The Howell Woods mitigation site is located in the Upper Neuse River Basin on the Neuse River Floodplain within USGS HUC 03020201. The project includes 27,250 linear feet of stream preservation and 100.6 acres of forested wetland preservation at the Howell Woods Site in Johnston County, North Carolina. The Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center is a non-profit entity owned and operated by Johnston County Community College. The 2,800-acre property is actively managed for timber production, wildlife, fishing, environmental education, and passive recreation.

The Howell Woods site is located between Mill Creek and the Neuse River approximately 7.5 miles southeast of Smithfield. The easement encompasses 135 acres of contiguous Bottomland Hardwood Forest and Cypress-Gum Swamp on the Neuse River floodplain. The Howell Woods easement protects the north side of Mill Creek. The southern side of Mill Creek across from the Howell Woods easement is protected under existing conservation easements established for Westbrook, Cox, and Cox II mitigation sites. An existing DMS mitigation site is also located on the Howell Woods property, resulting in a large mitigation complex within the Neuse Lowgrounds natural area.

The wetland preservation has a mitigation ratio of 5:1, and has a total of 20 wetland mitigation credits.