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Ecological Restoration Site Selection Drivers, Principals, and Prioritization

Austin Byers
Stantec
Baltimore, MD

Understanding project drivers to effectively identify and prioritize ecological restoration projects is imperative to delivering solutions to today’s mitigation, nutrient reduction (TMDL), and MS4 crediting needs. Site selection starts with developing search criteria based on property ownership, geography, scale, mitigation/crediting needs, functional uplift, and permitting requirements. Utilizing desktop search techniques coupled with field verification is the first step to ultimately connecting with landowners, local municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders to implement ecological restoration projects at a cost-effective scale. An evaluation of ecological restoration drivers (past, present, and future) throughout the Chesapeake Bay region will be examined to provide a better understanding of how policy and regulations impact the balance between project sustainability, ecological uplift, and nutrient/sediment reduction and how these drivers influence the site search criteria and selection. A description of site search methodology, and an outline of how to effectively categorize and prioritize potential sites will also be reviewed.

About Austin Byers

Austin Byers as a Principal and Senior Ecological Restoration Designer based in Baltimore, Maryland. Austin leads stream and wetland restoration/mitigation and NPDES MS4/TMDL compliance efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Austin earned a Bachelor of Science from Shepherd University and a Masters from Towson University.