The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has approved spending more than $344,000 to purchase stream mitigation credits to meet U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting requirements for two road projects.

The board approved paying Mitigation Management LLC $296,239 for 5,021 stream mitigation credits for the Little Road Reconstruction Project. Construction would impact 1,090 linear feet of intermittent stream channel and 3,981 linear feet of perennial stream channel, and affect two stream crossings, staff said in a report to commissioners.

Commissioners also approved paying Mitigation Management $47,908 to buy 812 stream mitigation credits for an intersection improvement at East Cherokee Drive at Holly Springs Road, staff said. That project will affect 108 linear feet of stream channel.

“We have a couple of parcels in the county we know will have mitigation value,” County Manager Jerry Cooper told commissioners. “We will see if we can develop those for our own credits or at least sell those to mitigation companies for future credits.”