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Audubon Connecticut In-Lieu Fee Program releases annual report on aquatic resources in Connecticut

Published Dec. 23, 2014

CONCORD, Mass.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District recently was provided the annual report of the Audubon Connecticut In-Lieu Fee program titled “Audubon Connecticut In-Lieu Fee Program, Program Account Annual Report” for July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014.

The National Audubon Society, Inc., through its Connecticut program (Audubon CT) is the sponsor of an In- Lieu Fee Program for aquatic resource compensatory mitigation required by Department of the Army authorizations.

 

This program was approved by the New England District, Corps of Engineers and Audubon CT on Aug. 21, 2013. The program provides an alternative to Corps permittees who are required to compensate for their impacts to wetlands and waters of the U.S. in the state of Connecticut.

 

The public notice with the annual report can be reviewed on the Corps website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

 

The ILF program is for use in association with the Corps’ Regulatory Program. Its purpose and goals are to: provide an alternative to permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation that will effectively replace functions and values of aquatic resources lost through permitted impacts; substantially increase the extent and quality of restoration, enhancement, creation and preservation of natural resources over that which is typically achieved by permittee-responsible mitigation for activities that impact on wetlands, significant wildlife habitats and other waters within Connecticut; reduce the extent of cumulative adverse impacts to aquatic resources that are regulated by the Corps permit program; provide applicants for permits from the Corps greater flexibility in compensating for adverse impacts to protected natural resources; and achieve ecological success on a watershed basis by directing Audubon CT ILF funds to natural resource types and functions that are appropriate to the geographic service area, and by integrating Audubon CT ILF projects with other conservation activities whenever possible.

 

As sponsor, Audubon CT administers a competitive grant funding program, soliciting proposals for wetland and waters restoration, enhancement, creation and/or preservation. These proposals are then given to an advisory committee to be ranked using a scoring methodology presented in the instrument. Ultimately, the proposals are presented with their funding requests to an Interagency Review Team, which recommends the finalists to the Corps for selection. Once the projects are chosen, Audubon CT is responsible for funding, execution and long-term stewardship.

Audubon CT ILF receives its funds from applicants who agree to use the program for mitigation of impacts resulting from the Corps’ Regulatory process. After the applicant avoids and minimizes the impacts to the extent possible, the Corps may approve the use of the ILF by the applicant. The Corps then determines the number of credits the applicant will need to purchase. The fees for the ILF credits are paid by the permittee to the sponsor and tracked by service area.

 

All ILF agreements in New England are available for review and download on the Corps website at:

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

 

For more information on the Audubon CT In-Lieu Fee Agreement (File # NAE-2010-2215) contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Barbara Newman), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751 or email barbara.h.newman@usace.army.mil.

 


Contact
Tim Dugan
978-318-8264
cenae-pa@usace.army.mil

Release no. 2014-152