Restoration and Mitigation

Restoration and wetland creation projects often mitigate or “make amends”  for an unavoidable  wetlands loss. Wetland mitigation may be accomplished through open space acquisition, preferably in the same watershed as the wetland loss.  Control of invasive plant infestations and replanting with native species is another type of restoration;  wetland mitigation though “creation” typically involves establishment of a wetter hydrology, followed by native plantings. A mitigation package for a large project is likely to include some of each of the above, closely following Army Corps of Engineers’ Guidelines.

CARYA plans  site-specific, cost-effective, efficient, and ecologically sound  restoration projects.   Our control strategies  and also our planting plans are grounded in an understanding of the target ecological community, the plants’ life cycles, and site conditions:  soils, slopes, nearby sensitive wetlands, and nearby sources of both native and  invasive seeds.  Where possible, we try to use locally collected seed, or plugs grown from such seed,  with a goal of  genetically diverse, locally adapted  plant populations.  We typically work cooperatively with a conventional landscaper or property management firm, providing close guidance for plan implementation.   Invasive plant management is usually  part of a restoration plan, but control methods are highly targeted. For more detail see the “Control of Invasive Species” section.