Compensatory mitigation helps conserve aquatic resources and at-risk species by offsetting permitted impacts under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and other federal laws. Mitigation can take the form of credits from a bank, in-lieu fee programs, or permittee-responsible projects. This free, eight-part webinar series — led by top experts — will cover key topics including federal regulations, mitigation types, and the roles of agencies and review teams.
This series is for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of compensatory mitigation. It fosters collaboration among regulators, mitigation sponsors, and credit buyers while covering core policies, program implementation, in-lieu fee programs, and credit trading systems. Attending all eight sessions provides a comprehensive view of how these topics connect.
It is recommended that participants watch the recording of Webinar 1 prior to attending this webinar.
Webinar 4 will review how the type and number of credits are determined for a compensatory mitigation project and describe the role that ecological performance standards play in creating a successful compensatory mitigation project. Instructors will also describe credit release schedules and how they are related to performance standards and administrative requirements. For each topic, case studies ranging from the straight-forward to the complicated will be shared, along with lessons-learned and emerging trends from the field. Striking the balance between ecological and economic needs will be discussed from diverse perspectives.
Session 1: Credit Determination
Session Goal: To review the factors affecting the number and type of credits a compensatory mitigation project is assigned
Session 2: Ecological Performance Standards, Monitoring & Credit Release
Session Goals: To review the ecological performance requirements for compensatory mitigation programs; describe the use of evaluative metrics in performance standards; discuss credit release schedules and how they are related to administrative and performance standard requirements
Presenters:
- Jeff Phillips, US Fish & Wildlife Service
- John Wigginton, Westervelt Ecological Services
- Michelle Mattson, Institute for Water Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Toby McBride, US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Matt Gause, Westervelt Ecological Services
Past Events
- The Conservation Fund Compensatory Mitigation Webinar Series - Webinar 1: Compensatory Mitigation Overview and Regulatory Drivers, Online, 4 September 2025 16:00-19:00 UTC