Chassahowitzka Mitigation Bank
Location
Hernando County, FL
Resource
Wetland
Solution
Mitigation Bank
Status
Pending
Joe Williams
Director of Credit Sales
The CHASSAHOWITZKA MITIGATION BANK (CHAZMB) spans more than 400 acres and includes a mosaic of degraded natural forested wetlands and similarly altered isolated upland habitats. The site is composed primarily of forested wetlands at the lowest elevations, featuring a mixed canopy, with slash pine swamp forests and wet pine flatwoods occupying the intermediate elevations. At the highest elevations are scrubby upland “islands.” Historically, the entire site has suffered degradation from logging, prolonged fire suppression, hydrologic alterations, and land clearing.
In the early 20th century, most of the forested wetlands were selectively logged for cypress, southern red cedar, and pine trees. Fire-maintained communities have since become overgrown due to the absence of a natural burn cycle. Hydrological impairments are primarily the result of constructed maintenance roads that obstruct sheet flow through the wetlands, disrupting natural water movement. The cleared upland scrub areas have lost ecological function and are now dominated by nuisance and exotic plant species.
The proposed mitigation bank represents a critical addition to the regional conservation landscape. Strategically situated within the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area (CWMA), it fills a key gap between existing protected lands—linking the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) to the west, the SWFWMD Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamp Sanctuary to the north, and the Weekiwachee Preserve to the south. By bridging these conservation areas, the bank enhances regional habitat connectivity and supports the movement and migration of diverse wildlife species.
This ecological linkage promotes the integrity of a broader, interconnected conservation corridor that stretches over 200 miles from Pasco County to the Apalachicola River, an area recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a unique and nationally important wildlife system. With the establishment of CHAZMB, the site integrates directly into the CWMA and extends into the CNWR—an Outstanding Florida Waterbody (OFW)—ultimately connecting to the Gulf of Mexico and reinforcing the ecological resilience of the entire system.
_
CREDITS
Wetland
– Palustrine Forested (Corps)
– Freshwater Forested (SWFWMD)
SERVICE AREA
Crystal-Pithlachascotee (03100207) subbasin
Our Partners
Greensource Environmental has collaborated with EIP since the beginning of our work in Florida. At Horse Creek, Old Florida, and Upper Coastal Mitigation Banks, Greensource conducted a thorough evaluation of historical land use, and pre-restoration conditions. The team delivered insights that translated into an effective restoration plan — one that only comes with a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of ecological and hydrologic function. As our “Ecological Sherlock Holmes,” the firm helps us find clues on the ground that let us maximize ecological uplift in our restoration designs.