Build a road, save a wetland?

They may seem unrelated, but they have more in common than you think. When a road project disturbs a wetland, county road agencies are required by law to replace, or mitigate, with a wetland to maintain ecological balance.

That’s where the Michigan Wetland Banking Advisory Board (MiWB) program comes in. MiWB was created to distribute funds from the Wetland Mitigation Fund to local transportation agencies in Michigan. The four-year-old MiWB program uses state funds to purchase and maintain wetland sites, and resulting site credits are available to local road agencies.

It’s a win-win-win – for the community, environment and county road agencies! Here’s what you can expect:

• Faster delivery of road projects
• Less costly road projects
• Green space maintained and improved

This month, CRA and MiWB dedicated a new wetland mitigation site in Perry, Michigan. You can read more here.