What is a mitigation “credit”?
A “credit” is a way of defining the improvement of the environment at one location, like described above, and its usefulness as compensation to damage done elsewhere. For example, in North Carolina, one credit is generally required to offset the loss of one acre of wetland to development. However, in order to produce a credit, and satisfy the legal obligation to compensate the environment, a company like Restoration Systems will have to restore at least one acre of wetlands, and preserve or enhance up to ten additional acres. In short, the cumulative work done to improve a tract of land or stream at one location is translated into credits, which offset development taking place at another location.
