RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PERMITTING:
Development of regulated wetlands in Michigan is strictly governed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act 451, PA 1994 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (joint jurisdiction/permitting for wetlands adjacent to the Great Lakes). As a result, developing a regulated wetland presents numerous challenges that may include expensive mitigation, possible land use restrictions or an inability to develop portions of the property. MET combines an experienced staff of biologists, soil scientists and geologists to provide comprehensive wetland determination and permitting services. Our services include:

Wetland Boundary Determination and Mapping: MET utilizes methodologies outlined in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Army Corps of Engineers Joint Permit application training manual. We maintain a comprehensive in-house inventory of Federal wetland maps, State soil surveys and topographical maps. We utilize our resources and experience to provide cost effective, easy to understand site evaluations.

Permitting and Mitigation: MET provides turnkey permitting services that include permit preparation and submittal, and correspondence with local (township, city and county), State (MDEQ) and Federal (Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife Service) personnel. In many circumstances the destruction of a regulated wetland cannot be avoided. As a result, the developer or property owner will negotiate a compensation (i.e. wetland mitigation) for the impact to the regulated wetland.

Threatened and Endangered Species Assessment: The wetland permitting process includes a review of the property by the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division. The primary concern of the agencies is threatened and endangered species. As a result, a significant portion of wetland permits are affected by both Federal and State Endangered Species Acts.