Site Analysis - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 51

prevent you from undertaking your restoration efforts. Look for easements (discussed below) that
grant to utility companies or adjacent landowners prior access rights across your site. Water, es-
pecially on land in the western United States, is not always conveyed with the title for the land.
Information about any adjacent landowner's management practices should be considered as a part
of your analysis. For example, you may find that annual clearing of fire roads on adjacent lands
can lead to surface erosion and sedimentation problems on your site. The lack of an adequate
weed abatement program on adjacent properties could result in a perpetual problem with weed
growth on your site. Early involvement with nearby landowners and outreach efforts that empha-
size mutual understanding and cooperation can result in land management practices on adjacent
property that support your goals and objectives.
Easement Rights and Utilities. All easements must be well documented and accurately
mapped to ensure adequate consideration is given for the unhindered operation of the utility (e.g.,
a designated floodway). Also, any long-standing arrangements that may grant access through your
site must be documented to ensure that easement rights are not overlooked. In the event that you
must maintain access for a neighboring landowner, be sure to recognize this as a permanent fea-
ture and to integrate it into your design and management strategies.
A civil engineer or licensed land surveyor is well suited to help you determine all prior rights
that others (e.g., utility companies or adjacent owners) may possess on your site. Utility lines (both
aboveground and buried)—such as water, sewer, gas, electric, telephone, and cable TV—must
be identified early in the planning process so that precautions are taken to avoid utility conflicts.
It is best to avoid conflicts with utility services by clearly identifying all known utilities either on
or adjacent to your site and planning your efforts to simply avoid interfering with them. Utility
companies may provide a pot-holing service that will actually identify underground facilities by
digging small holes to uncover and mark pipes and conduits. Other items you should consider
documenting include irrigation pipes and drains, culverts, and old footings from service pedestals
or conduits.
Hazardous Material. Unfortunately, countless areas possess hazardous waste material that has
been disposed of both illegally and legally. Unusual or contrasting texture material should be
examined carefully. This is a situation for experts. Essentially, all areas—and particularly remote
areas—are candidates to have illegal dumping. Hazardous waste is typically just dumped from
trucks, but it can also be buried, backfilled, and the surface contoured to avoid detection.
Historical Context. Archives or contacts with previous owners or neighbors can reveal data
related to site features that may affect your design. These may be the presence of an under-
ground spring, a buried foundation or storage tank, or geologic conditions (e.g., a perched water
table) that could influence your restoration efforts. Prior land use, both distant and recent, may
affect conditions on your site. If your site was used for agriculture, what types of crops were
grown? Were soil amendments added? Were pesticides and herbicides used? How well did the
crops produce? Could there be deep soil compaction resulting from the use of heavy agricultural
equipment?
Current Land Use. Are there existing or proposed land uses on adjacent or nearby properties that
might present a conflict or threaten your goals? These will need to be addressed prior to moving on