Serving Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi
Davis Minton & Bradley Minton Wetland Mitigation Banks Specialist
Serving Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi
Davis Minton & Bradley Minton Wetland Mitigation Banks Specialist
Minton Agricultural Wetland Mitigation Bank
Minton Environmental Consultants Conservation Specialist
Who is Minton Environmental Consultants LLC?
Minton Environmental Consultants (MEC) is the entity approved by USDA & NRCS to develop and operate wetland mitigation banks throughout the Delta.
Davis Minton & Bradley Minton have been the leaders in establishing wetlands mitigation banks in the United States for the past 20 years. Experience in farming and wetland restoration have allowed them to create a sustainable environmental ecosystem for future generations. MEC wetlands banks have recreated ecosystems lost many years ago returning wildlife back to its natural habitat. Davis Minton & Bradley Minton have created over 1000 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat for Farmers, Landowners, Private Companies and State Organizations. The Mintons are the first in the Nation to work with our Government to design, restore and rebuild our lost wetlands. MEC owns wetland banks located in Missouri & Arkansas providing options for Farmers and Land Owners located in Missouri, Arkansas & Mississippi to remove and relocate their wetland to our banks
What is Wetland Mitigation Banking?
USDA Conservation Compliance requires any farmer or landowner who wishes to convert a wetland for commodity production to offset that loss through wetland mitigation with the Sodbuster/Swambuster Act. The mitigation process allows those farmers and landowners to maintain eligibility for USDA benefits including participation in the USDA Farm Programs
Wetland Mitigation Program Wetland Credits and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Credits
- Wetland credits developed for the NRCS Wetland Mitigation Program are generated to assist landowners with USDA conservation compliance. NRCS does not certify or make assumptions regarding what the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Clean Water Act, or any state government agency might require of mitigation.
Multi-Benefit Project Habitat Restoration
Between the mid 1970s and mid 1980s, conversions to agricultural use accounted for 54 percent of wetland loss in the United States The bank will replace the hydrologic, Biogeochemical, Plant Community, and habitat functions impacted by the wetland conversions within its service area. Benefits include flood attenuation, groundwater recharge and discharge, sediment retention, nutrient and contaminant removal, plant community structure and function, and wildlife habitat of critical importance to waterfowl, shorebirds, and many threatened and endangered species.
How Can Wetlands Mitigation Banking Benefit me as a Landowner?
Benefits of Purchasing Credits from a Wetland Mitigation Bank:
- Saves Time - Purchasing credits from a mitigation bank can take a couple of weeks instead of potentially much longer to develop a different mitigation plan,. This allows the farmers to remain eligible for funding faster.
- Severs Liability - The landowner is not responsible for the success or maintenance of the bank or credits purchased through the program.
- Eliminates General and Financial Risk -The bank developer is responsible for all risk associated with the bank. The landowner does not take on any risk through the purchase of credits from the bank.
- Saves Money - The costs associated with landowners developing and maintaining mitigated wetlands on their land far exceeds the cost of purchasing credits from a mitigation bank.
- Doesn't Encumber Land in Perpetuity - If a landowner mitigates a wetland to another site on his or hers property, a permanent conservation easement is required: purchasing credits in a mitigation bank frees the landowner from that commitment.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I move my wetland to the wetland mitigation bank?
Contact MEC to begin the purchase process. MEC will provide pricing information and supply you with a wetland credit purchase agreement.
- Finalizing the purchase will include the following steps:
- The landowner will provide to MEC: Name: Address: Wetland Impact Type: and Quantity.
- MEC will draft a purchase agreement
- The landowner will sign and return the agreement to MEC.
- MEC will sign and return the agreement to the landowner and provide an invoice.
- The landowner will pay MEC for the wetland credits.
- Once payment is received, MEC will finalize the purchase agreement , and send documentation to the landowner.
- How many wetland credits do I need to purchase to be compliant?
Landowners should contact their local NRCS office to determine the appropriate amount of wetland credits they need to purchase. The amount of wetland credits a farmer needs to purchase depends on the wetland functions, values, and acres at the site the farmer plan to convert. NRCS has established a functional assessment procedure for establishing the wetland that is intended to be impacted and the resulting number of wetland credits needed to offset those impacts.
- Does my farm need to be in a specific geographical location to purchase wetland credits from the program?
The Mitigation credit needs to be sold within the Bank Service Area boundary within Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi.
- Once the wetland credits have been purchased, then what?
The landowner will provide a copy of the fully executed credit purchase agreement, including the Bill of Sale and Payment Receipt to NRCS