How do you measure mitigation?

Answer: The Corps believes that mitigation should compensate lost functions and values resulting from permitted activities, and determines mitigation requirements accordingly.  However, the Corps has also directed district offices to ensure that wetlands impacts are mitigated at least one for one, on an acreage basis, across the district as a whole.  The Corps inspects and enforces those mitigation requirements on as many projects as we can.  For wetland impacts, we determine whether the permitee has completed the mitigation required and if not, require additional work by the permitee to ensure the adverse effects are mitigated.  The Corps is currently upgrading its internal databases to better track impacts and mitigation in the future.