Section 309 of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1990 required coastal states with certified coastal zone management programs to develop "enhancement objectives" for specific issue areas. Wetlands was one of the issue areas specified in Section 309, and subsequently the California Coastal Commission (CCC) adopted an enhancement strategy that proposed strengthening the Agency's wetlands decision-making process. This procedural guidance document is one mechanism for implementing the adopted program changes.
The purpose of this procedural guidance document is to provide an analytical framework for the review of compensatory wetland mitigation plans, and for evaluating the performance of the subsequent projects. Such a framework can provide a more consistent basis for the development and implementation of compensatory wetland mitigation projects, potentially improving the overall success rate of these projects. The information contained in this document should prove useful to CCC staff, perspective applicants, local governments, and other wetland management agencies. A major objective of this document is to promote more effective participation by all parties in situations requiring compensatory wetland mitigation.
This document begins by describing the State's regulatory and policy framework relating to the protection of wetlands in the coastal zone. This discussion is followed by a definition of mitigation, as provided in CEQA and the associated guidelines, and a description of the various forms mitigation can take. Next, the general procedures that may be used to evaluate the performance of compensatory wetland mitigation projects are described. This includes presentation of an overall framework as well as more detailed descriptions of the framework's major elements. Specific information useful for evaluating wetland mitigation plans is presented next. Subsequent sections go on to describe how the general procedures can be applied to special types of compensatory mitigation (i.e., out-of-kind mitigation), and activities (i.e., restoration and enhancement) completed for noncompensatory purposes. Numerous terms specific to the topic of compensatory wetland mitigation are used thoughout this report. A glossary containing definitions for many of these terms is included as a reference tool for the reader. Three case studies of past permitted wetland mitigation projects are also presented as examples of how the general procedures described here could be applied in real situations. Several review forms were developed to facilitate completion of these case studies and Appendix A contains blank copies of these forms for future use. Appendix B contains an annotated bibliography of literature reviewed during the development of this document. The references in this bibliography are organized to facilitate use by anyone seeking additional information relating to wetland mitigation. Finally, Appendix C contains copies of mitigation guidelines and policy statements produced by the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These documents provide information useful to understanding the concerns and information requirements of other agencies with jurisdiction in the coastal zone.
Each of the sections in this procedural guidance document are useful to the formulation and implementation of a compensatory wetland mitigation plan. Perspective applicants can use this document as a guide in developing a comprehensive mitigation plan containing reasonable assurances of success. CCC staff and other agency staff can use this document as a source of information when reviewing submitted plans to insure consistency and completeness. In addition, this document provides information relevant to evaluating the performance of implemented projects. Perspective applicants can use this document to better understand and plan for the processes of evaluating performance. This document can also provide CCC staff and other agency staff with a better understanding of how information in the mitigation plan and the monitoring program is used to evaluate performance. However, given the broad spectrum of projects involving wetlands, not all sections of this document will apply in every case. Good professional judgment is required to determine the appropriate application of information in this document.
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