Land Management Group Services

Wetlands and other Waters of the U.S. are regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NC DWQ) under Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act. Impacts to wetlands or waters require approval by these agencies. Land Management Group is able to evaluate potential impacts that projects may have on wetlands or other waters and prepare the necessary federal and state permit applications. Our knowledge of the various wetland regulations as well as our strong relationship with regulatory agencies helps to facilitate the permit process for our clients. LMGs consultation for avoidance of wetland impacts is essential in the early land planning process. LMG also offers wetland mitigation planning, implementation and monitoring as required by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and other applicable agencies.

LMG conducts benthic and nekton sampling as part of a wide range of services focused on estuarine and coastal permit conditions set forth by state and federal agencies. LMG possesses a full compliment of aquatic resource sampling equipment including a 12' otter trawl for Primary Nursery Area fish surveys. For benthic macrofauna sampling, LMG owns two 500 micron sieve buckets, two "D" nets, and a petit ponar. Basic water quality parameters are collected using an YSI 85 Water Quality Monitor. Additionally, a wide range of other specialized sampling equipment is utilized by LMG.

Projects requiring CAMA permitting include marinas, private piers, bulkheads, boat ramps, dredging and beach re-nourishment. CAMA Permit applications are reviewed by a host of state and federal agencies. Certain proposed projects also require the preparation of Environmental Assessments in association with CAMA Permit applications. Environmental Assessments detail projected impacts to a wide range of environmental concerns including 404 and coastal wetlands, water quality, shellfish, cultural resources and endangered species. Land Management Group routinely prepares Environmental Assessments (as required SEPA and NEPA compliance) that incorporate a wide range of investigations necessary to evaluate the significance of any project impacts to the environment. In addition, LMG works with the applicant up front during the planning process to avoid and minimize a project's environmental impacts and to formulate mitigative measures acceptable to review agencies.

Species with the federal classification of Endangered (E), Threatened (T), or Officially Proposed (P) for such listing are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Land Management Group routinely conducts threatened and endangered species surveys and ecological studies to identify the presence or absence of significant habitat and natural resources on sites. Data from these surveys are often incorporated into environmental impact analyses and biological assessments for site development projects in accordance with SEPA/ NEPA requirements.

(SC 610 Standard)
LMG can perform the requisite site work to support an engineer's design for a SC 610 Standard wastewater system on those sites that have soils that can not be permitted for conventional or other alternative systems.

Land Management Group, Inc. performs groundwater modeling for the purpose of hydrogeologic mounding analyses for small and large scale wastewater disposal sites, stormwater systems and wetland hydrology using programs such as ModFlow, DrainMod, & Colorado State mounding analysis. These analyses also utilize Remote Data Systems (RDS) automated shallow groundwater level recording instruments.

As part of LMGs wetland determination, the use of automated wells by RDS are used to verify the presence or absence of wetland hydrology on altered sites relating to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction or wetland mitigation success criteria, rainfall analyses are also performed to quantify the normal periods of precipitation. RDS instrument users can download and e-mail their water level data to LMG for a graphical presentation and analysis relating to wetland jurisdication as well as issues with seasonal high water tables for septic system permitting and stormwater evaluations.

LMG routinely conducts surface water and groundwater sampling to characterize ambient biological and physiochemical parameters. LMG is capable of in situ water analyses utilizing protocols established by State Agencies and scientific literature. Water samples requiring further laboratory analyses are contracted with a State certified laboratory using EPA and APHA techniques.

Individual site assessments have been used to help identify potential contaminants from point and non-point source discharge as well as aiding in the determination of SA waters for stormwater regulation. Land Management Group has been involved in a variety of water quality monitoring projects including long term water quality assessment of innovative stormwater treatment design and dissolved oxygen modeling for marina feasibility analysis. Water quality studies at LMG are site specific according to the needs and goals of each project.

Land Management Group, Inc. (LMG) staff specializes in preliminary land evaluations that include a wide range of assessments suited to inform property owners and/or prospective buyers of potential environmental site constraints. Evaluations may include Preliminary Wetland Mapping, Soil Suitability Mapping, Threatened and Endangered Species Surveys, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Coastal Development/Marina Feasibility Summaries and many others. Along with preliminary land evaluations, our land use consultation services can provide a practical direction for a range of desired projects.

LMG is capable of performing "All Appropriate Inquiry" Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) utilizing the current ASTM Standard E1527-05 to help the prospective client obtain the Innocent Landowners Defense under CERCLA. LMG has highly qualified Environmental Professionals on staff that have performed numerous Phase I ESAs at large undeveloped tracts, residential, commercial and industrial properties. In the event that a Phase I ESA determines that possible recognized environmental conditions may exist at a site, LMG can also assist the client by performing a Phase II ESA in compliance with ASTM E1903-02 to determine if there are environmental liabilities at the property. Due to the more stringent lending practices LMG is foreseeing more Phase I ESAs being required by lending institutions. LMG also performs ASTM E1528-06 Transaction Screening Process Assessments; however there is no protection for the client under CERCLA. Land Management Group is a Licensed Professional Geological Corporation and can work with clients if an environmental incident is reported at a site and help the client work through the NC DENR Division of Waste Management regulatory review process to ultimately gain closure at contaminated sites. Compliance reviews can also be conducted at RCRA-SG, UST/AST and SWF sites.

Every wastewater project starts with a firm understanding of the governing soil types and geologic processes that made the land what it is today. Land Management Group (LMG) specializes in the initial mapping of soils and natural resources of the property in order to provide a "road map" for the client to use throughout the development process. It is not uncommon for our soils maps to be used to layout one hundred to three hundred lot subdivisions which we then manage throughout the wastewater treatment permitting process.

Every stormwater project starts with a firm understanding of the governing soil types and geologic processes that made the land what it is today. Land Management Group specializes in the initial mapping of soils and natural resources of the property in order to provide a "road map" for the client to use throughout the development process. This mapping process identifies the best areas to propose for stormwater management. Once a proposed stormwater area has been selected, LMGs, staff evaluates infiltration rates and make seasonal high water table determinations to support stormwater permit applications. LMG can also perform a hydrologic assessment to determine if a proposed stormwater device will have a negative impact on a federally protected 404 wetlands and advise the project engineer of any site modifications necessary to ensure proper permitting and functioning of the stormwater device.

LMG routinely acquires wastewater dispersal permits for surface dispersal systems, many systems exceeding one million gallons per day (1 MGD), as permitted by the Division of Water Quality, Aquifer Protection Section. Land Management Group performs all aspects of the soils, agronomy, and geologic evaluations required for these projects including, soil fertility studies, nitrogen balance, phosphorus balance, water balance, hydraulic conductivity measurements (saturated and unsaturated zones), and sophisticated groundwater modeling with Visual MODFLOW.

LMG has a certified On-site wastewater system inspector; which can inspect wastewater systems for real estate transactions or do failure analyses on malfunctioning wastewater systems.

LMG routinely conducts surface water and groundwater sampling to characterize ambient biological and physiochemical parameters. LMG is capable of in situ water analyses utilizing in-house instrumentation and protocols established by State Agencies and scientific literature. Water samples requiring further laboratory analyses are contracted with a State certified laboratory using EPA and APHA techniques. Individual site assessments have been used to help identify potential contaminants from point and non-point source discharge as well as aiding in the determination of SA waters limits for stormwater regulation. Land Management Group has been involved in a variety of water quality monitoring projects including long term water quality assessments of innovative stormwater treatment design and dissolved oxygen modeling for marina basin permitting. Water quality studies at LMG are site specific according to the needs and goals of each project.

Through onsite evaluations of soils, hydrology and vegetation, Land Management Group documents the location and extent of jurisdictional wetlands and/or waters, as regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. LMG guides clients through the process of determining the limits of jurisdictional wetlands based upon current regulatory practices. Through years of regulatory experience and our knowledge of changing regulatory guidelines, LMG provides valuable consultation to our clients regarding potential site constraints resulting from the presence jurisdictional wetlands. New guidelines related to the Rapanos Supreme Court case ruling and the new Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual may affect the limits of jurisdictional wetlands and Waters of the U.S. Please contact our office should you require additional information regarding these new regulatory guidelines.

Our mitigation plans utilize a combination of wetland compensation techniques (i.e. restoration, creation, enhancement and/or preservation) that will fulfill regulatory permitting requirements and provide wetland habitats functionally equivalent to those impacted. LMG routinely provides mitigation services to diverse clientele (from single-family residential to large-scale government contracts and private mitigation banks). We also provide technical expertise to the establishment of regional wetland and stream mitigation.