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Biological Resources

TerraWest Consulting provides comprehensive biological resource management services for both public and private sector clients. Our team of aquatic and terrestrial biologists includes several specialists that are fully versed in procedures to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and other federal, state, and local statutes related to biological resources. We provide threatened or endangered species, habitat assessment and protocol surveys, special-status plant and animal species surveys, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife surveys, waters of the U.S. delineations, botanical surveys, fisheries, and amphibian studies. Remaining objective and adhering to sound biological resource assessment principles are critical to success within the regulatory environment. This approach has been proven among TerraWest’s team of biologists throughout California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat Assessment

Wetland Assessment and Delineation

Habitat
Restoration

Wildlife Species Surveys

Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat Assessment

Throughout the life cycle, many species of fish migrate among different habitats.  Striped bass, salmon, herring, shad, and eel are common examples of migratory fish.  Currently, many federal and state wildlife agencies oversee fish passage and protection projects.  These projects benefit both migratory and resident fish species, as well as other aquatic living resources. TerraWest remains widely respected for both its conceptual and final work design.  These designs include fish passage facilities and biological assessments relating to fish passage and entrainment at project sites nationwide, such as:

  • Fish lifts
  • Fish ways
  • Fish ladders 
  • Downstream passage systems.

TerraWest integrates fishery biologists, regulatory specialists, and engineers to provide exceptional capacity for solutions involving fisheries mitigation and enhancement.  This approach and expertise have established Terrawest as a nationwide leader in fish passage, enhancement, and protection services.

Wetland Assessment and Delineation

TerraWest Consulting has been conducting wetland evaluations for both public and private sector clients for more than 25 years.  Our Ecological Sciences Team (“EST”) provides all-encompassing consulting services.  These services include initial phase wetland delineation and wetland wildlife habitat evaluations.  Wetland delineation contains a wetland impact assessment and mitigation planning and design.TerraWest is also well-versed in the permitting process.  We have extensive permitting experience with federal, state, and local authorities including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, California Department of Fish & Game, and local Conservation Commissions.  Our wetlands permitting experience includes Section 401/404 of the Clean Water Act, and stormwater permitting such as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.Our comprehensive approach provides the needed services to guide and/or manage your project from inception to completion.

Habitat Restoration

TerraWest Consulting offers complete Habitat Restoration Services for your project mitigation requirements. Our team and proficiency enable us to implement Best Management Practices (“BMPs”) in our approach to habitat restoration (e.g., soil erosion control).  According to these BMPs, we have re-vegetated thousands of acres using innovative re-seeding and re-planting strategies.  Examples of our strategies are below:
  • Agency consultation, interfacing, & permitting
  • Drainage course restoration
  • Erosion control
  • Grading
  • Habitat restoration plans
  • Health & safety plans
  • Monitoring & maintenance
  • Native seed collection
  • Plant salvage protected & rare plant surveys
  • Reporting
  • Subcontractor coordination Success criteria
  • Vegetation monitoring plans
  • Wildlife & habitat surveys