Environmental consulting is the field and permit work that lets a project move forward: finding and mapping wetlands and protected resources, getting the federal and state authorizations in place, and keeping the project in compliance once it is built. This page is the overview of how Cypress does that on the Gulf Coast, with links to the detailed page for each service.
Cypress Environment & Infrastructure works from offices in Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida. Our clients are municipalities and other public agencies, developers, and private landowners with projects in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. For a short list of the services, see our environmental consulting services page. If you want a definition first, what environmental consulting is covers the basics.
Remediation work can be considered to be under the environmental consulting umbrella or its own separate discipline. For Cypress, remediation (Phase I, Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, Corrective Action Plans etc) work is described on its own pages.
What environmental consulting covers
On a typical project, the work falls into five parts, and most projects need more than one:- Find and map the resources. Wetlands, waters, protected species, and habitat on and near the site.
- Get the authorizations. Federal, state, and local permits, including the Clean Water Act, coastal, and stormwater programs.
- Offset unavoidable impacts. Mitigation, restoration, and banking when a project cannot avoid a resource.
- Document the project for the file. NEPA studies and the environmental sections of planning and funding documents.
- Stay compliant. Stormwater and erosion control, inspections, and monitoring through construction and after.
Our environmental consulting services
Wetlands, waters, and jurisdiction
Wetland delineation is the field work that sets the boundary: hydrology, hydric soils, vegetation, flagging, mapping, and a report for the Corps. A jurisdictional determination is the Corps finding on whether a wetland or water is a water of the United States. The two answer different questions. Since Sackett, fewer wetlands are federally regulated, which makes it more useful to confirm jurisdiction in writing. A wetland outside federal jurisdiction (see isolated wetlands) may still be regulated by the state or local government. We also prepare initial wetland assessments for early site screening, and functional assessments such as HGM and WRAP. For owners, can you build on wetlands is a good place to start.Permitting and regulatory compliance
Most Gulf Coast projects that touch a wetland or waterway need Clean Water Act Section 404 authorization from the Corps and Section 401 water quality certification from the state. We also handle Section 10 permits for work in navigable waters, Section 408 permission where a project touches a federal civil works project, coastal zone consistency, submerged lands and state tidelands leasing, and the other federal, state, and local approvals a project needs. Start with what a 404 permit is and 401 vs 404. The Army Corps permitting process and nationwide permits pages cover how review works, and types of environmental permits shows how the permits stack on a single project. If your project is in more than one state, see how water quality and coastal permits compare across MS, AL, LA, and FL.Natural resources and protected species
Threatened and endangered species surveys, habitat assessments, and biological assessments often have to be in hand before a permit or a NEPA document can be finished. Gopher tortoise surveys are one of the most common upland requirements on the Gulf Coast. For background on the law, see the Endangered Species Act overview. Our service list also includes seagrass and shellfish surveys, vegetation community and habitat analysis, and invasive plant control.Coastal and waterfront projects
Piers, docks, bulkheads, marinas, and shoreline projects are reviewed by the Corps, the state coastal program, and often the state agency that owns the submerged land. Our pages cover dock and pier permitting, coastal zone consistency, and living shorelines. Bathymetric survey data often comes first, because permit drawings need water depths. Our coastal engineering team handles the design side.Stormwater and erosion control
Construction and post-construction stormwater requirements apply to nearly every site with grading. We prepare stormwater pollution prevention plans, advise on construction stormwater permits, perform stormwater compliance inspections in Baldwin, Mobile, and Escambia Counties, and support cities with MS4 permit compliance. The broader program is on our stormwater management page.Mitigation, restoration, and banking
When a project cannot avoid a wetland or stream, the permit usually requires mitigation. We develop mitigation banks and mitigation plans, and we design and monitor restoration projects. If you are weighing options, see buying credits vs establishing a bank, what the Interagency Review Team does, and stream mitigation. Our projects page shows completed restoration and mitigation work.NEPA and environmental planning
Federally funded or federally permitted projects need NEPA documentation. We prepare NEPA studies and documents, from categorical exclusions to the technical studies behind environmental impact statements. For smaller actions, see what a categorical exclusion is. Our planning services page covers the broader planning work.Floodplain and no-rise questions
Projects near a mapped floodway or floodplain often need a floodplain permit or a no-rise certification from a licensed engineer. This work is done by our water resources engineers and often runs alongside the wetland and permitting work. See water engineering for what we do.Site assessment and remediation
We prepare environmental site assessments and support the cleanup path when one is needed. See remediation services for details.Mapping and field data
Our mapping work supports all of the above: GIS mapping, drone mapping by FAA-certified pilots, high-accuracy GPS, and topographic and bathymetric mapping.Who we work for
Municipalities and public agencies. We support cities, counties, and state agencies with permitting for capital projects, stormwater compliance, restoration, and NEPA documentation for funded work. Developers and commercial clients. We identify wetlands and protected resources early, so they can be considered in site selection, then secure the permits that fit the schedule. Private landowners. If you are buying, selling, or building on a parcel and a lender or agency is asking about wetlands, we can tell you what studies are needed and what they mean for your plans.Where we work
Our offices in Biloxi, Mobile, and Pensacola serve Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. We know the Corps districts and state agencies that review projects here (what a Corps district is), and the field conditions: tidal marsh, pine flatwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and developed shoreline. See our office locations.One team for environmental and civil work
Wetland boundaries and permit conditions often change the site layout. Because Cypress also provides civil engineering design, grading, access, drainage, and the permit footprint can be developed together rather than revised after the first agency comment.How an engagement starts
What to send us. The site address or parcel ID, a survey if you have one, the proposed use, any agency letters or earlier studies, and your schedule or deadline. Photos help. What you get back. A plain-language read on likely scope, which may include delineation, a jurisdictional determination, a permit path, species surveys, or stormwater work, along with a rough schedule and a fee proposal. If the first look shows you do not need us, or you need a specialist we are not, we will say so.FAQs
What does an environmental consultant do?
An environmental consultant identifies the environmental resources and regulations that apply to a project and helps the owner meet them. On the Gulf Coast that usually means mapping wetlands and waters, surveying for protected species, preparing permit applications, designing mitigation, documenting the project under NEPA, and managing stormwater compliance.
When should I hire an environmental consultant?
Before the site plan is final, and ideally before closing on a parcel. Wetlands, protected species, and flood hazards can change where you can build, and findings made early cost less than design changes made later.
Do I need a delineation, a jurisdictional determination, or a permit?
Often all three, in that order, but not always. A delineation maps the resource. A jurisdictional determination decides whether it is federally regulated. A permit authorizes an impact. If you only need to know whether a wetland is on a parcel, a delineation may be enough.
How long does environmental permitting take on the Gulf Coast?
Field work for a typical site takes days to a few weeks once scheduled. Agency review is longer and depends on the permit type, how complete the application is, and the season. It can run from weeks to many months. We can give a better range once we have seen the site and know which permits apply.
Do you work for public agencies or only private clients?
Both. Municipalities, public agencies, developers, and private landowners are all part of our practice.
Does Cypress handle design as well as the environmental work?
Yes. Our civil and water resources engineers work with our environmental scientists, so one team can handle the site design and the permitting.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
The site address or parcel, a survey if available, the proposed layout or concept, and any earlier environmental or survey work. If you have a purchase deadline or construction start date, tell us up front.