Industry concerns and complaints about environmental compliance often arise due to project delays resulting from the permitting process. This important study aggregated data from the US Army Corps of Engineers' received under FOIA for fiscal years 2011-2015. The data was analyzed to determine the average number of days required to obtain various permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act using different forms of mitigation.
Interactive Chart shows average number of days to permit for different forms of mitigation (MB = Mitigation Bank; PRM OFF = Offsite Permittee Responsible Mitigation; PRM ON = Onsite Permittee Responsible Mitigation) and by permit types (LOP = Letter of Permission; NWP = Nationwide Permit; PGP = Programmatic General Permit; RGP = Regional General Permit; SP = Standard Permit)
In summary, credits from a mitigation bank typically offer the most timely solution for those seeking permits from the agency when environmental impacts cannot be further avoided or minimized. This is especially true for larger projects which may require Standard Permits and can cut permitting timelines by as much as 50%.
If you work in mitigation banking, ecological restoration, or ecosystem markets, there’s one event you can’t afford to miss this fall: 2026 NEBA Annual DC Fly-InSeptember 15–17 in Washington, DC Hosted by the National Environmental Banking Association (NEBA), this annual event brings industry leaders face-to-face with federal policymakers to influence environmental legislation and regulation that directly impact
Read MoreThe National Environmental Banking Association (NEBA) is pleased to announce the proposed Board of Directors slate that will be presented to members for election during the Annual Membership Meeting on September 16, 2026, as part of the NEBA Annual DC Fly-In in Washington, D.C.The proposed slate is:JEFF OYEN, ChairKEVIN MORAN, Vice-ChairKENNETH JESENSKY, Secretary/TreasurerROBERT SPOTH, Board
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