September Luncheon: Mitigation Banking

Guest Speaker: Travis Hemmen, BD Manager at The Westervelt Company

Mitigation Banking

This presentation will focus on the 'business of banking' — a general overview of habitat and wetland mitigation banks.  What is a bank?  How are credits established?  How do the finances of a bank work? The Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank (approved 2009) is a very good example of one the largest wetland restoration projects moving forward in Sacramento County and will be used as a case study on the topic.  The property is 493 acres located adjacent to the Cosumnes Preserve in South Sacramento County.  Construction is currently underway and is intended restore riparian and wetland habitats.  The construction includes a breach of a farm berm on the Cosumnes River, excavation and re-establishment of tidally-influenced channels, construction of low-floodplain benches adjacent to channels, and planting of native riparian plant species.  The property is now protected through a recorded, third-party conservation easement, funded O&M endowment, and implementation of the long-term management plan.

Mr. Hemmen coordinates the Business and Market Development for Westervelt Ecological Services (WES).  Mr. Hemmen works with private and public clients on project specific mitigation and manages sales of existing bank credits.  Mr. Hemmen assists in potential site acquisitions and analyzes market information to ensure the finished mitigation banks are a viable product.  Mr. Hemmen has a background in environmental consulting and regulatory compliance planning for a national home builder.  As a consultant, he has managed small- and large-scale projects, including state and federal permitting of projects by local water agencies, port redevelopment and dredging programs, and development of master planned communities. In addition to regulatory compliance, Mr. Hemmen has worked on public facilitation and medition, including work with state/federal agency representatives, conservationists, tribal members, business representatives, nonprofit organizations, agricultural interests, and water districts on large-scale restoration projects for the Klamath Basin in Oregon.  Mr. Hemmen has a B.A. degree in Biology with an emphasis in Ethics from the University of Northern Iowa, and a M.S. degree in Environmental Law and Policy with an emphasis in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Vermont Law School.