Offsite Mitigation Policy

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Offsite Mitigation Policy
DRAFT

• Jim Perry
• Senior Natural Resource Specialist
• BLM Washington Office
• Division of Fluid Minerals
• 202-452-5063

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What is Onsite Mitigation?
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Onsite Mitigation is the First Priority

• The BLMs objective is to mitigate impacts to an
  acceptable level onsite whenever possible through
  avoidance, minimization, remediation, or
  reduction of impacts over time.

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What is Offsite Mitigation?

• Offsite mitigation consists of compensating for
  resource impacts by replacing or providing
  substitute resources or habitat at a different
  location than the project area.

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Supplemental Practice

• Offsite mitigation is a supplemental mitigation
  practice identified on a case-by-case basis and
  must be based on the need to address important
  resource issues that cannot be acceptably
  mitigated onsite.

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Offsite Mitigation May Include

• In-kind Replacement or substitute resources
  that are of the same type and kind as those being
  impacted.
• Generally Preferred
• Out-of-kind Replacement or substitute resources
  that, while related, are of equal or greater
  overall value.
• In-lieu-fee Payment of funds to a natural
  resource management agency, foundation, or other
  appropriate organization for performance of
  mitigation that addresses impacts of a project.

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How Does the BLM Determine Offsite Mitigation May
Be Needed?

• Early in the process, the BLM and the applicant
  should discuss mitigation options.
• Applicant or agency generated proposals for
  offsite mitigation should be evaluated through
  the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  process.

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When Might It Be Needed?

• Consideration of offsite mitigation may be
  appropriate when it is determined by the
  authorized officer that a land use authorization
  cannot be brought into compliance with law,
  regulation, land use plan decisions, or other
  important resource objectives.

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What is the Priority Order?

• 1. Onsite Mitigation - Onsite (avoid, minimize,
  rectify, or reduce in time)
• 2. Offsite Mitigation - Local
• 3. Offsite Mitigation - Regional
• 4. Offsite Mitigation - Interstate.

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Questions?