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<br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />It is possible for wetlands to be created in advance of needing <br />them for replacement. This process is called wetland banking. <br />The wetland bank will be administered by the State. <br /> <br />Staff recommends the City Council allow Building and Zoning <br />staff to work with Phil Hals and Terry Maurer to find an <br />appropriate location to create or, easier yet, restore a <br />wetland. Once a possible location(s) is identified, staff <br />would present the Council with a proposal, including cost <br />estimates, for your review and approval. <br /> <br />The importance of banking wetland credits with the State is <br />that the replacement process can be cumbersomely long and <br />replacement opportunities may not exist on a specific <br />development site. Banked credits can be used for City projects <br />such as the realignment of 221st Avenue (which requires <br />filling a portion of a pond) or sold to developers to recoup <br />the City's cost for creating the wetland. <br /> <br />Included with this memo is an outline of the process mandated <br />by the law that a developer would go through to fill or drain a <br />wetland. Staff included this for the Council's interest and <br />reference. <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br /> <br />1. <br /> <br />THE CITY ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY AS LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNIT <br />(LGU) FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PERMANENT WETLAND <br />CONSERVATION ACT RULES BY ADOPTING THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION. <br /> <br />2. THE APPLICATION FEE BE $75.00 PLUS CONSULTANT COSTS (THE <br />MAXIMUM CURRENTLY ALLOWED BY LAW). <br /> <br />3. THE COUNCIL ALLOWS STAFF TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF <br />CREATING OR RESTORING A WETLAND FOR BANKING PURPOSES. <br /> <br />4. WHERE POSSIBLE AND PRACTICAL, WETLANDS FILLED OR DRAINED <br />IN ELK RIVER ARE REPLACED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. <br /> <br />5. CITY STAFF MAKES APPLICATION FOR GRANT MONEY TO HELP FUND <br />THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS ACT. <br />