In 2022 and 2023, B&N led a comprehensive wetland assessment project (WET20) for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), funded by the U.S. EPA Wetland Program Development Grant. With MAD Scientist Associates, LLC, serving as the subcontractor, the team evaluated 50 natural and mitigation wetlands across Ohio using multiple assessment methodologies, including:
- Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM)
- Ohio Mitigation Wetlands Assessment Method (OMWAM)
- Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity (VIBI)
- VIBI-Floristic Quality (FQ)
- Rapid VIBI
- Rapid VIBI-FQ
- Modified Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI)
The primary objective was to evaluate these assessment methods’ effectiveness considering the 2024 changes to the Ohio Antidegradation regulations (OAC 3745-1), particularly for permitting and monitoring applications. B&N developed a customized Microsoft Excel format to compile and perform thorough quality assurance and quality control of the collected data. The project culminated in a detailed statistical analysis report, summarizing outcomes, which was delivered to the Ohio EPA.