Indian River County Sector 3
The Sector 3 project is the largest truck-haul beach restoration project utilizing upland sand in Florida, and received high regulatory scrutiny at both the state and federal levels during permit processing.  Coastal Tech successfully navigated complex permitting issues when the fill material source was changed from offshore borrow area (typical beach nourishment medium) to upland sand mine mid-way through permitting.  Coastal Tech also participated in development of an experimental sea turtle nesting test plan, which will evaluate sea turtle hatching success in upland fill medium; this test plan is the first of its kind.  In addition, Coastal Tech oversaw development of the NEPA-required Environmental Assessment and associated environmental review documentation, coordinated all environmental field work, and assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff by drafting portions of the federal Biological Opinion (BO).  Because of the high level of regulatory scrutiny, the project was permitted in two phases, wherein both sand sources (upland and offshore) were approved for use.

Crane Creek Pedestrian Bridge/Boardwalk
The Crane Creek public boardwalk and pedestrian bridges project, which is part of the City of Melbourne’s waterfront improvements in the historical downtown area, included preparation of a Categorical Exclusion document to fulfill federal NEPA regulations, and permitting through the U.S. Coast Guard and St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD).  Elements of permitting included seagrass survey and wetland delineation, preparation of a Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) analysis in cooperation with SJRWMD staff, development of a mitigation planting plan, and oversight of a team of design professionals.

Stump Pass Maintenance Dredge and Beach Restoration
Stump Pass in Charlotte County is periodically maintenance dredged for purposes of navigation, and the dredged material is placed on adjacent beaches to combat erosion.  This project has been in permitting since the initial project in 1998, with subsequent events in 2003 and 2006.  Coastal Tech has conducted the permit-required, bi-annual seagrass surveys since 2006, and in 2009 took the lead in the permitting of the third dredging event and beach restoration project.  Permitting posed specific challenges relative to threatened/endangered species, shorebirds, seagrasses, and cooperation with Stump Pass Beach State Park.  Coastal Tech successfully obtained federal and state permits by assisting USFWS in drafting portions of their Biological Opinion, drafting various documents for the USACE, and constant communication with all regulatory staff.  Coastal Tech also assisted the County in obtaining FEMA funding in order to construct the project.