The Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration and Conservation Program provides an option for road and bridge construction permit applicants/project proponents and Permitting Agencies to provide mitigation for unavoidable in-stream Impacts to Atlantic salmon and their habitat. The Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration and Conservation Program is an In-Lieu Fee (ILF) compensation program established to provide applicants with a flexible compensation option. Under the ILF process, public and private environmental permit applicants can purchase Credits instead of performing federally-required permittee-responsible mitigation for unavoidable impacts of their construction projects. Credit sale proceeds will be used to implement mitigation projects that provide significant and broad ecological benefits under the Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration and Conservation Program
Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration and Conservation Grants
The Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration and Conservation Program awards competitive grants to projects that restore, establish, enhance, and/or preserve high priority resources for the conservation of Atlantic salmon throughout Maine. ASRCP is administered by Maine DMR on behalf of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Credit sale proceeds from the In-Lieu Fee program (see below) are used to implement ILF Mitigation Projects at prioritized locations that provide environmental improvement within the service area where the impacts occur. Funds are awarded through an annual competitive grants process. Maine DMR will solicit proposals once adequate funds have accumulated through the ILF program. Proposals are evaluated by a review committee, convened by the Maine DMR, and made up of public entities. ILF Mitigation Projects will be selected based on an analysis of their ability to compensate for impacts and provide significant and broad ecological benefits.
Maine Atlantic Salmon In-Lieu Fee Compensation
A variety of permitted activities, including road and bridge maintenance and construction, have the potential to impact aquatic resources used by Atlantic salmon. Mitigation for such in-stream impacts may be required by federal law, especially if they occur within habitat for the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic salmon.
In-Lieu Fee Compensation provides permit applicants with an option for Compensatory Mitigation for in-stream impacts after proper mitigation sequencing. Under the program, public and private environmental permit applicants can purchase credits instead of performing permittee-responsible mitigation for unavoidable impacts. The cost of each credit is based on full cost accounting, meaning that permit applicants will pay the costs to fully and successfully compensate for permitted impacts.
See the Maine DMR Fact Sheet, Maine Atlantic Salmon In-Lieu Fee Program for more information and an example cost calculation.
More information about ASRCP
For more information on the guidelines, responsibilities, and standards see the ASRCP ILF Instrument (pdf, 5.5 MB)
Contact
Casey Clark
Maine Department of Marine Resources
#172 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
207-624-6594