Natural & Cultural Resources
Infrastructure projects often intersect with sensitive environmental and cultural resources, requiring careful planning, regulatory coordination and technical rigor to proceed without delay. These services help project owners navigate federal, state and local requirements while minimizing environmental effects from planning through construction.
Why Natural & Cultural Resources Matter
Compliance with environmental and cultural resources regulations is a critical consideration for advancing design and construction projects. Wetlands, waterways, protected species and cultural resources can influence site selection and project design, thereby affecting permitting timelines and construction sequencing. As regulatory requirements change and scrutiny increases, early evaluation and strategic coordination are essential to avoid surprises that can impact the cost, schedule and feasibility of projects.
Natural and cultural resources assessments support informed decision-making by identifying constraints early, evaluating alternatives and defining clear permitting pathways. When these considerations are integrated into planning and design, projects can advance more efficiently while meeting regulatory and stewardship expectations.
The Burns & McDonnell Advantage
Our integrated natural and cultural resources teams support projects through the complete project life cycle, from early environmental due diligence through permitting, mitigation and construction support. By aligning scientific analysis with regulatory strategy, we help clients obtain required authorizations while maintaining project momentum.
We bring together archaeologists, biologists, hydrologists, and wetland scientists who work alongside, engineers, planners, designers and construction professionals. This multidisciplinary collaboration allows environmental and cultural considerations to be addressed in parallel with engineering and delivery decisions, mitigating challenges during handoffs and improving coordination with agencies, interested parties and tribal representatives.
Our approach emphasizes clarity, predictability and risk management. By identifying issues early and defining practical solutions, projects move forward with fewer delays and greater certainty in their desired outcomes.
Comprehensive Natural & Cultural Resources Services
We provide support across a wide range of natural and cultural resources disciplines. Services are tailored to each project’s location, regulatory context and delivery approach, helping permitting strategies align with technical and operational realities.
Our work includes aquatic and ecological studies, wetlands and waters permitting, protected species evaluations, cultural resources investigations, and tribal consultation support. These efforts reflect a strong understanding of regulatory frameworks such as the Clean Water Act (Section 404), the Rivers and Harbors Act (Section 10), the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, as well as state and local requirements.
A sampling of specialized services our natural and cultural resources team has provided in recent years includes wetland delineation, permitting and mitigation, and acoustic and mist-net surveys for federally endangered bats throughout the United States. The team has also conducted bald eagle nest surveys, metal detection surveys of Civil War battlefields and recovery activities after the unanticipated discovery of a cemetery during construction.
Strategic Mitigation & Impact Offset Solutions
When project impacts cannot be avoided, mitigation planning is a key part of regulatory approval. We help clients choose the most effective and timely approach, whether by purchasing credits from wetland, stream or conservation banks or by developing permittee-responsible mitigation plans tailored to project constraints. Integrating mitigation with permitting and design keeps projects moving while meeting regulatory and environmental stewardship goals.
Send Us a Note
Mike Dyke
Section Manager
682-291-9354
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