Wetland & Ecological Services

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Mission conducts accurate and defendable jurisdictional wetland delineations and GPS/GIS mapping throughout New England and adjacent New York utilizing applicable local, state, and federal criteria.

• Completes wetland delineations with challenging and disturbed field conditions (including winter);
• Has a high success rate with defending wetland boundaries during third-party review scenarios;
• Meticulously documents field tasks for consistency and transparency throughout the project review phases;
• Conducts wetland functional assessments in accordance with local, state, and federal guidance;
• Ensures evaluations form an ecologically-sound basis for impact analysis and practical mitigation proposals; and,
• Integrates the science with civil engineering and design teams to appropriately apply stormwater and stream crossing design standards.

Mission has an excellent track record and success rate with mitigation program development during permitting phases and follow-through for applicants in fulfilling compensatory mitigation requirements outlined in wetland permits.

• Provides proper oversight to ensure wetland replication areas intercept the groundwater table and target elevations are captured;
• Reviews and recommends various mandatory and supplementary mitigation components, such as wildlife habitat and stream bank structural enhancements;
• Coordinates specifications for planting schedules and helps identify reliable vendors;
• Provides assistance to land survey outfits with as-built plan survey location of mitigation features; and,
• Helps position projects for compliance and permit bond reimbursement. 

Mission understands the importance that natural resource issues play in project management decisions, stakeholder vetting, and regulatory review phases that drive project development.

• Identifies environmental constraints and assists with project components to help facilitate the regulatory review process with surveyors, civil engineers designers, and project applicants; 
• Helps navigate and support the project through the local, state, and federal regulatory processes with required documentation, natural resource assessments to keep projects on track to meet milestones;
• Fosters a collaborative approach with project proponents, stakeholders and cooperative approach with the regulators; and,
• Prepares supportive documents and presentation materials and represents clients in public hearings to maintain a fluid natural resource review, comment, and deliberation process.

Mission has cultivated an excellent professional relationship amongst the regulatory agencies in the New England and New York region, which ensures timely and effective response to potential project issues. 

• Develops approved wildlife (herpetofauna, selected birds) and plant survey protocols;
• Obtains the required scientific collection permits through agency biologists;  
• Maintains state-of-the-art wildlife radio-telemetry  tracking equipment;
• Prepares Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) checklists;
• Supports project proponents and engineers during the protected plant and wildlife components of the Alteration of Terrain permit review process (Endangered  Species  Conservation Act (RSA 212-A);
• Provides agency consultations and provides correspondence during early conceptual project phases; and,
• Facilitates streamlining for proponents on large, complex projects with multi-agency review teams.

Mission conducts vernal pool evaluations in accordance with the local, state, and federal guidelines for biological and physical criteria for evaluation of vernal pool habitat.

• Utilizes dry pool methods in vernal pools outside of the breeding season, where appropriate and applicable, for conceptual planning purposes;
• Prepares vernal pool sampling, evaluation, and monitoring protocols; and, 
• Develops vernal pool replication and restoration plans that include provisions for coarse woody debris, attachment sites, and appropriate vernal pool hydrology.

Mission consults with local regulatory boards, as well as state and federal agencies to implement protocols for natural resource inventories for residential, commercial, and industrial developments, utility ROW corridors, and regional conservation districts.

• Works with regional land trusts and municipalities on stewardship plans, as well as with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in support of conservation baseline documentation reports.  
• Provides tree and other woody vegetation surveys, in any season, to support Riverfront and Protected Shoreland evaluations;
• Prepares desktop or detailed natural resource inventories that include local geology, soil, water, wetland, vegetation, wildlife habitat, rare species, fisheries, and recreational resources.