Wildlands Engineering / Articles posted by admin (Page 3)
August 25, 2022

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Carolina Crossroads Permittee-Responsible Mitigation Project

Located in the heart of South Carolina, the Carolina Crossroads I-20/26/126 Corridor Improvement Project (a.k.a., Malfunction Junction makeover) is the number one interstate improvement priority for the state of South Carolina (https://lnkd.in/euFJQc2). Construction of the Carolina Crossroads project requires unavoidable impacts to waters (of the U.S.) under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) evaluated multiple mitigation alternatives to offset aquatic resource impacts. The mitigation option that SCDOT selected has offset impacts through the restoration, enhancement, and protection of more than 80,000 linear feet of stream and the protection of more than 8.6-acres of wetlands. This large-scale and unique mitigation project will also protect more than 2,600 acres of land adjacent to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Belfast Wildlife Management Area, providing future public use and wildlife management benefits.

 

Wildlands led site identification and acquisition, mitigation plan development, natural channel design, generation of construction documents, and construction oversight of the restoration and enhancement activities. Due to the size of the mitigation project and this project serving as the largest stream mitigation project undertaken by the SCDOT, mitigation development was a collaborative effort among multiple project partners including SCDOT, HDR, Open Space Institute, Wildlands and members of the regulatory community. The size of the project site, and availability of on-site resources, allowed Wildlands to critically evaluate on-site materials and maximize the beneficial re-use of native and natural materials during construction. This practice reduced the client’s cost by reducing material import, maintained native characteristics through the reuse of available materials, and facilitated the primary objective of natural channel design. During construction, Wildlands utilized ArcGIS Online to communicate project status with key stakeholders. The contractor completed construction activities at the mitigation site in early 2022 and Phases 1 and 2 of the Malfunction Junction makeover are underway. Wildlands is currently providing post-construction monitoring services.

 

August 25, 2022

Hear what our staff has to say about working at Wildlands Engineering!

Our growth rate, in terms of employees, has averaged 21% annually over the past five years. We began as a seven-person team in Charlotte, NC in 2007 and have grown to 85 full-time professionals with offices in Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, NC; Charleston, SC; and Fairfax, VA. Our staff have dedicated their careers to improving the environment and we provide more than 15-years of experience as a firm. We recognize that people are our most valuable asset, and our firm has tenured employees that develop young talent. This approach results in low turnover and allows senior leadership to transfer knowledge, while building our internal culture.

 

We recently asked some staff what it is like working at Wildlands and here is what they shared:

“I enjoy working at Wildlands because I get to build my experience while working alongside professionals and experts in the field of stream restoration. At Wildlands, I appreciate having a balance between field work and office work, so that we never lose that connection, which really helps to ensure we get the best possible outcomes for our projects.”

 

“Working at Wildlands is exciting and engaging. The company is dynamic, innovative, and always working to improve. There are many ways to get involved and collaborating across teams, which is stimulating. Plus, co-workers feel like family and the perks are nice, too!”

 

 

“The ability to work on such a wide range of tasks throughout the year in both indoor and outdoor settings is continually refreshing. I relish the opportunity to make a direct impact through hands-on problem solving and applied resourcefulness in the reestablishment of native plant communities in my home state of North Carolina. I also love working for a company where I have room to grow in my role and work alongside people that I learn from daily and who help me succeed.”

 

“Working at Wildlands has been exciting in ways that I never imagined. While it has definitely included more ticks than I planned for, it has also included the most accepting and supportive work environment I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of. I can’t wait to see what my future holds with Wildlands, because I know it will be awesome!”

 

“I’ve gotten to make various maps for different stages of projects for landowners, different cities, and different counties. I love working at Wildlands and being able to work with some of the best people I’ve ever met. In working with engineers, designers, and scientists, I’ve been able to understand what goes into different phases of our projects and how to do my job better. “

 

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July 27, 2022

Join us at the 2022 National Stream Restoration Conference in Nashville, TN | August 1-3

Wildlands is thrilled to be a top sponsor at this year’s National Stream Restoration Conference. We are at booth #36, so come by and say hello. Also, we have numerous team members giving presentations on a variety of topics spanning from urban stream and watershed restoration to macroinvertebrates impact on biological monitoring.

 

Please see below for our presentation schedule:

Monday, August 1st

D Session | Ryman Studio PQR

FISHERIES & FISH HABITAT & BENTHOS

3:30 PM ET – Got Bugs? A Biological Monitoring Plan for Evaluating NC Mitigation Projects

PRESENTERS:  Ella Wickliff, Environmental Scientist and Carolyn Lanza, Environmental Scientist

Moderator:  Gian Dodici, US Fish & Wildlife Service

 

C Session | Ryman Studio MNO

STATE & REGIONAL PROGRAMS & PLANNING & PRIORITIZATION

3:50 PM ET – Stream Restoration Assessment and Planning for Nutrient Reduction in Durham, NC

PRESENTERS:  Mike Fowler, PE, Senior Project Manager and Sandra Wilbur, PE, with the City of Durham Department of Public Works, Stormwater & GIS Services Division

Moderator:  Robert Scrafford, Gannett Fleming

 

B Session | Ryman Studio DE

CASE STUDIES – HEADWATER STREAMS AND DAYLIGHTING & DAM REMOVAL & POND CONVERSION

4:30 PM ET – Hoosier Dam Removal Project: Sediment Management Before, During, and After Removal

PRESENTERS:  Angela Allen, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer

Moderator:  Ryan Gaujot, Green Rivers, LLC

 

 

Tuesday, August 2nd

H Session | Ryman Studio PQR

BENTHOS & TWO CASE STUDIES:  ENGINEERING THROUGH BIOLOGICAL MONITORING

9:30 AM ET – Reedy Creek Stream Restoration Project: A Watershed Scale Design-Build Stream Restoration project in Charlotte, NC

PRESENTERS:  Christine Blackwelder, Senior Environmental Scientist and William Harris with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services

Moderator:  Cidney Jones, Ecosystem Planning & Restoration

 

K Session | Ryman Studio MNO

CASE STUDIES – LARGE SCALE EFFORTS & STREAM RESTORATION CASE STUDIES

3:50 PM ET – Adaptive Buffer Management in Urban Stream Restoration

PRESENTERS:  Jake McLean, PE, CFM, Senior Water Resources Engineer and Paul Dow, PE, CFM, City Engineer with the City of Greenville, South Carolina

Moderator:  Nate Ober, Water & Land Solutions LLC

 

 

May 12, 2022

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Hendersonville Multi-Area Streambank Restoration Project

Wildlands recently completed the Hendersonville Multi-Area Streambank Restoration Project, which involved 11,000 linear feet across 13 sites on Mud Creek, a state listed 303(d) stream.  Funded by NCDEQ as a City Green Infrastructure Project, Wildlands partnered with Kee Mapping and Baker Grading to take this large, multi-phased project from initial feasibility through construction and monitoring.  Project highlights included:

  • The largest of the 13 sites was designed as a model/pilot project for urban stream and floodplain restoration. Receiving runoff from a  Walmart, apartments, and I-26, the stream was overly wide and eroding.  The design and construction resestablished floodplain connection using native materials for fish habitat structures as well as grade control.
  • Wildlands used ArcGIS online (AGOL) as: a communication tool between staff, the landowners, and the City; to document construction progress and survey; and for monitoring required by NCDEQ and Corps of Engineers.  Wildlands’ Senior Environmental Scientist Scott Gregory, GISP notes that, “Using AGOL allowed us to efficiently track all data through successive project stages.  All data, from initial landowner requirements to construction changes, was organized geospatially throughout the project and available with just a click.”  Check out screenshots from the AGOL application, below.

 

  • Real-time easement acquisition tracking by the City and stakeholders prior to project implementation
March 30, 2022

Welcome Tim Morris to the Wildlands Team

We are pleased to announce that Tim Morris has joined the Wildlands team. Tim has been a long-time leader in restoration and mitigation in the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, managing over 40 full-delivery mitigation projects and developing mitigation banks in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Maryland. His 30+ years of experience with a broad range of environmental restoration projects has given Tim a well-rounded approach to problem solving and a unique ability to manage complex, large-scale restoration projects. Tim’s philosophy on developing successful environmental restoration projects is to promote ownership of projects from the ground up. This involves informing and training the project team, contractors, landowners, regulatory staff, project owners and other project stakeholders through diligent communication and involvement, resulting in proud ownership of all parties involved.

 

Tim lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife and two kids. When Tim isn’t working, he is usually coaching or transporting his kids to their various sports activities. He also loves to ski, mountain bike, hike, and playing slow pitch softball. Tim is excited to join the Wildlands team and contribute to achieving our goals for 2022 and beyond.

December 16, 2021

American Bittern sighting at Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary at Briar Creek

The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a medium-sized, wading bird in the heron family. They are often found in the marshy areas along side of lakes and ponds. This particular American Bittern spent the past winter in one of the small retention ponds at our Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary in Charlotte, NC. The bird was first seen November 11, 2020 and wintered through April 25, 2021. During this time frame, it was spotted over 70 times! These birds typically prefer the coast, but this special bird decided to winter in the city. This is a success story for Chantilly and a point of pride for Wildlands!

 

Check out the photos below taken by Patty Masten, along with the eBird map showing all historical records for American Bittern in the county. Note, the red circle on the map marks the Chantilly location.

 

December 15, 2021

Together, Wildlands Engineering and Wildlands Construction restore the Critcher Brothers Mitigation Site

We are thrilled to share this video that captures the synergy between Wildlands Engineering and our recently created construction company, Wildlands Construction. The Critcher Brothers Mitigation Site is a Wildlands-owned mitigation bank in the Yadkin River Basin of North Carolina. Approximately 21,000 cool stream credits will be delivered through stream restoration, enhancement, and preservation in a rural area historically used for cattle and agriculture. Construction was completed in 2021.

October 21, 2021

Unique ‘Pink Sundew’ plant spotted at Wildlands‘ Devil’s Racetrack Mitigation Site

This spring, Wildlands’ land stewards found a new population of pink sundew (Drosera capillaris) within a restored wetland at our Devil’s Racetrack Mitigation Site.  The pink sundew is a carnivorous, perennial plant found in pine savannas and wet, peaty areas. They are low-lying plants with rounded traps of sticky, tentacle-like leaves to hold their insect prey. This specimen was the first such sighting at the site and is also believed to be the first county record of the species (LeGrand et.al., 2021). Prior to restoration, the site was in agricultural production for decades.  Seeing this plant recolonize after so many years in agriculture is truly remarkable!

The Devil’s Racetrack Mitigation Site successfully reached the close-out milestone in August 2021 and is now in long term stewardship.

Source: LeGrand, H., B. Sorrie, and T. Howard. 2021. Vascular Plants of North Carolina [Internet]. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina Biodiversity Project and North Carolina State Parks. Available from https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/index.php.

 

September 27, 2021

Wildlands helps NCDOT protect critical aquatic habitat to mitigate impacts from construction of Interstate 540

In 2018, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) worked out an agreement with the Southern Environmental Law Center to mitigate potential effects to critical aquatic habitat from the Interstate 540 expansion. As part of this agreement, NCDOT committed to preserving land along the Little River and Buffalo Creek in northeastern Johnston County. Wildlands was one of the firms selected by and contracted with NCDOT to acquire the necessary land to meet the agreement conditions.

This past summer, Wildlands met with landowners along Little River and Buffalo Creek and successfully purchased 450 acres of conservation easements along 37,897 linear feet of stream (over 7 miles) from 27 different landowners. The conservation easement areas contain Little River Aquatic Habitat, dubbed by the North Carolina Heritage Program as a Natural Heritage Area with exceptional collective conservation value. This habitat area hosts imperiled species, including the dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon), yellow lance (Elliptio lanceolata), Atlantic pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni), Neuse River waterdog (Necturus lewisi), and Carolina madtom (Noturus furiosus).  The project landowners expressed deep love for the streams and were excited to do their part to protect them in perpetuity.

Wildlands will work with subcontractors this winter to plant native hardwood trees on previously unforested areas within the conservation easements. Triangle Land Conservancy, who assisted in the acquisitions, will serve as the long-term land steward.

Click here to view enlarged map »

June 10, 2021

Wildlands’ Norkett Branch Mitigation Site reaches the “close-out” milestone

Wildlands is pleased to announce that the NC Interagency Review Team (IRT) has approved the Norkett Branch Mitigation Site in Union County for close out! As the prime consultant for this full-delivery project, Wildlands performed existing site assessment, conservation easement acquisition, permitting, stream restoration design, construction, and seven years of post-construction monitoring of geomorphic stability and vegetation. As a result of these successful efforts, this project delivered 10,098 stream credits to the Division of Mitigation Services to offset unavoidable impacts in the Yadkin 05 River Basin. For the past ten years, our team has been dedicated to creating this 30-acre riparian corridor and respite habitat to benefit the ecology and water quality in the Yadkin watershed.