Natural Resource Studies

Natural resource studies are the informational basis for assessing a project’s potential impacts to the environment.  Many of HBG’s natural resource studies are conducted in support of our regulatory permitting projects.
 
HBG’s biologists conduct biological resource evaluations to inventory the plant and animal species present or likely to be present on a project site, and to identify the presence or absence of special status species, the extent of potential development impacts, and workable and cost-effective means of compensating for those impacts.
 
HBG’s scientists delineate wetlands and other aquatic resources to determine the presence or absence of jurisdictional waters subject to Corps of Engineers or state jurisdiction.  HBG president Terry Huffman developed the Corps/US EPA wetlands definition and the technical criteria for the three-parameter methodology used today for determining wetland boundaries when he was the Chief Wetland Scientist for the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).

Representative Services

• Jurisdictional Boundary Determinations (wetlands, other waters, streams, riparian)

• Post-impact Forensic Jurisdictional Boundary Determinations

• Rare Plant Surveys and Botanical Inventories

• Vegetation Community Mapping

• Wildlife Studies

• Habitat Assessments

• Surveys for Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species

• Nesting Bird Surveys (Migratory Bird Treaty Act)

• Biological Constraints Analyses

• Biological Impact Evaluation

• Endangered Species Act Biological Assessments

• Essential Fish Habitat Assessments

• Assessments of Wetland and Other Aquatic Resource Functions & Services

• EPA 404(b)(1) Project Alternatives Analysis

• Resource Management Plans​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​