Our certified environmental professionals have performed over a thousand wetland delineations, along with forestry delineations, mitigation plans, and wetland creation projects. We are pleased to note that many of our clients have been with us for many years.
One of our services most in demand is a Preliminary Environmental Assessment that gives potential buyers a quick overview of possible environmental constraints on a piece of property. Using state-of-the-art technology, along with a cruise of the site, we give clients the information they need to help make sound financial decisions and avoid later problems.
Preliminary Environmental Assessment
We make use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, infrared mapping, soil surveys, geological data, historical photography, and other remote tools, along with on-the-ground testing, to provide a quick evaluation of a property.
Wetland Delineation
Identifying and marking the regulatory boundaries of wetlands, both inland freshwater wetlands and coastal tidal wetlands, is what we do most often. However, wetland delineations can take many forms, and we provide a wide variety of these services depending on a client's needs, from simple assessments that alert a property owner or prospective buyer that there might be wetland issues on a piece of property, to data collection and flagging of extensive wetlands for large development projects. Since 1989, we have delineated thousands of properties. Our delineators are Federal and State certified.
We have extensive experience in tidal Mean High Water and Mean Low Water studies for purposes of establishing legal boundaries.
Wetland Permitting
Sometimes it is not feasible to avoid impacting wetlands, especially on the Coastal Plain where so much of the land meets the regulatory criteria for wetlands. For such situations there is a Federal and State permit process that allows impacts of wetlands under certain conditions.
Wetland Mitigation
The permit process usually requires wetlands to be replaced in kind; the loss is mitigated. This requirement varies depending on political jurisdiction--no two States are alike. We have designed and built numerous non-tidal and tidal wetlands as part of the permit process. Sometimes all that's required is to set aside some valuable habitat in a conservation easement; sometimes large tidal marshes are created. There are a lot of approaches to mitigation.
Forestry
The three States and their counties on the Eastern Shore all regulate land in some way to protect or create forests. We have done many forest stand delineations, forestry conservation plans, and buffer planting plans to meet the requirements of any jurisdiction.
Endangered Species
We have experts in endangered species studies who understand how to navigate this bureaucracy.
Septic Feasibility and Soils Mapping
We can supply a basic estimate of capability for on-site septic.