Wetland Restoration

Land Use has completed over 150 successful tidal and freshwater wetland restoration projects, ranging in size from 0.1 acre to over 100 acres. Our experts analyze a site’s environmental conditions and develop restoration plans suited to that site’s unique edaphic and hydrologic conditions.
Representative Wetland Restoration Projects designed and supervised by Land Use include:

Alley Pond Restoration Project, Queens County, NY.
Alley Creek Tidal Wetlands Restoration Project, Little Neck Bay, Queens County, NY.
Arlington High School Wetland Salvage & Creation Project, Arlington, Duchess County, NY.
Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, Suffolk County, NY.
Glen Cove Creek Waterfront Redevelopment Project, Glen Cove, Nassau County, NY.
G & L Building Corporation, Oceanside, NY.
Nissequogue River Northeast Branch Restoration, Smithtown, Suffolk County, NY.
Mud Creek County Park (East Patchogue, NY)
The Creek Club (Locust Valley, NY)
Oak Point Wetland & Shoreline Restoration (Bronx, NY)

In addition, Land Use staff have served as Wetland Specialists for US Army Corps of Engineers restoration projects, including:

Elder’s Point West Restoration, Jamaica Bay, NY.
Gerritsen & Mill Creeks Restoration, Marine Park, Brooklyn, NY.
Soundview Park, Bronx, NY.

Planning and Permitting for Major Coastal Projects

Land Use is the leading consulting firm on Long Island for the planning of major beach nourishment and beach scraping projects on Fire Island and south shore of Long Island. Land Use has managed the implementation of beach nourishment projects in 1994, 1997, 2003/04, and 2008/09 in the Fire Island communities of Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Lonelyville, Fire Island Summer Club/Corneille Estates, Ocean Beach, Seaview, Ocean Bay Park, Fire Island Pines, and Davis Park. Land Use also coordinated post-Sandy storm protection and repair projects for the communities of Fire Island and the City of Long Beach.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING

Obtaining an environmental permit is often a critical element for success of a project. Land Use identifies the permits necessary for your project, provides guidance on the potential use and development of your site, and assembles necessary documentation for application submission. Land Use has successfully guided property owners through the local, state, and federal permitting process for a wide range of projects including the construction of single-family dwellings and accessory structures, multi-family residential complexes, commercial facilities, and community shoreline restoration and beach renourishment. Land Use has obtained permits from many federal, state, and local agencies, including the following

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
National Park Service/Fire Island National Seashore
Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of State
New York State Office of General Services
Suffolk County Department of Health
Towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Hempstead, Huntington, Islip, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, Southold
Villages of East Hampton, Head of the Harbor, Huntington Bay, Kings Point, Laurel Hollow, Lloyd Harbor, Locust Valley, Manorhaven, Nissequogue, North Haven, Old Field, Quogue, Poquott, Sagaponack, Sands Point, Southampton

Projects:

Village of Patchogue Aquatic Invasive Plant Management (Patchogue, NY)
Village of Mill Neck Phragmites Management (Mill Neck, NY)
Phragmites Management Projects within Georgica Pond and Georgica Cove (East Hampton, NY)

Invasive plants adversely impact the environment, through exclusion of native vegetation by shading and competition for space and alteration of wildlife habitat. For example, grasslands are imperiled on Long Island and throughout eastern North America due to development and forest re-growth. As a result, the populations of many grassland-dependent birds are in decline throughout North America. Many of the endangered, threatened, and special concern bird species in New York State, such as short-eared owl, northern harrier, upland sandpiper, grasshopper sparrow, and vesper sparrow, require large grassland areas for breeding and foraging. Land Use has developed programs to guide restoration of native aquatic, wetland, and upland habitats throughout Long Island. Target species include common reed (Phragmites australis), mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris), tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), and Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus); and numerous aquatic species such as Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) and variable milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum).

Private Clients

Atlantis Marine World (Riverhead, NY)
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
Butler Architecture & Engineering
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP
The Creek Club (Lattingtown, NY)
Diocese of Rockville Centre
Farrell Fritz P.C.
Fiddler’s Green Home Owners Association
Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association
Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn, & Terrana LLP
Galvin Brothers, Inc.
H2M architects + engineers
Jude Thaddeus Glen Cove Marina/Steamboat Landing
Lexington Contracting (Lexington, KY)
LIRO Engineering
MacLachlan & Eagan

Mallard Drive Association
National Grid
Oak Point Property, LLC (Bronx, NY)
Our Lady of Mercy Academy (Syosset, NY)
Point O’ Woods Association
Port of Egypt Marine
PW Grosser Consulting
Remsenburg Marina
Rise Projects
RMS Engineering
RXR Glen Isle Partners
Shlimbaum & Shlimbaum
St. John’s Church (Cold Spring Harbor, NY)
St. Joseph’s College (Patchogue, NY)
Stop & Shop Supermarket
Verizon
VHB Engineering
The Worrell Group

Municipal Clients

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
US Army Corps of Engineers
US Department of the Interior-National Park Service
Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission
Nassau County (NY)
Suffolk County – Health Services (Peconic Estuary Program), Parks & Recreation, Planning & Economic Development, Public Works
Suffolk County Water Authority (NY)
City of Glen Cove (Nassau County, NY)
City of Long Beach
City of New York—Office of Parks & Recreation

Town of Brookhaven, NY
Town of Huntington, NY
Town of Islip, NY
Town of North Hempstead, NY
Town of Riverhead, NY
Town of Smithtown, NY
Town of Southampton, NY
Village of Bayville
Village of Lloyd Harbor, NY
Village of Mill Neck, NY
Village of Patchogue, NY
Village of Ocean Beach, NY
Village of Old Field, NY
Village of Quogue, NY
Village of Saltaire, NY

About US Slide 2

In addition to the above, Land Use performs analysis and planning required for submission and issuance of regulatory approvals necessary for completion of projects within environmentally sensitive areas. Permitting requirements have incorporated the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments under SEQRA and NEPA, as well as a detailed knowledge of applicable environmental regulations at the Federal, State and local levels, including:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE)
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 USC 403)
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1344)
Nationwide Permit Coverage
U.S. Dept. of the Interior [National Park Service (NPS) / Fire Island National Seashore (FINS)]
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service [National Wildlife Refuge Special Use Permits]
N.Y.S. Dept. of State (NYSDOS)
Coastal Zone Management Program
N.Y.S. Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
Article 24 (Freshwater Wetlands)
Article 25 (Tidal Wetlands)
Article 15 (Protection of Waters)
Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act
Article 34 (Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Regulations)
Local Wetlands/Coastal Ordinances and zoning ordinances for all townships within Nassau and Suffolk Counties

About Us Slide 1

Land Use Ecological Services has performed numerous projects for a variety of municipal and private clients over the years, including:

Land Use was established in 1981 by Charles W. Bowman and is located in Medford, New York. Land Use works with clients throughout Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, and the Hudson Valley.

Design and environmental permitting for over 200 successful tidal and freshwater wetland restoration projects ranging in size from 0.1 acre to over 100 acres. Land Use provides project management services to coordinate diverse teams of scientists, engineers, environmental remediation specialists, environmental planners, and GIS specialists to ensure development of restoration plans that are “build-able” and based on the physical environment characteristics required by the target species. Land Use personnel have served as the Wetland Specialist for USACE wetland restoration projects at Soundview Park (Bronx, NY), Elder’s West Island (Jamaica Bay, NY), and Gerritsen Creek/Marine Park (Brooklyn, NY).

Design of wetland and aquatic invasive plants management programs for municipalities and homeowners including control of Phragmites australis and aquatic plants including fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana), variable-leaf milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum), and Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa).

Wetland impact analysis and mitigation plans for various tidal and freshwater projects ranging from single family dwellings to major regional malls. Additional waterfront development projects have included marinas, assisted senior housing projects, retail centers, condominium complexes, residential subdivisions, and waterfront revitalization projects.

Over 2,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and NYSDEC wetland delineations for various development or restoration projects.

Permitting, Environmental Assessments under NEPA, Environmental Impact Statements under SEQRA, Essential Fish Habitat Assessments, and Biological Assessments, and natural resource inventories for numerous shoreline protection projects for Fire Island communities having jurisdiction within the Fire Island National Seashore. Land Use provides ongoing planning, permitting, and management for beach nourishment, beach scraping, storm protection, recreational and community activities for 16 Fire Island communities.

Preparation of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) and Notices of Intent/Termination for Construction and Industrial projects for under NY SPDES regulations.

Environmental monitoring of vegetation, shorebirds, beach and benthic invertebrates within 16 Fire Island communities on an ongoing basis, including monitoring for endangered, threatened and rare species such as piping plover, least tern, common tern, seabeach amaranth, and seabeach knotweed.

Essential Fish Habitat Assessments for numerous projects within Long Island waters.

Design and permitting for bluff restoration and protection projects for municipalities, community associations, and homeowners.