Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. -- Environmental Consultants -- Selected Projects

The following representative projects provide an brief overview of Woodlot's qualifications and experience.

To download a more detailed description of a project in .pdf format, click on a project's title. A complete Statement of Qualifications with extensive project examples is also available for download here.

Inquiries concerning more specific qualifications or client references can be obtained by contacting our office at (207) 729-1199, or by E-mail at info@woodlotalt.com.

Housatonic River Rehabilitation, Pittsfield, MA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and R. F. Weston, Inc. Woodlot staff worked closely with engineers, scientists, and project managers of Weston as well as federal and state agency personnel to design and develop streambed and streambank restoration plans for this EPA Superfund site. Plans included design guidelines and conceptual schematics for engineering evaluation and cost analysis. Restoration methods evaluated included revegetation, bioengineering, and hard structure designs. Assessments of aquatic and riparian habitat and a restoration-monitoring plan were also conducted.

Wetland-based Characterization of the Casco Bay Watershed - Maine State Planning Office. Woodlot has been providing technical wetland assistance to the State Planning Office and Maine DEP, with the cooperation of other Federal and State agencies, toward developing a pilot GIS-based wetland assessment method for Maine. The primary purpose of the assessment has been to develop a function-based system of identifying priority wetlands throughout the 985-square-mile Casco Bay watershed. The Phase 1 process has included conducting field evaluations, generating GIS maps, and working with other Federal and State Pilot Project Steering Committee members. The development process was completed on time and under budget, has been considered extremely successful to date, and is advancing methods for identifying wetland compensation opportunities.

Stream Restoration and Wetland Compensation – Mead Paper Corp. Woodlot provided assistance in wetland evaluation, permit application, and mitigation design and planning for a wetland and stream environment impacted by construction of a wood products facility. Working within a disturbed wetland, Woodlot staff designed stream restoration and enhancement plans, monitored stream reconstruction and riparian planting, and designed five-year monitoring efforts.

Wetlands Management Program, Loring Air Force Base - ABB Environmental Services, Inc., HAZWRAP, and U.S. Air Force. Developed and implemented a comprehensive wetlands management program to ensure the base closure would comply with CERCLA. Delineated wetlands and performed WET II and FVA wetland functional assessments for wetlands on the base. Designed and monitored wetland restoration and enhancement projects for 2.5 miles of trout stream and 48 acres of floodplain and other wetlands. Presented findings and recommendations at agency meetings, and prepared comprehensive reports. Work on-site required OSHA-approved hazardous waste training (29 CFR 1910.120) and use of air and radiation monitoring equipment.

Stream and Floodplain Restoration of Gay Brook, ME - Private Client. Following a major discharge of heating oil in mid-winter into forested wetlands adjacent to a tributary of Gay Brook, Woodlot was contracted to assess the extent of wetland impacts and characterize the functional loss from the spill contamination. Woodlot also developed the mitigation design, oversaw restoration work, and is currently performing long-term monitoring.

Compensatory Wetland Mitigation and Banking Study - Maine Department of Transportation. Woodlot designed and implemented an in-depth study of MDOT’s compensatory mitigation program. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the overall costs and effectiveness of their past and current mitigation efforts, and to develop recommendations on improving the process and making it more cost-effective. Part of the study involved an extensive review of the mitigation banking programs in use throughout the United States to determine if banking would be a viable way of mitigating for wetland impacts, and if so, to recommend what specific aspects would be suitable for Maine. Another part of the study involved an analysis of the costs associated with various mitigation tasks and a comparison of MDOT’s cost to those in the private sector and other DOT’s across the country.

Evaluation of Maine's Wetland Protection Program - Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Woodlot assisted the Maine DEP in an evaluation of wetland functions provided by various wetland types in a nine-town study area in southern Maine. Three coastal towns were included in the study area. Services provided by Woodlot consisted of classifying and assessing wetlands using the New Hampshire Method. Using National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps, we identified and classified 1,476 wetlands. Wetland functions and values for 194 wetlands were then field evaluated.

Inventories of Wetlands and Land Use Cover Types at Four Hydropower Projects - Union Water Power Company. Woodlot conducted an inventory of wetlands and adjacent land use cover types associated with Mooselookmeguntic, Rangely, Richardson, and Aziscohos Lakes in the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine for Union Water Power Company from 1993 to 1996. Field studies were coordinated with remote sensing (GIS) techniques to identify, locate and characterize wetlands, shoreline substrates, and adjacent land use cover types within 1000 feet of the normal high water line of the lakes. Significant wetland functions and values were identified and unique natural features, significant wildlife habitat or wildlife observations were noted.

Town of York Wetland Assessment - Town of York, Maine. Woodlot used the New Hampshire Method to assess the relative functional values of wetlands within an approximate 15-square-mile study area. The study area included extensive wetland systems situated in the most densely populated portions of the Town. A final inventory product was developed through the coordination of individual field assessments with existing GIS-based data, aerial photos, and other map-based information. Information developed through the inventory process is being used by the Town as a planning tool, which will allow identification of priority wetlands in the study area. Included with the project is an assessment of present use impacts to existing wetland communities, as well as an examination of restoration/mitigation opportunities for preserving/enhancing the integrity of project area wetlands. The assessment has provided the Town with the basis to initiate a Town-wide wetland compensation program.

Proposed Landfill Sites: Eastern Maine - James River Corporation. Woodlot delineated and assessed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and State (DEP) jurisdictional wetlands on over 58 potential landfill sites within 7 towns in eastern Maine. Woodlot worked closely with Company engineers to assess the feasibility of constructing a landfill in compliance with Maine solid waste and Federal Clean Water Act laws. Woodlot provided critical mitigation and natural resource consultation and testimony at meetings with regulatory personnel.

Expert Witness Mediation Hearing: Portland, Maine - Burns & Levinson. Woodlot performed Standard of Care research at the Maine State Archives and Records, performed personal interviews, prepared expert reports, and presented testimony. The information Woodlot prepared was used to establish the Standard of Care in regards to wetland delineation during the mid-to-late 1980's.

Portland Natural Gas Transmission System - Stone & Webster Engineering (SWE). Woodlot assisted SWE with identifying and delineating wetlands along approximately 80 miles of a proposed natural gas pipeline in northern and southern New Hampshire and western Maine.

EPA Housatonic River Superfund Site - TechLaw, Inc. /USEPA. Woodlot has provided detailed scientific and biological services on this site including: habitat mapping; wetland surveys (delineation and function value assessments); ecological characterization; freshwater mussel surveys; small mammal surveys; ecological receptor identification.

EPA Housatonic River Risk Assessment - R.F. Weston/USEPA. As a member of the risk assessment team, Woodlot designed and conducted major ecological surveys and sampling efforts to help evaluate contaminant effects on environment and habitats. Recent studies have included: detailed vernal pool surveys; mink and otter snow tracking and scent post surveys; raptor surveys; leopard frog and bull frog collection; mussel collection and dive surveys; bat surveys; small mammal trapping.

Loring Air Force Base Remediation Assessment - U.S. Air Force with USEPA, Woodlot staff identified the limits of excavation in stream floodplain to minimize impact to wetland and maximize removal of contaminated floodplain soils and sediments.

Eco-Risk Assessment Seminar - Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Woodlot recently developed and presented a full-day seminar for MADEP staff, regional consultants, and state and Federal agency representatives on the use of amphibians in eco-risk assessments.

Casco Bay Habitat Assessments

- Central Maine Power. To evaluate the potential effects of operation of a licensed ash lagoon discharge on the near shore environment Woodlot performed dive and snorkel surveys to identify and map coastal wetland communities and to evaluate fish and macro-invertebrate communities.

Tidal River and Salt Marsh Monitoring - Town of Wells. Woodlot is in the third year of monitoring changes in stream channel morphology and mapping the extent of salt marsh habitats within the Webhannet River estuary system in Wells. For this work, Woodlot scientists have mapped vegetation and community types, identified tide channel and habitat fluctuations, produced maps and cross sections of the project area using state-of-the-art laser rangefinder and GPS technology, and produced GIS maps and data files for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other regulatory agencies. The purpose of these tasks has been to assess the effects of dredging on the estuarine and marsh habitats.

Bowdoin College Coastal Studies Center – Bowdoin College. Woodlot was retained to lead a detailed site assessment of a large coastal property in Harpswell for development of a Coastal Studies Center. Woodlot provided Bowdoin with a detailed resource inventory, maps, GIS data, and recommended paths forward for siting including permitting constraints. The intensive terrestrial resource mapping effort included preparing a topographic base map for the entire property, mapping soils, conducting an ecological assessment, delineating wetlands, performing vegetative cover-type mapping, rare plant and animal surveys, and wildlife habitat assessments. In the marine environment, Woodlot biologists conducted underwater dive surveys to evaluate sub- and inter-tidal habitats, map eel grass beds, and survey benthic macro-invertebrates and macrofauna.

Little John Island Habitat Surveys - Town of Cumberland. Woodlot biologists conducted underwater dive surveys to evaluate sub- and inter-tidal habitats, map eel grass beds, and survey benthic macro-invertebrates and macrofauna.

Belfast Harbor Project – MBNA New England. Woodlot was retained to assess feasibility and site location of a corporate waterfront docking facility along 800 feet of Belfast Bay. Woodlot evaluated the ecological resources found in the project area, including wetlands, and assessed the anticipated environmental impact of the proposed pier system. Intertidal and subtidal field surveys were conducted to describe the substrate, hydrology, plant communities, and animal communities found within the project area. Woodlot scuba divers collected benthic fauna and flora samples and took still and video photographs to support final assessments and recommendations for siting.

Mack Point Cargo Expansion, Pierce Atwood.. In areas near a proposed Cargo Port,, Woodlot performed dive and snorkel surveys of the near shore environment to identify the extent of mussel beds, eel grass beds, soft bottom and hard bottom. Underwater photos were collected to document the characteristics of each community. Fish and macro-invertebrate surveys were also performed.