excavating
and planting wetland plants. More often than not, it failed (about 60% fail). Time to start
over! It turns out that you just can't take a piece of property that is not now a
wetland, and make it into a self-sustaining wetland. At least not reliably.
But, in the process, a solution emerged that works. In 1995, a program
called “Wetland Banking” was begun. It was initially instituted as a last
ditch effort to replace impacted wetlands, after all other efforts had failed.
The idea was that you could find a large piece of property that was extremely
viable as a permanent wetland and make it into wetland. Then credits could
be sold to many smaller projects that could not avoid impacting existing
wetlands. The larger wetland banks were generally of a higher quality and
diversity than the smaller ones they were replacing. The critters responded
enthusiastically by moving in! Everybody is happy!
In acknowledgement of the surprising success of wetland banks, the Federal Government has issued a NEW RULE!
This rule went into effect on June 9, 2008. It took wetland banks from the end of the list of things to try, and put it first!
This new rule is the result of much study, public input, and balancing of the need to protect our wetlands with the
necessity of keeping the doors open to continued economic growth and development.
Buy Wetland Credits Once you purchase wetland credits for your mitigation needs, you no longer need
to worry about the years long process of creating wetland. Each wetland
credit is approved by the Army Corps Of Engineers and represents wetland that is
already in existence and being preserved. The process is much simpler and
possibly much cheaper than creating your own wetland. Contact us for
more information.
(253)218-8380 (208)610-0251 valenciawetland@gmail.com
