Our team recently reached a major milestone in selling the final credits for our Blackberry Creek Mitigation Bank in partnership with Campton Township! Projects like this tie directly into our core values, allowing us to improve communities and the environment through meaningful and transformative work. Learn more about how this substantial partnership came together and why our unique approach resulted in success for all.
Bringing Native Environments Back to Life
We partnered with Campton Township to restore a 90-acre agricultural property into a native wetland. As part of their conservation mission, Campton Township envisioned a sprawling natural space for passive recreation; we were tasked with bringing that vision to life.
Taking an old farm and restoring it back to its natural state in a financially responsible manner is no easy feat. Our combination of ecologists, engineers, construction managers, restoration experts, and financial analysis worked together across specialties to devise a multi-year approach, with plans to improve stormwater quality, bring back native habitat, plants, and species, and ultimately create diverse prairie communities.
Work included:
- Establishing a financial model for the partnership
- Design and permitting to establish the Mitigation Banking Instrument
- Removing the drain tile system
- Installing groundwater monitoring wells
- Planting native wetland plants
- Establishing native wetland and prairie plant communities
- Annual maintenance and monitoring, including prescribed burns, weed control, and vegetation sampling
- Marketing and facilitating the sale of credits
This effort resulted high-quality native wetland, sedge meadow, and prairie buffer, returning the land to its most natural state possible. Thanks to the exceptional dedication and talent of our team, the property achieved all the necessary performance standards to release and sell the mitigation credits.
But this level of success may not have been possible had our design/build/manage approach not been employed.
One Team From Start to Finish
Restoring a property to a natural wetland doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years and years of dedication and expertise to reengineer a property from one type of use to another. Blackberry Creek achieved this transformation because our firm was responsible for the project from start to finish, overseeing each stage.
Many firms can deliver specific portions of a project like this, but it’s rare to find a team of experts that can see the whole thing through. Having the same team design and implement a project means those creating the work become the property’s experts, understanding the ins and outs. A lot of things can change in nature, meaning reevaluation is likely once you’re out in the field. The need to modify a plant mix or adjust drain tiles and drainage patterns is much easier for those with a thorough history and understanding of site conditions.
Understanding that the maintenance of the bank begins on day one and not in a sequential manner is critical to achieving performance standards within appropriate time frames and in a cost effective manner.
“If you only deliver one part of the project, you lose out on all the necessary learning and knowledge. We have a recipe that works. By having the same people doing the work every day, we get it right the first time.”
George Milner, Senior Restoration Ecologist
This approach helped us meet all stated goals of the partnership while earning the praise of the Army Corps of Engineers. The care and passion put into this prairie is felt the moment you step on property, and we’re proud to be part of a space that will be loved for generations to come.
Design/Build/Manage with V3
Blackberry Creek is one of many wetland and ecology projects realized by our team.
Explore our full project portfolio and connect with us to kick off your next vision.