New mitigation banking rule won't ease tension

Supporters of small farms have often been at odds with mitigation bankers in the US state of Washington, largely because of concerns that mitigation banks that reclaim farmland for use as wetlands ultimately reduce the number of farms in a region, and thus reduce the collective buying power of farming communities. A new law aims to assuage that concern – but critics say it doesn't go far enough.

The state of Washington has adopted its own wetland mitigation rule. The state's rule is consistent with and builds upon national Mitigation Banking regulations that went into effect last summer.

The rule includes provisions to "ensure mitigation bank sites comply with and support local shoreline regulations, salmon recovery efforts, surface water recovery, and watershed management plans". The rule is also sensitive to Washington's agricultural community, which has often been at odds with mitigation bankers., by including considerations for locating banks to ensure there is no adverse affect on nearby farmland.

Agriculture preservation groups Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland and the state Farm Bureau, however, believe the rule doesn't go far enough to discourage conversion of prime farmland to wetland mitigation banks. Farm Bureau director of local affairs Dan Wood was quoted in local media as saying, "It would be far better to mitigate impacts to wetland by using impact fees to pay farmers for the environmental benefits they already provide, such as water filtration, floodwater dispersal and wildlife habitat."