Voluntary Wetland Restoration Program

Wetlands are a highly valuable and ecologically important natural resource that provide a wide range of functions and services that improve water quality including flood control, nutrient and pollutant removal, sediment retention, and groundwater recharge. Wetlands also provide critical habitat for a wide array of fish and wildlife species, including threatened and endangered species.

Wetlands in Michigan, and throughout the Midwest, have faced historic losses and alterations, primarily through efforts to drain and/or fill them for agricultural cropland and residential or commercial development. It is estimated that approximately half of all wetlands in Michigan that existed prior to European settlement have been removed from the landscape. Many remaining wetlands are degraded due to altered hydrological regimes, vegetation alteration, encroachment of non-native plant species, or other factors. The restoration and enhancement of altered and degraded wetlands re-establishes and adds important ecological functions back to the landscape including improving water quality and enhancing wildlife habitat.

In 2019, amendments to Part 303, Wetlands Protection, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, 1194 PA 451, as amended (NREPA) created a program to facilitate VWR projects in coordination with state, federal, tribal, and nongovernmental agencies and organizations specializing in wetland restoration and conservation. The goal of the program is to enhance coordination, consistency, and operational procedures and improve and streamline the permitting process, to facilitate a net increase in wetland functions and services.

Generally, a VWR project involves activities whose purpose is to restore lost functions and services in altered, degraded, or former wetland. Many areas that are ideal wetland restoration candidates are regulated under state law and require a permit from EGLE before restoration activities can begin. Floodplains, partially drained areas that are still wetland, and agricultural drains that are intermittent or seasonal streams are examples of areas where restoration activities likely require permitting by EGLE.

EGLE and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in partnership with wetland restoration practitioners, have developed a streamlined permitting program to specifically process VWR projects that meet certain criteria. For the specific statutory language pertaining to the VWR program see Section 30312f of Part 303, Wetlands Protection (NREPA).  EGLE has developed a robust Minor Project Category for wetland habitat restoration and enhancement to help streamline the VWR permitting process. Descriptions of General Permit and Minor Project categories can be found on our Permit Categories page.