PennDOT P3 office releases RFQ for wetlands mitigation banking proposal

Harrisburg, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to solicit a private partner to develop a wetlands mitigation banking project in southeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, PennDOT will host an industry forum on Dec. 18, 2018 to outline the public-private partnership (P3) concept for the project.

“Having such a wetlands bank will help expedite environmental clearances for important transportation and other development projects,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said. “Tackling such an issue shows how our innovative Public Private Partnerships law can have wide, beneficial impacts for Pennsylvania.”

PennDOT’s vision is that the P3 partner will develop 140 acres for a wetland banking site in Chalfont, Bucks County. PennDOT already owns the land and the proposed facility will provide on-demand wetland mitigation credits for both PennDOT projects and other private development projects that have wetland impacts within the same watershed.

PennDOT has been working with appropriate federal and state regulatory agencies to lay the groundwork for the project.

Interested parties have 60 days to respond with a statement of qualifications.

The P3 Board and PennDOT’s P3 Office were established after the Public-Private Transportation Partnerships Act was signed into law in September 2012 and authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania. This law allows PennDOT and other transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining and financing transportation-related projects.