Curious if anyone here is certified and offers wetland delineation as a service line? I am seriously considering going through the training and just wanted to know if others do this, have tried, our would need me to do it for them?
If you are certified did you complete the training from the USACE, USDA, or another?
Thanks
I took the 40 hour Basic Wetland Delineator Training from these folks back in 2002
http://www.wetlanded.com/CourseDescriptions.cfm?OrderID=
At the time the COE had developed rules for standardization of training & certification for delineation, but they were never officially implemented (politics). I've never done a formal delineation, but there have been a lot of cases where knowing the three wetlands indicators (hydrology, vegetation & soils) has put me "on notice" walking a site that there may be jurisdictional wetlands impacting the project.
We also have a statewide Forest Resource Ordinance that requires Forest Stand Delineations and Forest Conservation Plans be prepared for most developments..back then I took the training for this as well, but never went all the way through the process to be on the state's list of "qualified forest professionals"; a lot of surveyors have, though.
I've studied a good bit on the topic and we do a lot of work in and around wetlands in FL. The companies who do the delineation seem to stay pretty busy and the work itself seems very subjective based on following them around. I imagine there are noteworthy regional differences. The three indicators mentioned above are the only factors I've ever witnessed as basis for delineation. Hydrology, soil, and plants...
James Fleming, post: 455404, member: 136 wrote: I took the 40 hour Basic Wetland Delineator Training from these folks back in 2002
http://www.wetlanded.com/CourseDescriptions.cfm?OrderID=At the time the COE had developed rules for standardization of training & certification for delineation, but they were never officially implemented (politics). I've never done a formal delineation, but there have been a lot of cases where knowing the three wetlands indicators (hydrology, vegetation & soils) has put me "on notice" walking a site that there may be jurisdictional wetlands impacting the project.
We also have a statewide Forest Resource Ordinance that requires Forest Stand Delineations and Forest Conservation Plans be prepared for most developments..back then I took the training for this as well, but never went all the way through the process to be on the state's list of "qualified forest professionals"; a lot of surveyors have, though.
It sounds like it would be a good training to take. I see it as a need in many of the projects we work on and being able to determine the limits while completing the survey would help to make us a little more marketable.
I wouldn't want to mess with it someplace flat, like Florida (or eastern Maryland). Here in the Piedmont, the wetlands are closely tied to topography
When you find yourself having to bow out on projects because you do not have the proper credentials needed, it is time to go back to school and get them.
NH has a separate certification (license) for wetland scientists and another for soil scientists. I wonder how many states require certification to perform these tasks that are, of course, based on science and various criterion. I worked for a wetland and soil scientist early in my career, there is certainly more to it than the old "wet sneaker" test.
Paul D, post: 455431, member: 323 wrote: there is certainly more to it than the old "wet sneaker" test.
I went to a seminar on wetlands; the instructor showed us the paragraph that defines a wetland and said: every word, but 2, has been litigated in a court of law...
RADAR, post: 455433, member: 413 wrote: I went to a seminar on wetlands; the instructor showed us the paragraph that defines a wetland and said: every word, but 2, has been litigated in a court of law...
Environmental wetlands are one thing...jurisdictional wetlands are another
James Fleming, post: 455436, member: 136 wrote: jurisdictional wetlands
Huh, learn something new every day...
Jurisdictional Delineations are performed on a property in order to delineate which waters are Waters of the U.S. and are therefore subject to CWA 404. Most often, a preliminary jurisdictional delineation is submitted to the Army Corps by the permit applicant, which the Corps then verifies.Aug 28, 2017
I also took a wetlands 40 hour certification course about the same time (2001) as James Fleming did. The COE approved instructor was based out of Florida. I also took a weekend field workshop. If you work for a firm that does land development such as commercial, subdivisions, etc. then having the certification is an asset. If you have prime land developers as clients than it is an asset, I didn??t.
The path to certification at the time was nebulous as James states. One would submit to the COE, they would critically review your report and offer their analysis. After a dozen or so submittals, COE would ease off the critical reviews and you were placed on a recommended list.
I was contacted to assist on projects by other wetland specialists. Some were large development projects that cultivated some surveying work.
I got attached to some citizen and planning groups that developed business contacts such as the Nature Conservancy and some government agencies.
Soil was critical factor in the region.
Alvin Tostick, post: 455446, member: 13000 wrote: I also took a wetlands 40 hour certification course about the same time (2001) as James Fleming did. The COE approved instructor was based out of Florida. I also took a weekend field workshop. If you work for a firm that does land development such as commercial, subdivisions, etc. then having the certification is an asset. If you have prime land developers as clients than it is an asset, I didn??t.
The path to certification at the time was nebulous as James states. One would submit to the COE, they would critically review your report and offer their analysis. After a dozen or so submittals, COE would ease off the critical reviews and you were placed on a recommended list.
I was contacted to assist on projects by other wetland specialists. Some were large development projects that cultivated some surveying work.
I got attached to some citizen and planning groups that developed business contacts such as the Nature Conservancy and some government agencies.
Soil was critical factor in the region.
Again it sounds like it would not be a waste of time and could open up some new doors. Plus who doesn't like walking through mud that sucks the socks off of frogs, running from snakes, fighting off bees, hornets, wasps, mosquitoes...
I've done 20 or so, delineations over my 18 year career. Of course, the company I work for has a Water Resource group, but they conduct less than a dozen a year. It is one of those services that is usually subbed out to a DBE firm on our Projects.
I have a BS in Applied Ecology '02 and had taken enough soils and wetland classes to be a pro, but still studied under an officially trained fellow for two years.
~Raybies
Well I am signed up and registered for the 40 hrs class. Looking forward to it. We do have an environmental department as well as a water resource department. I have a feeling this will lead to a good amount of work for us (surveyors). Also just a cool way to stay in the field and learn something new and it will get us in front of new clients as well as being able to serve existing ones in a new way.
