Development is good for our nation’s economy. Development by itself, however, often results in the permanent loss of our country’s natural resources. In 1972 and 1973 Congress passed the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, which provided solutions: development that impacts our nation’s streams, wetlands and threatened or endangered habitats must “offset” any resulting losses. This is the essence of our business. RiverBank establishes and manages mitigation banks (Clean Water Act) and conservation banks (Endangered Species Act) to provide these offsets for the development community.
Mitigation Banking and Conservation Banking have important benefits for both developers and the environment.
Developers who purchase mitigation credits from us experience expedited permitting timelines, allowing projects to proceed at a faster rate. The mitigation banking approach also consolidates mitigation areas into fewer, larger sites—as opposed to each developer constructing its own small mitigation site—which improves their overall ecological value. In short, we help developers meet their Clean Water Act obligations efficiently and in a cost-effective manner, all while enhancing and improving our nation’s environment.