Arizona Game and Fish Department In-Lieu Fee Compensatory Mitigation Program: Arlington Wildlife Area In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Project; Angela Stingelin

 

 

 

Angela Stingelin¹*, Shawn Lowery², Justin Ladd³, and Charles Hofer⁴  

 

¹Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ, USA; astingelin@azgfd.gov

²Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ, USA; slowery@azgfd.gov

³Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ, USA; jladd@azgfd.gov

⁴Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ, USA; chofer@azgfd.gov

 

 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) will restore approximately 208 acres of wetland and riparian habitat at the Arlington Wildlife Area (AWA). The AWA is an 8,413-acre assemblage of lands located along the west bank of the Gila River in Maricopa County, Arizona. The AWA consists of agricultural lands, constructed wetlands, and riparian areas dominated by tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) and mixed native and non-native vegetation. Restoration actions will be implemented as part of a statewide, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-approved, in-lieu fee (ILF) compensatory mitigation program. This ILF program involves restoration, establishment, enhancement, and/or preservation of aquatic resources using funds generated through credit sales to satisfy compensatory mitigation requirements for unavoidable impacts to Waters of the United States. Restoration actions described herein are expected to benefit numerous wildlife species, as well as several federally-listed species and state species of special concern that occur at or near the AWA.