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Wetland boundary determinations are often a critical component of land use planning. Delineating wetland boundaries requires a thorough understanding of the existing physical features including topography, vegetation, soils, and hydrologic characteristics. Such delineations also require a mastering of federal, state, and local delineation methodology and criteria.
LEC conducts Wetland Functional Assessments to evaluate the qualitative physical characteristics within a wetland, which allows us to determine the functions and values within the ecosystem. Wetland functions and values are inherently linked to understanding site conditions and play an important role in ACOE 404 permitting. This understanding is essential to assessing impacts, project design, potential alternatives, and when necessary, appropriate compensatory mitigating measures.
Vernal Pools are ephemeral bodies of fresh water that provide essential breeding habitat for amphibian and invertebrate species, that are often dependent on this habitat for survival. Identification and certification of vernal pools has become an important aspect of wildlife protection and permitting with local, state, and federal agencies.
LEC conducts Natural Resource Management Surveys to inventory plant community composition, invasive/exotic species, wildlife habitat potential and utilization, and potential rare plant and animal habitats. LEC develops Natural Resource Management Plans that incorporate preservation of critical habitat areas, and often focus on passive recreational use, enhancing wildlife habitat, and/or managing invasive/exotic species. Natural Resource Management Plans are typically prepared for non-profit or public agencies for Open Space management, but may be applied to development projects as part of a comprehensive land management plan.
LEC conducts a variety of botanical surveys for state-listed rare plants in accordance with NHESP guidelines. As required on all such surveys, NHESP must pre-approve the candidate botanist before the survey begins. Considering LEC's vast botanical survey background, our staff is often pre-approved to conduct such surveys for many state-listed rare plants. Having an understanding of the location(s) and abundance of rare plants on a project site is critical for project design and MESA permitting.
Rivers and Streams provide surficial connections between and within protected wetland systems. Streams are afforded several levels of protection and regulatory criteria at the federal, state, and local levels, depending on their status and function. LEC is well-versed in these often complex regulations, and experienced in working with engineers in order to meet federal and state stream crossing standards. In addition to meeting these standards, preserving long-term stream function through bank stabilization and/or restoration is often required.
LEC has extensive experience with successful design and implementation of wetland replacement and restoration projects. Successfully restoring or replacing a wetland area is linked to site-appropriate design, qualified oversight during installation, and monitoring and stewardship of the area to maximize success potential. When implemented correctly, a restored/replaced wetland area will serve the same or similar function as the lost area.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a submerged flowering plant that is crucial in supporting marine habitats by providing food and shelter for many commercially important species, such as juvenile scallops and flounder. Eelgrass also provides a stabilizing force against physical disturbances of bottom sediments.
LEC provides baseline mapping of eelgrass beds and assessment of population health. This information is used to evaluate potential implications from marine development, design alternatives, and appropriate mitigation when impacts are unavoidable.
Soils are primarily differentiated by color, layer, texture, internal structure, firmness, wetness, slope, and landscape position, and classified by examining these characteristics, as they are observed in a soil profile.
For detailed site planning, LEC can make definitive determinations of water table elevation, assessment of hydric soil status on difficult sites and predict infiltration permeability by applying state-of-the-art soil classification methods. A name or class is assigned to a soil having a specific set of characteristics, using national standards. Once a soil is classified in the field, its behavior under various uses can be predicted with regularity. Targeted laboratory analyses may also be performed to strengthen predicted values.
Soil maps are published in "Soil Survey Reports", providing a general graphic inventory of soils that occur across the landscape, focusing on the upper five feet of surficial material, where most human activity occurs.
While this generalized mapping is a valuable tool, LEC can assist clients with natural resource management, planning, and development by evaluating soils at a much more detailed level. Products such as "High Intensity Soil Maps" and "Site-Specific Soil Maps" can be tailored to specific sites and clients interests.
Some applications for soil mapping include identifying appropriate sites for waste disposal or sources of sand and gravel, predicting water table elevations or infiltration capacity, estimating the depth to bedrock or impermeable layers and determining agricultural potential.
100 Grove Street, Suite 302
Worcester, MA 01605
508-753-3077
centrallec@lecenvironmental.com
Take Exit 65B to Route 290 West toward Worcester. Take Exit 21. At light, turn right onto Lincoln Street/MA-70 and then immediately slight right to Salisbury Street. Take second right (at the traffic light) onto Grove Street. Follow Grove Street through one traffic light. LEC is located half a block from the traffic light on the right.
Take Exit 94 to Route 146 North toward Worcester. Take Exit 21 towards Route 290 East. Take Exit 21. At light, turn left onto Belmont Street/Route 9 West. At third traffic light, turn right onto Grove Street. Follow Grove Street through two traffic lights. LEC is located half a block from the traffic light on the right.
Take Exit 90 (old exit 10) to Route 290 East toward Worcester. Take Exit 21. At light, turn left onto Belmont Street/Route 9 West. At third traffic light, turn right onto Grove Street. Follow Grove Street through two traffic lights. LEC is located half a block from the traffic light on the right.
Merge onto Route 290 West toward Worcester. Take Exit 21. At light, turn right onto Lincoln Street/MA-70 and then immediately slight right to Salisbury Street. Take second right (at the traffic light) onto Grove Street. Follow Grove Street through one traffic light. LEC is located half a block from the traffic light on the right.
380 Lowell Street, Suite 101
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 245-2500
northlec@lecenvironmental.com
Take the exit for Route 95 South/128 North (Waltham, Gloucester). Follow the ramp for 95 South, Waltham. Now traveling on 95 South (128 South), take Main Street Exit 59, towards Wakefield/Lynnfield Center. At the end of the ramp turn left toward Wakefield/Vernon Street. Proceed on Vernon Street for 0.8 miles. Turn left into the parking lot immediately before the signaled intersection of Vernon and Lowell Streets. LEC is located in the first entrance of the condominium office building in Suite 101 on the first floor.
Take Main Street Exit 59, towards Wakefield/Lynnfield Center. At the end of the ramp turn left toward Wakefield/Vernon Street. Proceed on Vernon Street for 0.8 miles. Turn left into the parking lot immediately before the signaled intersection of Vernon and Lowell Streets. LEC is located in the first entrance of the condominium office building in Suite 101 on the first floor.
12 Resnik Road
Suite 1
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 746-9491
southlec@lecenvironmental.com
Take Exit 16 (Route 44 West). Follow for approximately 1 mile. Take exit toward Route 80 (Cherry Street/North Plymouth). Turn slight right onto Commerce Way. Turn left onto McAuliffe Way. McAuliffe Way becomes Resnik Road. Travel approximately a half mile. 12 Resnik Road is on the right. LEC is located in the first suite.
680 Warren Avenue
Suite 3
East Providence, RI 02914
401-685-3109
Take the exit for I-195 East in RI (Exit 20 southbound, Exit 19 northbound). Continue east across the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and take Exit 2C in RI, towards US-6/US-1A. At the traffic light at the end of the ramp, take a right onto Warren Avenue (westbound). Proceed on Warren Avenue for 0.3 miles. Turn right into the parking lot immediately after the Walk-In Medical Center. LEC is located down the hall to the right.
Take Exit 1 in MA for MA-114A and take a right onto Fall River Avenue (114A) at the end of the ramp. Take a left onto County Street and continue underneath the I-195 bypass. At the traffic light, take a right onto Warren Avenue and proceed on Warren Avenue for 0.7 miles. Turn right into the parking lot immediately after the Walk-In Medical Center. LEC is located down the hall to the right.