Our Services
• Property Acquisition and Negotiations
We help connect willing landowners with mitigation banking opportunities. Our specialists evaluate potential properties based on stream, wetland, and watershed conditions, then negotiate agreements that are clear, fair, and aligned with regulatory and financial goals. The result is a property partnership ready for successful restoration and long-term value.
• Preliminary Scoring and Financial Assessments
Before a project begins, RLS conducts preliminary site evaluations to determine its potential for generating stream or wetland credits. We assess physical and ecological characteristics, regulatory feasibility, and financial viability. This step helps clients understand the likely credit yield and economic value of each site before investing in detailed design or permitting.
• Jurisdictional Determinations (PJD & JD)-West Virginia
RLS provides both Preliminary and Approved Jurisdictional Determinations (PJD & JD) to help clients understand how federal and state regulations apply to their property. A Jurisdictional Determination identifies streams, wetlands, and other waters that may fall under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction according to the Clean Water Act.
Our team performs field services, collects data, and prepares detailed maps and documentation to support agency review. For PJDs, we help clients gain an early understanding of potential jurisdictional areas without requiring a final decision. For Approved JDs, we coordinate directly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to obtain a formal, binding determination. This service ensures that your project begins with accurate regulatory information, reducing delays and improving permitting efficiency.
• Hydrological Determinations and Waters of the United States Report (WOTUS)-Tennessee
RLS provides both Preliminary and Hydrological Determinations and Waters of the United States Report (WOTUS) to help clients understand how federal and state regulations apply to their property. A Hydrological Determination identifies streams, wetlands, and other waters that may fall under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction according to the Clean Water Act.
Our team performs field services, collects data, and prepares detailed maps and documentation to support agency review. For preliminary Hydrological Determinations, we help clients gain an early understanding of potential jurisdictional areas without requiring a final decision. For Approved Hydrological Determinations, we coordinate directly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to obtain a formal, binding determination. This service ensures that your project begins with accurate regulatory information, reducing delays and improving permitting efficiency.
Draft Prospectus
RLS develops complete Draft Prospectus documents for submission to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Interagency Review Team (IRT). The Draft Prospectus is the first formal step in the mitigation banking approval process, outlining the project’s goals, service area, anticipated credit yield, and environmental benefits.
Our team gathers site data, performs preliminary assessments, and prepares all required maps, figures, and supporting documentation. We ensure the Prospectus clearly communicates the project’s purpose and restoration potential, meeting all regulatory requirements and agency expectations. From initial concept through IRT coordination, RLS manages every detail to set your mitigation bank on the path to approval.
• Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) Preparation
RLS prepares complete Mitigation Banking Instruments (MBIs) in accordance with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Interagency Review Team (IRT) requirements. MBI is the formal agreement that defines the ecological objectives, performance standards, credit methodology, financial assurances, and long-term management obligations of a mitigation bank.
Our team compiles and organizes all necessary technical, legal, and financial documentation to ensure the MBI meets regulatory standards and supports efficient review and approval. We coordinate closely with agency reviewers, landowners, and sponsors throughout the process to finalize a clear, defensible instrument that provides a strong foundation for credit release and long-term project success.
• Interagency Review Team (IRT) Coordination
RLS manages communication and coordination with the Interagency Review Team (IRT) throughout every phase of mitigation bank development. The IRT—typically led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and composed of state and federal resource agencies—reviews and approves key project documents such as the Prospectus, Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI), and credit release requests.
Our team ensures that all submissions meet regulatory expectations and addresses agency feedback promptly and professionally. We attend meetings, respond to technical comments, and provide clarifications or revisions as needed to maintain project momentum. By facilitating clear and timely communication with the IRT, RLS helps streamline the approval process and reduces costly delays.
• In-Lieu Fee (ILF) Program Support
RLS assists clients, landowners, and partners in developing and supporting In-Lieu Fee (ILF) mitigation projects that meet federal and state regulatory standards. ILF programs provide an alternative to traditional mitigation banking by allowing permittees to satisfy compensatory mitigation requirements through payments to an approved sponsor, who then implements restoration projects.
Our team helps identify suitable restoration sites, prepare ILF project documentation, and coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state agencies, and ILF sponsors throughout project planning and approval. We also provide technical support for feasibility studies, design, permitting, and long-term management to ensure that ILF projects achieve measurable ecological benefits and regulatory compliance.
• Erosion Control
RLS provides comprehensive erosion and sediment control solutions to protect restoration sites, waterways, and surrounding landscapes during and after construction. Effective erosion control is critical to maintaining water quality, stabilizing soils, and ensuring the long-term success of mitigation projects.
Our team designs and implements best management practices tailored to each site’s topography, soil conditions, and hydrology. We monitor and maintain these systems throughout construction to prevent sediment loss and ensure compliance with state and federal stormwater regulations.
• Invasive Species Control
RLS provides targeted invasive species management to protect and restore native plant communities within mitigation and restoration sites. Controlling invasive vegetation is essential for maintaining ecological balance, promoting native habitat development, and ensuring long-term project success.
Our team identifies invasive species during site assessments and develops site-specific management plans that may include mechanical removal, selective herbicide application, and ongoing monitoring. We follow all state and federal regulations governing herbicide use and work to minimize disturbance to desirable native vegetation. Continuous evaluation and adaptive management ensure invasive species remain under control and restoration goals are achieved.
• Permitting, Stream, and Wetland Design
RLS provides full permitting and design services to develop functional, compliant, and sustainable restoration projects. Our permitting team prepares all technical documentation required by state and federal agencies, coordinating closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state environmental offices, and Interagency Review Teams (IRTs).
Our design specialists focus on creating stable, self-sustaining stream and wetland systems that restore natural hydrology, improve habitat, and enhance watershed function. Each plan is built on detailed field assessments, hydrologic and geomorphic data, and regulatory performance standards. From conceptual layouts to construction-ready drawings, RLS ensures every design achieves ecological success while meeting all permitting requirements
• West Virginia Assessment Methods
West Virginia project assessments include but are not limited to: Baseline Desktop Assessments and Mapping, Stream & Wetland Delineations and Jurisdictional Determinations, Hydrogeomorphic Approach Assessments, Rapid Bioassessment Protocols, Water Chemistry Analysis, West Virginia Stream Condition Index Benthic Macroinvertebrate Reporting (WVSCI), West Virginia Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (WVWRAM), West Virginia Stream and Wetland Valuation Metric Reporting (WVSWVM)
• Tennessee Assessment Methods
Tennessee Hydrological Determination, Catchment Assessment, Tennessee Stream Quantification Tool (TNSQT), Tennessee Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands (TRAM)
• Property Surveying
RLS provides professional property surveying services to accurately define project boundaries, easements, and topographic conditions. Proper surveying is the foundation for successful permitting, design, and construction of mitigation and restoration projects.
Our survey team uses advanced GPS, drone, and total station technology to collect precise elevation and mapping data. We produce high-quality survey drawings that identify property limits, stream alignments, wetlands, and key site features. These surveys are essential for legal documentation, engineering design, and agency submittals, ensuring that every project is built on accurate and defensible data
• Construction and Planting
RLS oversees every phase of construction to ensure that stream and wetland restoration plans are implemented accurately and efficiently. We coordinate with contractors to manage grading, structure installation, channel shaping, and native planting. Our focus is on quality workmanship, safety, and achieving the ecological goals established in the approved design.
• As-Built Monitoring
Following construction, our team documents site conditions through detailed as-built surveys and reports. This verification process ensures that all design elements have been built according to specifications and provides baseline data for future monitoring. Accurate as-built documentation supports regulatory compliance and long-term project performance tracking.
• Long-Term Steward
RLS remains a partner well beyond project completion. We coordinate long-term stewardship services to ensure that restored habitats are maintained, protected, and monitored for years to come. This includes managing conservation easement obligations, coordinating maintenance activities, and supporting adaptive management to preserve ecological success over time.
• Yearly Monitoring
RLS conducts annual monitoring to evaluate the performance and ecological success of each restoration or mitigation site. Yearly monitoring ensures that projects continue to meet regulatory performance standards and maintain long-term functionality.
Our team collects field data on stream stability, vegetation establishment, hydrology, and habitat conditions. We compare these results to established success criteria and document findings in comprehensive annual reports submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other reviewing agencies. Through detailed observation, data analysis, and adaptive management recommendations, RLS ensures every project remains compliant and continues to improve over time.
• Marketing and Credit Management
RLS provides full-service marketing and credit management support to help mitigation bank sponsors and partners effectively manage their credit inventories and maintain long-term project success. Our team tracks available, pending, and released credits while ensuring that all transactions remain transparent and compliant with Interagency Review Team (IRT) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requirements.
We manage the full credit life cycle — from initial ribbon tracking and release schedules to active credit sales and long-term management obligations. RLS assists in marketing available credits to qualified buyers, maintaining detailed ledgers, drafting transactional documentation, and coordinating directly with regulatory agencies to verify sales and credit releases.
Our ongoing support extends beyond sales, ensuring that credit accounting, financial assurance, and long-term stewardship requirements remain current and properly documented. With RLS handling the administrative and compliance details, clients can focus on growth, partnerships, and continued environmental success
