Not all Section 404 mitigation credits are created equal because the quality, reliability, and ecological value of a credit depends on how, where, and when it’s generated — and those factors can vary a lot.
At Whitewood Farm Mitigation Bank, we’ve created the highest quality stream and wetland credits through active ecological restoration, site maintenance and project monitoring. Approved by eight state and federal agencies, Montebello’s credits are fully certified and supported by a fast, responsive credit transfer process, assuring that buyers may meet their permit obligations for unavoidable impacts to both the State of Virginia and the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
While various forms of “wetland offset” might still be legal for meeting requirements under Section 404, Montebello’s stream and wetland credits represent a completed, high-quality restoration project situated proximate to you impact, while another credit might be an advance credit from a preservation site many miles away.
Inferior forms of mitigation — such as preservation credits, advance credits, or projects located far from the impact site — carry a high risk of failure. When these projects do not deliver the ecological lift promised, regulators and buyers alike face the burden of remediation and replacement, adding cost and delay. For these reasons, Congress has required strict enforcement of the mitigation hierarchy, ensuring that mitigation bank credits — proven, reliable, and backed by long-term assurances — are prioritized and fully utilized before less certain options are considered.
The hierarchy in the 2008 Final Mitigation Rule (Rule) prioritizes Mitigation Bank credits as the gold standard of mitigation. To learn more, see our Geographic Service Area or Submit a request for availability.