Environmental / Ecological Services

Threatened & Endangered Species Surveys & Consultation:

Projects may require consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or a state wildlife agency in order to satisfy Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements. Midwest offers informal, and if needed, formal consultation with the required agencies. Surveys can also be performed, as required.

NHPA Section 106 Permitting:

Each state and territory has a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), an office authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966. The SHPO is charged with administering federal and state preservation programs and laws, including: overseeing the nomination of sites to the National Register of Historic Places; conducting surveys of historic and archaeological resources; and reviewing federal and state undertakings (such as road projects) for their impact on cultural resources among others. 

Midwest can assist clients with initial cultural and historic site determinations, agency discussions, and cultural surveys as required.

Ecological Restoration Planning, Construction Management, and Monitoring:

These services are offered primarily in order to assist clients with meeting permit requirements associated with wetland impact mitigation. When a project impacts wetlands, permit conditions may require creation, enhancement, and/or preservation of wetlands within the same watershed. 

Restoration can also be completed in order to create wildlife habitat and add aesthetics to a property. Prairie restoration can be used for commercial properties in order to reduce the amount of turf being mowed, thereby reducing operational cost associated with mowing. 

Detention and retention ponds can benefit from the added pollutant filtering properties of native vegetation as well and add an aesthetically-pleasing view.

nPDES Permitting:

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into Waters of the United States. NPDES permitting can be completed by Midwest, along with any necessary water quality testing and/or reporting obligations.

Environmental

Midwest Engineering Associates, Inc. is not only able to complete the design portion of your project, but we also offer permitting and surveying related to natural resource, cultural, historical, and threatened & endangered species habitat impacts.

Wetland and Waterbody Determination and Delineation
Perhaps the most often needed ecological service associated with new construction and site improvements is a wetland determination and/or delineation. Replacing culverts, dredging retention ponds, or any impacts to wetlands or waterbodies may require Section 404/401 and/or isolated wetland permits from the appropriate Federal, State, and/or Local Regulatory Agencies.

To obtain cost effective preliminary information early in a project, a wetland determined can be completed that includes:
- Evaluation of available property-specific maps to determine initial wetland locations
- Site inspection to verify mapped wetland locations

This information then allows Midwest to assist clients with project planning in order to avoid potential wetland impacts that could delay project construction based on the potential for appropriate permits.

A wetland delineation is a more detailed process that defines the legal boundary of wetlands on a property. A report is then created that is suitable for permitting and/or wetland avoidance documentation.

404/401 Permitting
The Clean Water Act regulates discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States. Sections 401 and 404 are used to regulate activities in wetlands and waterbodies. 

Midwest has excellent relationships with regulatory agencies that administer the Clean Water Act and will work for clients to permit projects in a timely and appropriate manner.

NEPA Permitting
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) establishes a process for identifying, avoiding, and mitigating impacts to the environmental as a result of a federally funded activity such as a roadway. 

Environmental