Hole-in-the-Donut In Lieu Fee/Mitigation Credit Reservation Portal

Important Links

Welcome! Everglades National Park manages an In-Lieu Fee and Mitigation Bank that can provide compensatory mitigation credits to the public. If you are in the process of obtaining one or more regulatory permits due to unavoidable impacts to wetlands as a result of your development activities, you are in the right place. This site provides information on how to complete an application for and reserve Palustrine Freshwater Emergent mitigation credits.

Note: Applications cannot be submitted directly through this webpage. Applicants must download, fill out and email forms to ever_hid_credit_application@nps.gov. Applications will only be accepted and processed during the HID’s credit release lottery process

For more information on Everglades National Park's Hole-in-the-Donut (HID) wetland restoration project, click here.

 

 

HID Credit Lottery Information and Instructions

Updated: September 27, 2023

Pay careful attention to the following instructions for submitting your application, as this will determine whether your application is successfully submitted and included in the lottery:

The HID credit lottery will take place Wednesday, October 25, 2023. To participate in the lottery, submit your application between 8 a.m. on Monday, October 23, 2023, and 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Applications received before 8:00 a.m. on Monday or after 5 p.m. on Tuesday will not be processed or included in the lottery. Please use only v. 2023 application form for this lottery. Submit only one application form per project via ever_hid_credit_application@nps.gov. Only applications received via ever_hid_credit_application@nps.gov will be processed. Applications sent to any other email address will not be processed.

The most current version of our application form (v. 2023) can be found on our website under “Important Links – Credit Application (Word).” A current application form can also be requested via email from ever_hid_credit_application@nps.gov.

Only one application form per project shall be allowed. If it is determined that more than one application form has been submitted for a project, for whatever reason, the HID will exercise the right to exclude that project from the lottery.

Applicants will receive an email confirming that their application has been received that includes a project identifier for use in the lottery.

The lottery will be conducted on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

Following the lottery, applicants will either receive a reservation letter or an email notification that the HID does not have credits to meet their requirements. All correspondence regarding the outcome of the lottery will be completed by close of business November 1, 2023.

Each credit release lottery conducted by the HID is equally open to all permittees who need wetland mitigation credits. The credit release lottery process is random, free of bias or preference, and with no exclusion, stratification, prioritization or ranking of projects based on the number of credits a project requires, based on whether a project has previously satisfied a portion of its credit requirements, or based on who is submitting the applications.

 

Credits Available

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Hole-in-the-Donut Policies

  • Applications received must be for single projects.
  • A waiting list for credits is not maintained by the project.
  • We don’t notify or otherwise advertise the availability of credits.
  • The HID project reserves the right to schedule a credit release lottery at its convenience and at a date and time of their choosing.
  • Applications for new credit reservations will only be processed during the credit release lottery. Applications received before or after the date and time specified for the credit release lottery will not be processed.
  • Applications to reserve mitigation credits must show mitigation requirements in UMAM.
  • Applications to reserve mitigation credits at the HID are processed via a credit release lottery.
  • Each credit release lottery conducted by the HID is equally open to all permittees who need wetland mitigation credits. The credit release lottery process is random, free of bias or preference, and with no exclusion, stratification, prioritization or ranking of projects based on the number of credits a project requires, based on whether a project has previously satisfied a portion of its credit requirements, or based on who is submitting the applications.
  • Requests to increase the number of credits on a current reservation letter require a new credit application form, reflecting the additional credits needed, to be submitted and processed with all other applications during the next credit release lottery.
  • Reservation letters are valid for a 6 month period. Reservations can be extended once for an additional 6 month period.
  • Reservations not paid within 12 months of the original reservation date (provided there has been an approved reservation extension) will be released back to the HID mitigation project.
  • Reservations cannot be made without a permit or permit application number.
  • Reservations made without a valid permit or permit application number will be released back to the HID mitigation project.
  • The HID does NOT alert customers when their reservation is nearing expiration.
  • Expired reservations will not be reinstated or otherwise renewed. The credits associated with an expired reservation are immediately returned to the HID project.
  • There are no refunds on paid reservations.
  • Reserved or purchased credits are non-transferrable.
  • Requests for administrative reservation letter modifications (permit numbers, addresses, reducing the number of credits) will be processed as they are received in writing via email to ever_hid_credit_application@nps.gov.
  • Credits on expired reservations are retained by/released back to the HID mitigation project.
 
 
 
 

Last updated: September 27, 2023

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, FL 33034-6733

Phone:

305 242-7700

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