The Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (Trust Fund) pursues stream and wetland mitigation projects throughout Virginia.  The Trust Fund is administered in partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District (Corps) and The Nature Conservancy in Virginia (Conservancy). 

If an individual proposes to impact a regulated stream or wetland, the individual may be given the option to pay into the Trust Fund.  The use of the Trust Fund as the mitigation option is at the discretion of the appropriate regulatory agencies. Generally, the Trust Fund consolidates money from many projects with small impacts (less than 1 acre) and pools the resources to accomplish larger projects that have a greater chance of ecological success. These funds are then used, upon approval from the Corps, by the Conservancy to implement projects involving the restoration of wetlands and streams or preservation of existing wetlands and streams. 

The Trust Fund helps make large-scale conservation possible.  The program is able to implement large-scale watershed efforts that restore, enhance, and protect water quality through cost-effective, ecologically preferable projects.  By using the Conservancy’s conservation planning, projects are part of ongoing conservation initiatives with comprehensive ecological management plans.

Through the Trust Fund, the Nature Conservancy and its conservation partners conduct restoration and preservation activities in the same watershed where wetland and stream disturbances have occurred. In addition, the Trust Fund is cost-effective as land is often donated or purchased at less than or equal to fair market value. These savings can then be used for additional mitigation projects. 
 

Read More: Snapshot of 2006-2007 Projects >>

 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Mary Porter (Rappahannock River); Photo © Edwin Holloway (Snowy egret - Egretta thula).