Question regarding property that is considered wetlands?

Thanks, i guess what im mostly interested in finding out is whether there is a (wetlands cost)difference between somebody coming in and developing a whole neighborhood on the 20 acres vs. someone wanting to build just one house, and keep the acreage vacant (but still cut most of the trees).

edit: I reread your post, i guess you're saying the credit might be different depending on what you are doing to the property? Any idea how to go about finding out the cost?

Talk to the Army Corps of Engineers. It is based off of how much trees you clear and how much surface you make impervious.

Im a civil engineer in Auburn and we have to set aside 2 sq. ft to not be touched for every 1 sq. ft. of disturbed wetland.

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Im a civil engineer in Auburn and we have to set aside 2 sq. ft to not be touched for every 1 sq. ft. of disturbed wetland.

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Sounds expensive!

What kind of wetlands?

Cypress tupelo swamp? Saltwater marsh?

Cost can range from $40k-$60k+ per acre depending on type.

If you are only looking at building a single house then the footprint may not be too bad or expensive.

You should probably consult an engineer that specializes in this. Paying him a little bit to get a good realistic cost estimate would be a wise step.

Also, with the new "wetlands determination rules" if you live in the southern half of LA, your property could be classified as a wetland. The more recent regulations on how they count the identifiers were loosened up. I don't like it or agree with it at all.

Is that good or bad for wetlands prices?

actually (though I could be mistaken),I believe any land over a half acre requires you to mitigate 2 to 1 (i.e. pay for 2 acres for every 1 acre disturbed) and over 1 (or maybe 5?) acre(s) you have to mitigate 3 to 1.

I have been dealing with this exact situation in SW LA. The process is tedious and very slow. I purchased my property in early January and actually just got my permit from the Corps today. I bought 7 acres and it was determined that 22% was wet but that it was intermingled throughout the whole property so technically I didn't have any dry land according to them. Your first step is to file an application with the Corps and then it is a back and forth process that they will walk you through. Your offset is purchased through a mitigation bank depending on the type of wetland your property is...mine was bottom land hardwoods. The cost was around $18k/acre, but they sell partial acreage.
The corps has their own formula for offset, but basically you would figure the area that you would impact (driveway, house including usable yard) and multiply it by the wetland percentage of the area that you are using. I would get a square footage total and divide it by the square footage in an acre to get the percentage of acreage that I needed to offset. Based on the type construction you are doing, the Corps will set a multiplier to it....it could by 1 to 1, 1.5 to 1, 2 to 1, or even higher. That is how much offset you would pay.

I am pretty deeply involved in the mitigation business. You typically only have to mitigate for the actual footprint of the damage, plus any collateral damage your development might create. As others have indicated, the requisite mitigation is based on a comparison of the quality of the site being developed vs. the restoration potential of the bank (i.e., you will need to purchase different number of credits from different banks).

Cutting trees from a forested wetland is exempt from 404 permitting IF the activity is part of "normal silvicultural practices." If you clearcut with no intention of replanting, you expose yourself to possible Corps of Engineers enforcement action. Why would you want to clear 20 acres around your homesite if you have no plans to develop?

Mitigation is available for most any wetland proposed for development in LA but be prepared to pay some serious cash.

As any engineer can attest, dealing with USACE is a several month long process btw