MITIGATION

(1) (Environmental, General) Actions designed to lessen or reduce adverse impacts; frequently used in the context of environmental assessment. (2) (NEPA) Action taken to avoid, reduce the severity of, or eliminate an adverse impact. Mitigation can include one or more of the following: (1) avoiding impacts; (2) minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of an action; (3) rectifying impacts by restoring, rehabilitating, or repairing the affected environment; (4) reducing or eliminating impacts over time; and (5) compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments to offset the loss.