CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District has issued a public notice to inform all those interested of the availability of the “State of New Hampshire Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund, RSA Chapter 482A, Fiscal Year 2017 Report,” that was recently released. The state fiscal year 2017 period was July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.

The program, which is an In-Lieu Fee (ILF) program, serves as an alternative form of compensation for impacts to aquatic resources authorized by the New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or the state of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES).

Compensatory mitigation occurs in circumstances where a permittee is required to compensate for the functions and values of aquatic resources lost as a result of the permit authorization after all efforts are made to avoid and minimize aquatic resources impacts. In-Lieu Fee is an option available to the permit applicant instead of completing permittee-responsible mitigation. Use of the In-Lieu Fee program is contingent upon Corps of Engineers and/or state of New Hampshire approval. 

All In-Lieu Fee agreements in New England are available for review on the Corps’ website at

www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Mitigation/InLieuFeePrograms.aspx.

The New Hampshire DES Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund was established in 2006 to provide wetlands permit applicants with an additional option to address federal and state mitigation requirements when impacts to jurisdictional wetlands and other aquatic resources are permitted that require mitigation. DES manages and implements the ARM Fund in accordance with both the state statutory requirements and a Memorandum of Understanding between DES and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that ensures consistency and compliance with federal standards. 

The public notice and the FY2017 report can be viewed on the Corps of Engineers website at

www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. For additional information on this program (File # NAE-2005-01142) contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Greg Penta), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751 or by email to: gregory.r.penta@usace.army.mil.