- MEPA/NEPA Documents
- Vegetation, Invasive Species, and Rare Species Management Plans
- Box Turtle Telemetry
- 亚星游戏官网tland Delineation, Impact Assessment, Mitigation Design
- 亚星游戏官网tland & Rare Species Permitting
- Expert Witness Testimony
- Public Presentation
- Stakeholder Outreach
- Construction Monitoring
- Long-term Ecological Restoration Monitoring
Challenge
The airport鈥檚 proposed runway extension required seven separate environmental permitting processes at the most stringent regulatory levels. GZA has served as the natural resource consultant for this coastal airport鈥攚hich has rivers and wetlands at both ends of the runway and rare species associated with the immediately adjacent habitats鈥攆or many years.
Solution
The MEPA/NEPA process was used as a 鈥渂ig-table鈥� permitting and mitigation strategy tool, bringing all the permit authorities together. In addition to leading all environmental permitting, GZA鈥檚 most client-critical role was devising a wetland and rare species mitigation package, including:
- Bass Creek and Green Harbor River at Runway Ends 鈥� GZA coordinated with regulators to establish reasonable mitigation measures
- Direct 亚星游戏官网tland Impact (>1 acre)/Entire Runway in Flood Zone 鈥� GZA designed a 3+ wetland mitigation area as replacement and coordinated with regulators to establish 鈥渋n lieu fee鈥� for Bass Creek
- Removal of Trees in Airspace Within 亚星游戏官网tlands 鈥� GZA鈥檚 field review characterized all cutting areas and a Vegetation Management Plan minimized impacts
- Protected Box Turtle 鈥� GZA conducted a Turtle Telemetry Study, designed and permitted turtle nesting sites, and facilitated purchase of an adjacent farm for habitat replacement
GZA also provided ecological compliance monitoring for the construction and mitigation elements of the project, as well as long-term ecological monitoring for the restoration of Bass Creek.
Benefit
GZA鈥檚 extensive knowledge of the facility, surroundings, and regulatory environment facilitated the successful permitting for much-needed airport infrastructure.