JFNew has successfully completed thousands of wetland and floodway permit applications through U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts and state agencies throughout the Midwest. We have also worked with counties, cities, and villages that regulate wetlands at the local level. Our success is based on identifying our client's goals and needs through proactive communication. Our experience combined with an understanding of our client's goals and objectives allows us to identify feasible solutions and obtain needed permits in a timely manner.
We understand how wetlands
can influence land use decisions
and the need to complete
fieldwork in a timely manner.
Wetland determinations
allow our clients to quickly
obtain preliminary
information and
make educated
decisions. During a
determination, we
evaluate available
maps of the property
and inspect the site to verify
the presence or absence of
wetlands under the jurisdiction
of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and state or local
agencies. After the natural
resource issues are identified,
we work with clients to guide
them to determine what
permits will be involved and
what expectations should be
for time and costs based on
expected requirements of the
agencies.
JFNew has completed
thousands of delineations
throughout the Midwest. Sites
have varied from small ΒΌ acre
lots to properties including
several thousand acres and
from small bridge crossings
to one-hundred mile linear
corridors. A delineation defines
the legal boundary of the
jurisdictional wetlands within
a property. This boundary
separates the regulated
wetland from the nonregulated
upland. If a proposed project
will affect wetlands, the owner
will be required to complete a
delineation in order to proceed
through the permitting process.
It is also critical to identify
the exact wetland boundary
and acreage to determine the
type of permits and potential
mitigation required. Even if
plans avoid all wetlands on the
site, it is prudent to complete
a wetland delineation and
provide documentation of
avoidance.
JFNew can provide GPS /GIS mapping as necessary to meet project needs.
In conjunction with most permitting projects, we work with clients to develop mitigation plans that will meet regulatory requirements. We are often able to develop a solution that benefits both our client and the environment by providing aesthetic interest and/or additional function to a project. We strive to develop solutions that add value to our client's projects in addition to meeting the minimum requirements. As part of the permitting process, it has become standard for most agencies to request mitigation, or replacement, of the impacted area. This is typically done at a ratio that ensures a net gain of wetland resources is achieved as a result of the project. This can be done on the site where the impact occurred or on another mitigation site in the same watershed. (This varies by state, please call to verify.) The mitigation plan submitted and reviewed by the agencies will generally include a grading plan, planting plan, and monitoring plan.
A mitigation bank allows clients to purchase pre-built wetland credits as an alternative to conducting their own mitigation. JFNew designed, permitted, constructed, planted, and monitored the first full-scale entrepreneurial wetland bank in Indiana for Lake Erie Land Company. JFNew also designed and permitted the first Wetland Mitigation Bank in Michigan located in the Upper Peninsula. In addition to these banks, we have completed mitigation banking feasibility studies for several other areas throughout the Midwest. Please contact us for more information on wetland mitigation banking.
JFNew monitors the success of our wetland development mitigation projects on an annual basis. Most projects that involve wetland mitigation are required by the permitting agencies to complete a three- to five-year monitoring plan. Our botanists and ecologists assess the wetland development to assist clients in meeting their monitoring requirements. Monitoring throughout the early development of a newly created or restored wetland sometimes helps to identify the need for supplemental plantings, adjustments to water control structures, or exotic species management needs. Identifying and addressing these needs early maximizes the ability to create a successful wetland mitigation area, thus minimizing the monitoring time period and overall cost of the project.
