In January, Downstream Strategies added a new dimension to its services: stream and wetland restoration design and monitoring.
Downstream Strategies is the go-to source for objective, data-based analyses, plans, and actions that strengthen economies, sustain healthy environments, and build resilient communities. Its clients include governments, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals.
Downstream Strategies President Evan Hansen notes: “Our new restoration group has decades of experience assessing stream and wetland conditions and a diverse array of projects under their belts, from removing fish passage barriers to reconnecting small headwater streams impacted by surface mining.”
The team consists of five new staff members, including an experienced restoration designer, scientists with years of experience collecting data on the condition of streams and wetlands, and project managers to work directly with clients and subcontractors to develop and construct innovative restoration projects. These skillsets complement Downstream Strategies’ existing remediation and monitoring services.
The restoration group also brings a new implementation option for clients working on community development plans that focus on improving green space and access to the region’s beautiful streams and rivers. It will also be able to contribute to climate resiliency planning efforts and will work closely with policy experts on state and federal permitting and water quality issues.
The team is housed at Downstream Strategies’ new office location in Davis, West Virginia, which will serve as a hub for stream and wetland restoration services in the Mid-Atlantic region. The new office also provides a local connection to Downstream Strategies’ work with the City of Thomas on exciting community redevelopment plans.
The restoration program is a great fit with Downstream Strategies’ focus on the intersection of economic development and responsible natural resource stewardship. Stream and wetland restoration improves the quality and availability of critical habitat areas for fish, birds, amphibians, and the plants and animals they need to thrive. Restoration protects property from erosion and contributes to cleaner and more reliable drinking water for people living downstream. Restoration is also good business.
For more information about Downstream Strategies’ restoration and related services, visit http://downstreamstrategies.com/water.html and click on Stream and wetland restoration.