The Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) opened a 60-day public comment period to collect comments on the draft Wetland Restoration and Preservation Plan for Lake County. This comment period has been extended due to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. SMC will accept comments through August 21, 2020.

Lake County has adopted a “no net loss” wetland policy and established an objective of a “net gain” in wetland function. The goal of the Wetland Restoration and Preservation Plan is to provide a wide audience of end-users with the decision-making support to help prioritize wetland restoration and preservation efforts in a non-regulatory context. The plan does not create new regulations or additional wetland protections.

Plan development included field data collection and extensive analysis of historical and current geographic data. The draft plan estimates the functional significance of existing wetlands and water bodies in Lake County and identifies approximately 15,000 acres of potentially restorable wetlands (i.e., locations where wetland restoration would likely be successful based on environmental conditions). Drafts of the technical summary report and online Decision Support Tool are posted on the SMC website.

SMC will host a web-based virtual public informational meeting on the Wetland Restoration and Preservation Plan on July 22 at 1:30 pm. Individuals can register for the meeting or provide comments by emailing Mike Prusila at [email protected]. Comments will be accepted until August 21, 2020. For more information, visit the website.