However, in environmental terms, mitigation is a project or program intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream, wetland, an endangered species, archaeological site or historic site. structure. According to en.wikipedia.org/wiki, environmental mitigation is typically part of an environmental credit system established by governing bodies that involves the allocation of debits and credits. Debits and credits are given in situations where a natural resource is considered to have been destroyed or enhanced. Flows occur in situations where a natural resource has been destroyed or severely degraded. Credits are granted in situations where a natural resource has been considered enhanced or preserved. Therefore, when an entity such as a business or individual has a "debit", they are required to purchase a "credit". In some cases, credits are purchased from "mitigation banks" which are large mitigation projects established to provide credit to multiple parties in advance of development when such compensation cannot be obtained at the development site or is not considered beneficial to the environment. Credit systems can generate credit in different ways. For example, in the United States, projects are evaluated based on their intentions, which may be to restore, create, enhance or preserve a natural environment.