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Portage County sets wetland, stream mitigation credit prices and allows limited negotiation
Summary
The county’s highway committee approved initial pricing for wetland and stream mitigation credits and authorized up to a 10% negotiation adjustment approved by the highway committee chair, aiming to seed a county mitigation bank and generate revenue for future projects.
Portage County’s Highway Committee on Sept. 16 approved proposed pricing for mitigation bank credits and a limited negotiation allowance intended to make the county’s wetland and stream credits available to developers and mitigation buyers.
Staff (Chair S1 and presenter S3) told the committee the county currently has about 7.2 wetland credits and roughly 262 stream functional feet available for sale through a county‑managed mitigation bank. They reviewed market references — the Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust and neighboring counties — noting DNR bank price points near $98,800 per wetland credit and regional private bank ranges commonly between $65,000 and $100,000.
Citing the consultant’s recommendation, the committee adopted initial prices roughly consistent with that research: a working price of about $80,000 per wetland credit, a higher rate for hardwood swamp/wetland types near $100,000, and stream credits priced at approximately $1,500 per functional foot. The committee also approved allowing up to a 10% cost adjustment for negotiations, to be authorized by the highway committee chair for negotiated sales.
"The sale of the credits will not be less than the cost of developing the credits," staff said, outlining development and maintenance costs and the county’s expectation to retain some credits for county projects. Members discussed market variability and the committee retained discretion to withhold sales if market conditions or project specifics require committee review.
Why it matters: establishing a county mitigation bank and pricing lets the county offer a local mitigation option to developers and can generate revenue to offset long‑term maintenance and monitoring costs. The 10% negotiation allowance is intended to allow modest flexibility for multi‑credit buyers.
What happens next: staff will include the rates in the county’s special revenue and budget materials and advertise availability according to watershed rules and applicable DNR/Army Corps procedures.
