What is the Southeast Alaska
Mitigation Fund?
An In-Lieu Fee Program
Of Course!

Clean Water Act
(Compensation for
impacts to waters of
the U.S.)
• What is a water of the U.S.
 Wetlands
 Rivers and Streams
 Tidal
• Impacts regulated by the
USACE
 Generally over a tenth of
acre requires mitigation

Mitigation
If you impact a water of the U.S. you
have to make up for that
(In relation to the Clean Water Act)
Fill a 1 Acre Wetland
(Debits)
Restore, Enhance, Create, Preserve
(Credits)

Three Mitigation Methods
• Mitigation Bank
• In-Lieu Fee
• Permitee Responsible (can be difficult)
– USACE approved mitigation plan (12 required
components)
– Maintain in perpetuity (forever)
USACE 12 Fundamental Components: objectives; site selection criteria; site protection
instruments (e.g., conservation easements); baseline information (for impact and
compensation sites); credit determination methodology; a mitigation work plan; a
maintenance plan; ecological performance standards; monitoring requirements; a long-
term management plan; an adaptive management plan; and financial assurances

What is the Southeast Alaska
Mitigation Fund?
An In-Lieu Fee Program
Based on Restoration

Southeast Alaska
Mitigation Fund (SAMF)
March 21, 2012: Draft Prospectus
May 29, 2012; COE Approves Draft Prospectus
Sept 10, 2102: Prospectus
Feb 23, 2013: COE requests additional content
March 21, 2013: Meeting with COE and USFWS
April 10, 2013: Revised Prospectus
June 21, 2013: COE approves Prospectus
Sept. 2013: Final Instrument Submitted
Aug. 2014: Final Instrument Submitted
Nov. 2014: COE IRT review
Dec. 23, 2014: Additional changes requested
Feb. 2014: Meeting with IRT (Anchorage)
March 2015: Final Instrument resubmitted

Why?
• Community Desire to keep
mitigation funds in their
community
• No active restoration ILF
program in Southeast Alaska
• Provide developers the
opportunity for quality
restoration mitigation

SAMF
Freshwater and
Marine Credits
• Keep mitigation $$$ in
community
• Help reduce development costs
• Protect valued community
resources
• THE CATCH! can’t impact
mitigation sites

Pat Creek

West Fork Assessment
(160 meter reach)

Project Name
Assessment Area Name
Assessment Area: acreage: 2.47 stream channel length (ft.): 500
average channel width (ft.): 15 total buffer width excluding channel (ft.): 200
rating FPU rating FPU rating FPU
Bank Height Ratio 1 3.00 7.40 3.00 7.40 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Entrenchment Ratio 1 4.00 9.86 4.00 9.86 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Percent Pool 1 4.00 9.86 4.00 9.86 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Pool Max Depth Ratio 1 2.00 4.93 3.00 7.40 1.00 2.47 50.0%
Width to Depth Ratio 1 2.00 4.93 4.00 9.86 2.00 4.93 100.0%
Bank Erosion Hazard Index 1 3.00 7.40 3.00 7.40 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Large Woody Debris (LWD) Density 1 6.00 14.79 6.00 14.79 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Key LWD Pieces Density 1.5 2.00 4.93 6.00 14.79 4.00 9.86 200.0%
Riparian Index 1 3.00 7.40 3.00 7.40 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Fish Species Diversity 1 4.00 9.86 5.00 12.33 1.00 2.47 25.0%
Public use & recognition 1 5.00 12.33 5.00 12.33 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Subsistence & provisioning 1 3.00 7.40 3.00 7.40 0.00 0.00 0.0%
41.00 101.09 49.00 120.81 8.00 19.72
3.42 8.42 4.08 10.07 0.67 1.64
Longitude 6-digit HUC #
Name(s) of Evaluator(s) Date
Stream Assessment DateLatitude
Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition
USACE Project #
POA-
Metrics
Weight
(1x-1.5x)
Existing Projected Net Gain % Gain
FPU
total score
average score
Freshwater-Stream Credit
Pat Creek

rating FPU rating* FPU rating FPU
Floodplain Connectivity 3.50 8.63 3.50 8.63 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Bed Form Diversity 3.00 7.40 3.50 8.63 0.50 1.23 16.7%
Incision/Erosivity 2.50 6.16 3.50 8.63 1.00 2.47 40.0%
Large Woody Debris 4.00 9.86 7.50 18.49 3.50 8.63 87.5%
Biotic Integrity 3.50 8.63 4.00 9.86 0.50 1.23 14.3%
Societal Value 4.00 5.48 4.00 5.48 0.00 0.00 0.0%
Sum of avgs 20.50 46.16 26.00 59.72 5.50 13.56 29.4%
8.31 10.75 2.44 29.4%
Parameters
Weighted avg of avg FPU
Credit Calculation-Stream Method
Existing Projected Net gain % Gain
FPU
* The rating is equal to the average of the grouped parameters including any adjustment for Weighting of
priority metrics.

Final Credit Calculation
($130,000 to $150,000)

Final Credit Calculation