(1) The department determines the buffer necessary for each bank. The buffer for a bank must be sufficient to protect the functions at the bank.

(2) The department considers the following elements to determine the buffer necessary for a bank:

(a) The level of sensitivity of the wetlands to off-site activities;

(b) The functions and quality of the buffer (existing conditions and proposed conditions); and

(c) The intensity of adjacent land uses.

(3) Required buffers shall generally range between fifty and three hundred feet in width.

(4) The quality and functions of the buffer are included in determining the credit conversion rates for wetlands and aquatic resources on the bank site. Buffers generally do not directly generate credit on an area basis.