Agricultural Producers with Swampbuster Violations
Credit Availability Maps
The MMWA will be establishing wetland mitigation bank sites on MDNR lands and private land to service agricultural producers in watersheds and ecoregions throughout Michigan.
Find out how the MMWA can help you
If you have received your final wetland determination from the USDA and are trying to decide how to proceed, please contact the MMWA.
With very few exceptions, corrective action must commence within one year of the approval to regain USDA program eligibility—so time is of the essence! Since you may only purchase NRCS wetland mitigation bank credits from a wetland mitigation bank in the same watershed as your impacted site, we need to hear from you to determine where to establish our wetland mitigation bank sites.
FAQs for Agricultural Producers
When Will MMWA Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits Be Available for Sale?
The MMWA is still awaiting final approval by the NRCS/MDEQ. Please contact us to see if we can help in the interim.
If I Purchase MMWA Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits and Don’t Use Them, Can I Resell Them to Someone Else?
No. Due to the limited number of credits available, any unused credits must be sold back to the MMWA and cannot be sold by you to third parties.
Can I Purchase MMWA Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits Now, Even Though I Don’t Have a Permit Requiring Mitigation Yet?
Possibly. The MMWA Board will take requests for credits and make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
What If There Are No MMWA Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits Available in My Location?
The MMWA will continue to add more sites in the years to come, and demand will be a factor in determining future site locations. Therefore, it is important to contact us when you begin planning a project with unavoidable wetland impacts.
Does It Matter What Type of Wetland Mitigation Bank Credit Is Available? How Can I Tell How Many and What Type of Credits I Need?
Wetland mitigation must be of a similar ecological type as the impacted wetland wherever feasible and practical, and the MDEQ/NRCS has laid out ratios of acres of wetland mitigation that must be provided for each acre of permitted wetland loss. However, the MDEQ may increase the ratio if the replacement wetland is of a different ecological type than the impacted wetland. For more information, please visit the MDEQ’s/NRCS’s website at www.michigan.gov/wetlands, www.nrcs.usda.gov.
How Can I Tell If the MMWA Has Any Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits Available in My Location?
Once you’ve determined the location, type, and number of acres of wetland mitigation required by the MDEQ/NRCS for your particular project, please see our credit availability maps to determine whether we have credits available in your location. Credit Availability Maps for Local Governments or Credit Availability Maps for Agricultural Producers or Credit Availability Maps for Blueberry Growers
Why Are the MMWA and the MDNR Involved in Swampbuster Compliance Issues?
Michigan was 1 of 10 states selected by the USDA to receive a grant to establish a wetland mitigation banking program to assist with Swampbuster compliance. Even though the NRCS will oversee this program, the MMWA will work with the MDNR to establish wetland mitigation bank sites. The MMWA will coordinate the construction of the sites and serve as the bank sponsor, while the MDNR will manage and maintain the bank sites after construction.