Wetlands Mitigation

As part of the NEXT renewable diesel project, NEXT will enhance wetlands by returning more than 450 acres of commercial timber property back to its historical wetland ecosystem. The enhancement site is located adjacent to the Port Westward Industrial Park and will convert farmed timber into meandering streams, wildlife habitat and a diversified native plant community.

The land that NEXT intends to use for the facility site is zoned industrial, but is also categorized as wetlands by the Army Corps of Engineers and Oregon Department of State Lands. Because wetlands will be disturbed, the Clean Water Act and Removal-Fill Law require NEXT to restore or enhance wetlands elsewhere. The Oregon Department of State Lands further requires that restoration or enhancement must occur as close to the originally disturbed wetlands as possible.

What are the regulatory requirements?