Mitigation and Conservation Services
Westervelt Ecological Services (WES) offers the following services:
Wetland Mitigation Banking
Wetland mitigation banks provide restoration and enhancement of wetlands on large sites in advance of wetland impacts, and, in doing so, earn mitigation credits that can be used to satisfy mitigation requirements for future wetland impacts.
Conservation Banking
Conservation banks are similar to wetland mitigation banks except they address endangered species environmental impacts. Conservation banks allow a developer, who needs a permit to build or harvest in areas with endangered species, to satisfy their mitigation needs by purchasing credits.
Full Delivery Mitigation Projects
WES professionals can provide full delivery mitigation projects. These projects are a wetland or endangered species project that typically services a single development project or limited number of projects. These types of mitigation projects are established and implemented in the same manner as a formal mitigation bank, but can often be done in a more timely manner and can be tailored to a specific developer's needs.
Mitigation Bank Feasibility Analysis and Market Research
Our expertise and experience in the field of habitat services can assist land owners and government entities in identifying and determining mitigation opportunities on their properties, along with subsequent valuation services.
Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysis
Westervelt uses ArcGIS 9.3 with the ESRI Spatial Analyst software as one of our tools for identifying potential lands for mitigation. This database program models all areas where data layers coincide and quantifies and locates the results. Additionally, we use the ArcHSI program (Habitat Suitability Index) that is designed to compare data layers such as elevation, vegetative cover, infrastructure constraints, sensitive habitats, species information, and hydrologic/wetland resources to look for areas suitable for restoration of specific habitats. We have a library of regional data, including USGS Hydrologic Unit Code mapping, California Natural Diversity Data Base records, LIDAR topographic surveys, existing major infrastructure, property ownership and existing restoration project locations.
Permit Preparation, Tracking and Compliance
Westervelt Ecological Services is recognized as a leader in mitigation and conservation bank development and associated permitting for restoration activities within California. Westervelt was the first company in California to achieve approval of a mitigation bank under the 2008 Mitigation Rule and multi-agency templates.
Habitat Planning Services
WES can assist regional and local governments with the development of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for a particular area or species. Regional HCPs can be required under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. WES, working in conjunction with legal and biological consulting groups, can provide all implementation services and strategies (e.g., land acquisition, design-build, pricing structures, etc.) that are so vital to the successful implementation of these regional conservation efforts.
Land Stewardship
WES has a long-standing commitment to land stewardship and, in partnership with its subsidiary units, can provide land stewardship services on natural and multi-use landscapes (e.g., agricultural and recreational lands). Some of these services include property management, maintenance and security services.
WES is the lead entity for all property management and maintenance on the nearly 10,000 total acres of land owned by Westervelt Ecological Services. Tasks associated with these responsibilities at each of WES's properties include securing property boundaries through the establishment of fences, gates, and signage as well as on-going site visits for monitoring, adaptive management, vegetation control, and security patrol for trespass.
For more information please contact us.
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