Field Work. Real Projects.

Challenge

A 40,000+ acre property in the New Jersey Pinelands required a comprehensive wildland fire management plan covering extensive pitch pine-scrub oak forest with elevated fuel loads, no continuous firebreak network, and active wildfire history. The plan needed to satisfy both property safety requirements and Pinelands Commission standards.

Approach

As Wildland Fire Program Coordinator, we planned, coordinated, and executed all prescribed fire and wildfire response operations across the property. Systematic fuel load transects quantified live and dead fuel by stratum across multiple management units. Fire behavior modeling under 90th-percentile weather conditions identified high-risk corridors. The resulting Wildland Fire Management Plan (WFMP) was developed in coordination with the NJ Forest Fire Service and aligned with NWCG standards. Operations were led by a certified Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) and Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4).

Outcome

The WFMP was adopted as the property's governing fire management document. Prescribed fire operations reduced fuel continuity across priority management units, and the property maintained a strong safety record across multi-year fire seasons. The program was recognized with land management performance awards.

Challenge

A 35-acre residential development proposed within the New Jersey Pinelands required a full wetland delineation and Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer recharge zone assessment before the Pinelands Commission would advance the application. The site contained cedar swamp and emergent marsh communities hydrologically connected to the Toms River corridor, and prior site assessments had not identified the full extent of jurisdictional wetlands.

Approach

We conducted a full wetland delineation following the 1987 Army Corps Manual and the Northcentral and Northeast Regional Supplement, identifying four distinct wetland communities including an Atlantic White Cedar swamp, an emergent marsh, a seasonally flooded depression, and a degraded riparian fringe along a tributary to the Toms River. Hydric soil documentation, hydrology monitoring, and groundwater depth data confirmed jurisdictional boundaries and delineated the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer recharge zone per NJDEP Pinelands standards. We developed a permit strategy that minimized wetland impacts through site plan modifications and proposed mitigation within the same watershed.

Outcome

The delineation was verified by the USACE Philadelphia District within 45 days. A Nationwide Permit 29 was secured for unavoidable impacts, and NJDEP issued a Freshwater Wetlands Individual Permit with conditions aligned to the proposed mitigation plan. The developer advanced the Pinelands Commission application on schedule.

Challenge

A series of Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments were required across a portfolio of properties spanning multiple municipalities in Ocean and Burlington Counties, NJ. Property owners included both municipal entities and private landowners with sites ranging from former agricultural parcels to light industrial lots with historical operational histories. Several properties had potential recognized environmental conditions tied to underground storage tanks, historic pesticide application, and proximity to Pinelands waterways and the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer recharge zone.

Approach

We completed Phase I ESAs for each property following ASTM E1527-21 standards, conducting records reviews, site reconnaissance, and interviews to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs), controlled RECs, and historical RECs. Phase II investigations were triggered at three properties where RECs indicated potential soil or groundwater impacts. Subsurface investigations included soil borings, groundwater monitoring well installation, and laboratory analysis for VOCs, SVOCs, metals, and pesticides. Given the Pinelands setting, sampling protocols were coordinated with NJDEP to account for Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer sensitivity and Pinelands water quality standards.

Outcome

Phase I findings were delivered to each property owner with clear regulatory status determinations. Phase II results at two properties confirmed limited impacts that qualified for NJDEP's Innocent Party Grant program, reducing remediation cost exposure for the landowners. The third property's findings supported a No Further Action determination following source removal. All assessments were completed within lender and municipal transaction timelines.

Challenge

Extensive pitch pine-scrub oak stands required active management to restore fire-adapted forest structure, reduce invasive species pressure, and maintain habitat for Threatened and Endangered species. Operations required coordination across multiple jurisdictions and compliance with NJ Forest Fire Service protocols and NWCG standards.

Approach

We planned and executed a multi-year prescribed fire program using certified Burn Boss (RXB2) and Crew Boss (S-230) qualified personnel. Firing operations followed S-219 and RX-301/RX-341 protocols. Invasive species control was integrated into post-burn management, with mechanical treatment using tub-grinder and tractor equipment operated under certified pesticide applicator authority (Forest, Right of Way, and Aquatic categories). GIS mapping tracked burn unit progress, invasive cover, and T&E species sensitive areas.

Outcome

Prescribed fire operations restored fire-adapted structure across priority management units. Invasive cover was reduced measurably in treated areas, and T&E species monitoring confirmed positive habitat response. The program maintained a clean safety record across all burn seasons.

Challenge

A proposed utility crossing of a Mullica River tributary in the Pinelands required a stream corridor assessment, wetland delineation, and Section 404 permit strategy. The Mullica River watershed is designated a Wild and Scenic River and drains directly to the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer recharge zone, subjecting the project to heightened NJDEP and Pinelands Commission scrutiny.

Approach

We conducted a full stream corridor assessment and wetland delineation along the 1.2-mile project corridor, characterizing stream geomorphology, riparian buffer condition, and wetland communities including lowland hardwood swamp and Pinelands bog. Water quality sampling documented baseline conditions in the tributary. We developed a crossing design that minimized stream bed and bank disturbance and prepared a permit package coordinated between USACE Philadelphia District, NJDEP Division of Land Resource Protection, and the Pinelands Commission.

Outcome

USACE issued a Nationwide Permit 12 for the utility crossing. NJDEP issued a Freshwater Wetlands Letter of Interpretation confirming the delineation and a Flood Hazard Area Individual Permit for the stream crossing. The Pinelands Commission approved the application without requiring a public hearing.

Challenge

A large Pinelands property required comprehensive annual wildlife surveys to assess the status of Threatened and Endangered species, measure wildlife population response to management activities, and satisfy natural resource management plan requirements. Survey scope included avian, mammalian, aquatic, floristic, and Lepidoptera communities across a diverse landscape of pine-oak forest, cedar swamp, and open water.

Approach

We planned and oversaw all wildlife surveys, including breeding bird surveys, acoustic bat monitoring, amphibian and reptile assessments, and targeted T&E species searches. Mammal monitoring incorporated camera traps and track stations. Nuisance wildlife management utilized innovative control mechanisms including Beaver Deceivers for hydrological management of Pinelands wetland systems. All survey data were integrated into GIS and reported through the annual natural resource management plan update process.

Outcome

Annual survey data documented population trends for multiple T&E species and informed adaptive management decisions across the property. The wildlife program consistently met natural resource management plan compliance requirements and contributed to plan updates accepted by the overseeing agencies.

Challenge

A 340-acre utility-scale solar array proposed on former agricultural land in the New Jersey Pinelands required a comprehensive rare species assessment before the state permitting authority would issue a certificate. The site bordered known bat foraging habitat and contained potential habitat for state-listed reptile and plant species, triggering the need for ESA Section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Approach

We conducted breeding bird surveys, acoustic bat monitoring across three seasons, and targeted searches for state-listed reptile and plant species including timber rattlesnake and Pinelands-endemic flora. Acoustic data confirmed regular bat activity along the wooded perimeter. We prepared a Biological Assessment documenting survey methods, species detections, and a no-jeopardy analysis supported by proposed project design modifications — including a 300-foot no-disturbance buffer along the forest edge and seasonal construction restrictions during bat maternity season.

Outcome

USFWS concurred with our no-jeopardy determination and issued a letter of concurrence within 45 days, clearing the project for state permitting. The design modifications were incorporated into the final site plan without materially affecting the project's generating capacity.

Challenge

A proposed property expansion required Environmental Assessment (EA) support under NEPA, along with habitat restoration planning for Atlantic White Cedar and other sensitive Pinelands communities affected by the proposed action. The project required coordination with NJDEP, the Pinelands Commission, and USFWS, and integration with the property's environmental management program.

Approach

We managed the EA process, conducting stand composition analysis, wetland delineation for GIS boundary determination, and species identification for sensitive Pinelands communities including Atlantic White Cedar swamp and Pinelands bog. Habitat restoration planning for Atlantic White Cedar included deer exclusion fence design and installation to protect regenerating cedar stands from browse pressure. Coordination with NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Pinelands Commission addressed complex forest land conservation challenges at the Pinelands-development interface.

Outcome

EA documentation was accepted by the lead agency. Atlantic White Cedar restoration areas were established with deer exclusion infrastructure in place. The project met all environmental management milestones on schedule and the Pinelands Commission approved the expansion application.

Challenge

A developer rehabilitating a 19th-century mill complex in the New Jersey Pinelands discovered evidence of bat roosting during pre-construction inspection. State law prohibits disturbance of active bat roosts, and the project's historic tax credit financing required documentation that the rehabilitation would not result in unlawful take of state-listed bat species including little brown bat and big brown bat.

Approach

We conducted emergence surveys at dusk across three nights during the summer maternity season, documenting little brown bat and big brown bat activity at multiple roost entry points in the mill's upper story. We assessed roost size using acoustic counters and prepared a mitigation plan that phased construction activities to avoid the maternity season, incorporated bat-compatible exclusion methods, and included installation of bat houses on the rehabilitated structure to provide compensatory roost habitat consistent with NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife guidance.

Outcome

NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife accepted the mitigation plan, and the developer received written confirmation that the proposed approach satisfied state take-avoidance requirements. Historic tax credit financing closed on schedule.