SWCA Environmental Consultants services

Whether you need to identify and evaluate a scatter of prehistoric stone tools, document a historic homestead, evaluate historic bridges and canals, or conduct ethnographic research with tribes and other groups to identify traditional cultural properties, SWCA’s cultural resource management (CRM) services help you recognize, assess, and preserve cultural resources while avoiding or minimizing their impacts.

Perhaps you’re a wind farm developer who wants to erect turbines in a remote, rural area, but you’re wondering if your turbines will attract birds or disrupt their migratory pattern. Maybe you’re in the process of building a large housing complex and you’ve come across fossilized remains. You could even be a city representative who is hearing concerns from local fisherman and farmers about fish mortality or low water flow. These are all issues that our clients deal with; and with a diverse group of biologists, ecologists, paleontologists, and other technical experts, SWCA addresses these biological, aquatic, terrestrial and water issues with an ultimate goal of managing the natural resources on which we all depend. We specialize in all areas of natural resource management, including planning, mitigation, and permitting that is related to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other critical legislation for terrestrial and aquatic species and their habitats.

SWCA manages the specific plans of our clients in the context of environmental resources and established regulatory requirements. Regardless of the client or the project, our planners can define objectives, provide documentation assistance, gather community input, offer alternatives and solutions, and facilitate stakeholder collaboration – in order to keep projects in full compliance with environmental regulations and to help clients meet their community planning goals.

Obtaining an environmental permit is often a critical element for the success of a project. SWCA believes that the way we help clients obtain their permits is what sets us apart from other firms. Our staff combines in-depth local resource knowledge with positive agency relationships and a thorough understanding of the intricacies of ordinances at all levels of government to facilitate timely permit approvals and clearances as well as eliminate surprises and delays. We objectively evaluate project options and identify short- and long-term strategies to meet your goals by determining what environmental permitting requirements are applicable to the project then adapting our permitting efforts to your particular economic, ecological, regulatory, and resource conditions. We have been providing permitting assistance for nearly 30 years and have become a go-to resource for clients in a wide variety of industries.

With an experienced staff of geospatial technology professionals, SWCA offers a full spectrum of geographic information services, including geospatial data creation, integration, analysis, visual simulation, and application development. Our use of industry-standard GIS, computer-aided design (CAD), GPS, and remote sensing applications supports seamless integration of geospatial-based technology with planning, management, and decision needs. In addition to in-the-field mapping, we use the growing technology of web-based virtual mapping tools such as Google Earth™ to provide real-time data that can be viewed in a dynamic, 3-D environment. You no longer have to guess or imagine how their finished project sites will look. With spatial modeling tools that simulate real-world conditions, SWCA can accurately ‘predict’ the visual aspect of project outcomes.

Do you want your project delayed? This may seem like a question with an obvious answer, but if you’re not taking the steps to ensure environmental compliance during your project, you’re indirectly saying ‘Yes.’ If you think that your project may have some type of environmental impact, it is critical to proactively work with consultants who can help you prevent obstacles or work through them. From construction monitoring, to site inspections on an as-needed basis, to full environmental protection plans, SWCA’s environmental compliance services ensure that you meet project deadlines while adhering to the regulatory requirements associated with your project.

Whether you’re a large multinational corporation, a small private company, or a public agency, we can help you understand your organization’s climate change opportunities and risks – and help you chart a course to better environmental and economic performance. SWCA offers a dedicated group of engineers, environmental scientists, and planners to serve the growing need for climate change and sustainability services. Our climate change experience ranges from complex greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and data management systems for large companies and government agencies to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) GHG permitting for power generation facilities. With our expertise in natural resource management and ecology, we understand the link between climate change and the natural environment and can provide comprehensive climate adaption and mitigation planning and solutions, as well as a wide range of sustainability management and planning services.

SWCA’s water resources services are divided into two main categories: water resources permitting and water as a biological (natural) resource. Driven primarily by the Clean Water Act, our water resources permitting services focus on hydrological phenomena such as the movement and distribution of both surface and groundwater. Approaching water from a biological standpoint, we survey rivers, streams, wetlands, and other distinct water bodies to perform appropriate studies. We work with clients whose projects may impact nearby water resources and determine quality, quantity, and other aspects so that mitigation, monitoring, and overall management plans can be effectively implemented.