In Lieu Fee Program

The In Lieu Fee program allows economic development projects to be constructed while their mitigation obligations are transferred to an In Lieu Fee provider. The provider agrees to replicate the mitigation credits on another site within a year and half of accepting a fee to do so. The Sunflower Land Trust has accepted the monies for a dozen projects and has created the following three mitigation projects within the required time limit.

In Lieu Fee 1 Site:

In 2007 the City of Wichita in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Transportation needed to replace a bridge on State Highway 54 in western Wichita. The project was necessary for the upgrading of the highway and resulted in the destruction of a half acre of wetland and 150 feet of stream corridor. The Corps of Engineers, through their 404 Permit, required the City to replace the damaged wetland and stream to a new location. Since the wetland in question was of a high quality the Corps imposed an additional two acres of upland buffer to protect the newly created wetland from degradation. In 2008 the SLT accepted the mitigation responsibilities and created its first In Lieu Fee site.

Future wetland site before mitigation banks were built. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Wetland site prior to creation in 2008.

Wetland sites being constructed via mitigation banks. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Mitigation site after construction.

In Lieu Fee 2 Site:

In an effort to supply the mitigation needs of several projects with wetland needs, the Sunflower Land Trust created a five acre wetland site. Construction began in the fall of 2010 and despite the 2011 drought the wetland was fully functional by the summer of 2013.

Future wetland site before mitigation bank construction. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Construction Site in Summer 2010.

Wetlands and mitigation banks being constructed. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Construction begins Fall 2010.

Wetland site after construction of mitigation banks. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Wetland full and functioning in late 2013 despite two years of drought.

In Lieu Fee 3 Site:

Most of the Corps of Engineers 404 Permits require the need for the creation of wetlands or stream mitigation. Although many projects can be contained in a large wetland site, it usually takes much more effort to find a suitable site for the creation of stream credits. The Sunflower Land Trust opted to develop a mitigation project in a stream channel which had been neglected through years of improper maintenance.

Land Trust members maintaining the wetland site before post-construction. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Spring 2011

Wetland site fully functional and serving as a natural water way. This land is protected by the Sunflower Land Trust, a Kansas-based land trust.

Summer 2011