Natural Resources

Natural Resources

One of the keys to DESCO’s continued success is our commitment to providing the highest quality of services to help our clients achieve their project goals, while maintaining our commitment to natural resource conservation and the environment.  We help you maximize the value of your environmental investment.

DESCO conducts natural resource surveys and assessments to assist with environmental planning and regulatory compliance, including:

  • Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species surveys: T&E surveys are conducted to determine the presence or absence of state or federally listed species or their habitats.
  • Habitat assessments: Habitat assessments are used to determine the extent and characteristics of habitat types in an area and often help determine whether species-specific surveys are required.
  • Vegetation mapping and assessments: Vegetation mapping and assessments entail sampling, identifying, characterizing and mapping vegetation in a project area.
  • Wildlife surveys: Wildlife surveys are conducted to sample, identify, characterize and map species in a given area.
  • Fisheries assessments: This consists of sampling, identifying, characterizing and mapping the aquatic species in a given watershed or water body.
  • Water quality assessments: This evaluates the water quality of a given watershed or water body and may entail identifying the presence or absence of pollutants.
  • Soil surveys (wetland and horticultural studies): Soil surveys are conducted to sample and characterize soils. Common objectives include determining whether hydric characteristics are present in wetland areas or whether appropriate soil parameters are present to support specific vegetation.
  • Wetland delineation: This procedure identifies wetland/upland boundaries based on the presence or absence of hydric soils, hydrophytic vegetation and hydrologic indicators.
  • Finfish sampling and impact assessments: Finfish assessments gather qualitative and quantitative data on occurrences and densities of species in a given area and quantify impacts to fish resulting from projects in aquatic habitats.
  • NEPA documentation and compliance including CEs, EAs, and EISs
  • ESA Sections 7 and 10 reviews, consultations and regulatory compliance (BAs, BEs, HCPs)
  • CWA Section 404 reviews, consultations and regulatory compliance
  • Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA) Section 10 reviews, consultation and regulatory compliance
  • SWPPP Generation and inspection

DESCO also provides services to evaluate, restore and compensate for unavoidable impacts resulting from project activities, including:

  • Impact assessments: To determine the extent and intensity of impacts and estimated recovery times, and to make recommendations for remediation or mitigation of impacted areas.
  • Ecological mitigation planning: To make recommendations for the enhancement, restoration or re-creation of natural habitats to compensate for impacts caused by project activities.
  • Ecological restoration/enhancement: To return degraded or impacted habitats to a more natural state that provides more of the functions, benefits and values of similar systems found elsewhere.
  • Wetland mitigation planning: To make recommendations for the enhancement, preservation, or creation of wetlands to compensate for project-related impacts.

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