Panther Island Mitigation Bank Interactive Service Area Map

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Panther Island Mitigation Bank

Panther Island Mitigation Bank (Panther Island) is one of the premier wetland restoration projects in Southwest Florida. The fully restored Panther Island lands will be preserved in perpetuity through a conservation easement and a long-term stewardship trust fund which will be managed by Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and owned by Audubon of Florida. Located contiguous with portions of the Corkscrew Regional Eco-System Watershed (CREW) and Save Our Rivers (SOR) lands, Panther Island provides significant regional wetland restoration enhancement, benefiting both freshwater wetland systems and wildlife habitat in the CREW lands. The total Mitigation Bank site is 2,778 acres; and when completed will have generated a total of 934 mitigation credits for the work done on the restoration, enhancement, preservation and perpetual management of the entire bank site. Panther Island offers:

Freshwater Forested Wetland Credits
Freshwater Herbaceous Credits
Panther Habitat Units

The Mitigation Service Area for Panther Island is primarily contained within the Estero, East Collier, and West Collier Basins. Linear projects outside the Mitigation Service Area, such as roadways, power lines and pipelines, may be eligible to utilize the mitigation bank on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the requirements of Federal Guidance and Section 373.4136, F.S.

The Wetlandsbank Group (TWG) a nationally recognized team, is responsible for implementation and management of the Panther Island project. As one of the leading mitigation bankers in the country, the TWG team significantly increases the probability of a fast, hassle-free mitigation transfer procedure with less cost and “red tape.” Permit applicants with projects that have wetland impacts have the opportunity to embrace the advantages of purchasing credits from our bank. By transferring their project’s mitigation obligations to Panther Island clients benefit by:

Being provided one fixed predetermined fee with no cost overruns.
The prevention of assets being tied up.
Optimizing the full potential of the proposed site.
Reducing permitting time.
Providing regulatory certainty with no hidden surprises.
Streamlining the development process.
Enhancing project value.
Working with a team who understands your concerns.
Contributing to significant environmental enhancement.

In June of 2008 Audubon of Florida announced a land swap with SFWMD of 1700 acres of agriculture land which will be restored by the Panther Island Joint Venture. This will bring the total to almost 4,500 acres which will eventually be restored by Panther Island and The Wetlandsbank Group.

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