According to the Associated Press, developers would be able to build in wetlands more cheaply and quickly if three bills in the Oregon Legislature are approved. The legislation would reduce the amount of wetland mitigation required in some cases, streamline the permitting process and create a pilot program to create a local mitigation bank, the Statesman Journal reported. >Read More
State programs are an increasing cause for concern as they enter the mitigation space many times without a clear understanding for the mitigation industry and how it enables streamlined permitting. The issues with state mitigation programs may range from direct regulatory conflicts of interest, to developers being forced to meet differing or incompatible state and federal requirements, to excessive damages to our environment.