Wetlands Replacement or Relocation Within Development Projects (HB5501)

Current understanding

Section 30311d of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (1994 PA 451) governs wetlands mitigation, including how lost or altered wetlands can be compensated for during development. HB5501 (103rd Michigan Legislature) proposes to amend this section to explicitly allow wetlands to be replaced or relocated within the boundaries of a development project, potentially giving developers more flexibility in on-site mitigation rather than requiring off-site compensation. The bill has passed one chamber.

Evidence log

• 2026-06-04 — Natural resources: wetlands; definition of wetland; update. Amends secs. 30301, 30307 & 30308 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30301 et seq.).: cross-connection with wetland-definition-update-hb5536: HB5536 (definition), HB5501 (replacement/relocation), HB5082 (delineation), and HB5502 (Sec. 30305 regulation) together form a coordinated legislative package revising Michigan’s Part 303 wetlands framework across definitions, permitting, delineation, and mitigation. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-04 — Natural resources: wetlands; replacement or relocation of wetlands within a development project; allow. Amends sec. 30311d of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30311d).: cross-connection with wetlands-delineation: HB5501 (sec. 30311d, on-site wetlands replacement/relocation) and HB5082 (sec. 30321, delineation) are parallel amendments to Part 303 of 1994 PA 451, suggesting a coordinated legislative rework of Michigan’s wetlands regulatory framework spanning delineation, permitting, and mitigation. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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