Ecology
Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. performs a broad range of ecological services including terrestrial ecology, wetland ecology, and freshwater ecology. Our ecologists meet FAA qualifications as certified wildlife biologists, and have performed wildlife hazard assessments and written wildlife hazard management plans for airports throughout the United States. We have worked with a range of clients in both government and private sectors and our ecological services are designed to meet specific client and regulatory needs. These services and needs range from baseline surveys and Geographic Information System (GIS) to impact assessments, protected species studies, natural resource management planning, and design and restoration services.
Our staff of wildlife biologists, ecologists, and mussel and fisheries biologists provides experienced comprehensive wetland consulting services. From surveys and documentation, to regulatory permit coordination and impact mitigation, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. works to help our clients achieve their goals while complying with local, state, and federal wetlands, environmental, and water-resource policies.
Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. provides critical wetland and stream services to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Federal Clean Water Act. In addition to conducting background research and performing field delineations of jurisdictional wetlands, EPEI ecologists assesses potential impacts to wetlands and assist our clients with impact avoidance and minimization alternatives. As part of any project, our staff coordinates with federal, state, and local resource agencies and authorities to obtain necessary certification and authorization for construction and development activities in wetlands and their adjacent environments.
When regulations call for mitigation for unavoidable stream and wetland impacts, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. coordinates the development of a wetland mitigation plan, oversees the implementation of the prescribed mitigation, and conducts regular monitoring to insure the success of the mitigation plan. Mitigation plans typically include a combination of creation, restoration, and preservation of wetland communities. EPEI staff has undergone training in wetland and natural stream design/restoration. The staff has designed and implemented wetland and streams restoration projects throughout Georgia that meet the US Army Corps of Engineers requirements.
Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. also provides important protected species services to meet the requirements of the Federal Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act as well as state and local conservation policies. We coordinate background research of mapped and published information with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the state natural resource and conservation departments, and other appropriate resource agencies. Our staff has performed numerous field investigations for federal and state endangered/threatened fish, mussels, plants, and non-aquatic animals. We work closely with the appropriate federal, state, and local agencies to balance the needs of the client while insuring the continued protection of species and their habitats. When required, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. provides experience in relocation of threatened and endangered species and construction monitoring services to further insure the goals of both project development and resource protection.
Aquatic Survey
Edwards-Pitman Environmental Inc. has a staff of highly qualified aquatic ecologists that conduct surveys for freshwater mussels, fish, and snails, evaluate project impacts, assess aquatic habitat, perform mussel relocations, and conduct benthic macroinvertebrate and fish bioassessments. EPEI aquatic ecologists have experience in large and small streams, small lakes, and Lake Erie coastal marshes. EPEI fish and mussel experts have experience working in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, and Ohio.
EPEI has conducted numerous surveys for state and federally protected species in the Chattahoochee River basin, Flint River basin, Coosa River basin, and other river basins within Georgia. The surveys included portions of streams designated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as “critical habitat.”
EPEI’s technical expertise in freshwater mussel relocation services also includes evaluating streams for appropriate habitat for protected species, identifying appropriate relocation sites, and physically relocating individual mussels.
The major objective of most fish and mussel aquatic surveys for our clients is to determine the presence or absence of federal or state threatened or endangered species in streams and the presence of suitable habitat for protected aquatic species.