Sessions
Poster Session & Social
4:40 PM - 6:30 PM Wed
POSTER PRESENTER #6
TITLE: Temporary wetland disturbance and vegetation recovery from the use of timber matting on utility projects
ABSTRACT: A commonly- used method to facilitate construction access and minimize wetland impacts on utility projects is the temporary use of timber matting. Matting is typically installed at the start of construction activities and removed immediately upon project completion. The time of year and the length of time the timber mats remain in place affect the vegetation recovery after mats have been removed. There are mMany factors driving drive the construction timeline on utility projects, resulting in timber mats having been placed and removed on projects throughout the year. Vegetation recovery on recent utility projects could can be observed through photo documentation in areas following mat removal. These previously- matted wetlands were examined over time to compare what time of year the mats were removed and how long vegetation took to recover after removal. Looking into aAdditional project details in permit applications and matting restoration plans also helped determine, the length of time the mats were in place could also be observed. I analyzed and compared tThese factors for recent projects were analyzed and compared to observe trends in the vegetation recovery period following mat removal in recent projects. The results may influence future project planning with matting schedules to additionally further minimize the temporal impacts to wetlands and reduce the effort needed for follow up restoration activities.
BIO: Joshua Wied is a wetland scientist with more than seven years of experience in environmental regulatory support and compliance for energy, infrastructure, private development, and restoration projects. He completes wetland delineations, rare species surveys, stream surveys, and environmental permitting, and provides construction oversight and environmental monitoring for a variety of projects.