NEPA, MEPA, & SEQRA
United States
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Rhode Island Army National Guard, Burrillville, Providence County, Rhode Island
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier was responsible for the development of an Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Protection Act for the relocation of an Army Guard Readiness Center as well as a Regional Training Institute from their existing locations to larger, more modernized facilities. As part of the project, Mr. Bernier completed an evaluation of a previously unrecorded great blue heron (Ardea herodias) rookery on a site located in northwestern Rhode Island. That rookery was located in an unrecorded bog wetland and included seven nests. Five of those nests were found to be active during subsequent investigations. Mr. Bernier was also responsible for documenting the biodiversity of the site, habitat mapping, and evaluating project alternatives.
Rosemont Copper Mine, Pima County, Arizona
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier served as a third-party reviewer of proposed compensatory mitigation credits for wetlands and endangered species for a proposed open-pit copper mine in southern Arizona as part of an Environmental Impact States (EIS) under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Mr. Bernier was responsible for determining the equitability of mitigation credit ratios for a wetland mitigation project encompassing over 3,700 acres. The evaluation included assessing the proposed mitigation work plan which included multiple properties and habitats across several watersheds, developing mitigation credit ratio checklists, and evaluating the impartiality and objectivity of credit ratios proposed by regulatory agencies. Additionally, Mr. Bernier was also tasked with evaluating the merits of multiple biological survey reports for habitat conservation measures, grazing impacts and management, frogs, and the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus).
Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier supported the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance effort for a $30 million project initiated by Natural Resources Conservation Service-Massachusetts and numerous project partners throughout Cape Cod. The project involved over 75 projects which were broken down by restoration type, including salt marsh, shellfish habitat, and fish passage. Mr. Bernier was also responsible for the completion of an Environmental Assessment (EA) under NEPA for the rehabilitation of Santuit Pond Dam, a project add-on, which included the rehabilitation of a pre-20th century dam, construction of a new fish ladder, compensatory wetland mitigation of impacted bogs, and a wetland habitat assessment and functional evaluation. Additionally, Mr. Bernier designed and completed an in-field chance encounter survey and suitable breeding habitat survey for the state-protected eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina).
SuAsCo Supplemental Watershed Plans, Worcester and Middlesex Counties, Massachusetts
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier was responsible for the development of six Environmental Assessments (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in support of six individual Supplemental Watershed Plans for floodwater retarding dams. Mr. Bernier completed environmental impact analyses, economic and cost-benefit analyses, environmental consequences, partner coordination, and public comment outreach. All of the dams contained sensitive ecological habitats ranging from mature upland forests to wetlands. Two of the six dams contained habitat for suitable for state-listed rare species. As such, Mr. Bernier designed and completed a visual and auditory survey for the presence of the state-protected grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus svannarum) as well as a chance encounter survey for the state-protected wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in addition to suitable breeding habitat surveys for both species.
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)
Acushnet Sawmill Ecological Restoration Project, Acushnet, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier provided ecological restoration design and construction oversight for this approximately 19-acre habitat restoration. Stream restoration activities included bank stabilization, stream channel restoration, and reconnecting and restoring the adjacent floodplain of approximately 1,500 linear feet of the Acushnet River and an adjacent tributary. Mr. Bernier was responsible for the baseline conditions investigation and design of the wetland and tributary restoration areas. Additionally, Mr. Bernier provided construction oversight of the habitat restoration which included the coordination of contractors, ensuring the correct construction of the restoration areas and habitat features, and ensuring compliance with health and safety protocols.
3419 Transmision Line, Ludlow to Hampden, Hampden County, Massachusetts
Ecological Scientist
Mr. Bernier completed a wetland delineation and habitat assessment along a 12 mile stretch of transmission line in support of an access road construction project. Over 30 wetlands and watercourses were identified. The delineations were conducted in accordance with the Massachusetts Bordering Vegetated Wetlands Delineation Manual as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 1987 Wetland Delineation Handbook and the Northcentral Northeast Regional Supplement. The results of the delineation were used in support of a Notice of Intent under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, Section 401 Water Quality Certificate, and a Section 404 General Permit.
State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)
Hudson International Business Center, Montgomery, Orange County, New York
Project Scientist
Mr. Bernier completed numerous surveys for wildlife on an approximately 281-acre site for a proposed commercial facility. Surveys included a breeding bird survey which targeted grassland, water/wading, and forest dwelling birds through a point count survey, transect listening survey, and chance encounter survey. Mr. Bernier also supported an auditory survey and chance encounter survey for amphibians. Chance encounter surveys were also completed for reptiles, mammals, and arthropods. In addition, state-protected spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata), federally-threatened bog turtles (Clemmys muhlenbergii), and federally-endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) federally- and state-endangered) were identified as potentially occurring on the site. A Phase I and Phase II bog turtle survey which also targeted spotted turtles, Phase I and Phase II Indiana bat surveys, and a biodiversity assessment were also completed. Mr. Bernier was also responsible for the environmental permitting for this project including a Joint Permit Application for a Section 404 Individual Permit, Article 24 Freshwater Wetlands Permit, Article 15 Protection of Waters Permit, and a Section 401 Water Quality Certificate. Mr. Bernier was also responsible for the design of an approximately 6.85-acre compensatory wetland mitigation plan. Additionally, he completed the wetland impacts section for an Environmental Impact Statement under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and developed a Habitat Management Program detailing conservation measures for undisturbed areas of the site.