The Wetlandsbank Group has completed the restoration and enhancement of 450 acres of degraded wetlands owned by the City of Pembroke Pines, producing a diverse, multi-habitat ecosystem. The site that became South Florida''s first mitigation bank had been overrun by harmful and destructive exotic species including Melaleuca and Brazilian Pepper, and was used by the public for illegal dumping and off-road recreational vehicles. Florida Wetlandsbank''s responsibilities for the project included designing, permitting and constructing the ecosystem; maintaining and monitoring the wetlands for a five-year period once construction was completed; and the sales and marketing of the mitigation credits. After the monitoring period, responsibility for the site will revert to the city, along with a trust fund to maintain the preserve in perpetuity.

The Pembroke Pines Mitigation Bank was a runaway success from the very beginning. Construction activities were successfully completed on time and on budget. Each phase of construction met or exceeded all of its environmental goals on or before deadline. For these reasons and many more, this bank is considered by many as one of the finest examples of mitigation banking in the country.

Because mitigation bank credits can benefit a variety of public and private entities, Florida Wetlandsbank targeted their marketing efforts at a wide range of prospects. Credits have been sold to cities, including the City of Pembroke Pines and the City of Plantation, school boards, developers and others. In 1999, the bank made history as the first in the nation to sell out of credits.