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Environmental Impact Assessment Division |
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Chambers and Associates is a scientific consulting firm that specializes in conservation of fish and their habitats. Its Environmental Impact Assessment Division undertakes assessments of major water resource development proposals, provides expert wittness testimony for court cases, recommends national policy (regulations and legislation), and helps organizations influence public opinion - all to support improved management of natural resources. The firm involves many of the most qualified scientists in the nation in providing its consulting services to a range of private sector clients who are interested in major conservation issues. Its expertise includes freshwater and marine habitat conservation through (1) the use of federal environmental laws and regulations, and (2) ecological understanding of the effects on aquatic ecosystems of all types of development - habitat degradation and loss, toxic contaminants, flow diversions and nutrient over-enrichment.
ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
Chambers and Associates are experts in scientifically evaluating all types of water resource development projects and policy, nation-wide. They have a proven record of success in a variety of nationally significant projects involving wetlands, rivers and coastal areas. This expertise and commitment is available to assist groups that are working to protect the public interest by addressing major water resource projects or national policy. |
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MANY LARGE PROJECTS EVALUATED |
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Major development projects like that shown above have severe adverse effects on fishery resources by destroying or degrading essential areas needed for spawning, nursery areas, feeding grounds and migration corridors. Shown here are (1) extensive levee systems that will block access by marine life to large portions of their shallow water nursery grounds, and (2) solid "fills" that will totally eliminate important habitats, interfere with normal water circulation patterns and block migration (often along the shallows) by marine life into and out of estuaries and their tributary rivers. |
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EXPERIENCE
The firm's principal, James R. Chambers, has over two decades of experience in conducting scientific assessments and policy evaluations of nationally significant water resource development projects and fishery issues. For details on his Experience click HERE. For seven years he led the National Marine Fisheries Service's national scientific programs established to conserve habitat that is important to the nation's marine fishery resources - particularly rivers, wetlands, estuaries and coastal waters. In the agency's headquarters, he led the Habitat Protection Division for 5 years; later, he led the Habitat Research Division for 2 years; and for 4 years he managed the agency's nationwide monitoring program for toxic contaminants and disease in marine fish. |
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For 9 years, the firm's Principal led many agency efforts to scientifically evaluate and comment upon nationally significant water resource development proposals (like that above and to the right) that would have destroyed large areas of prime wetlands; blocked or de-watered rivers; or caused massive pollution of estuaries, rivers or coastal waters. Such projects included oil refineries, highway projects, oil and gas lease sales on the outer continental shelf, dams and reservoirs, levees, logging plans, channelization, and thousands of wetland dredge and fills. As an indication of his expertise in formulating a sound argument against unwise developments, over a period of 7 years, every nationally significant project, which he and his teams assessed and elevated for reconsideration at the Secretarial level, were decided in his favor - a record of success unmatched before or since. |
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Above, Florida housing development obliterating mangrove habitats - a prime nursery area for marine game fish and their food chains. Water quality in the dead-end canals will rapidly become putrid, and dissolved oxygen will drop to levels too low to support normal communities of animal life. |
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RECENT EXAMPLE |
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Chambers and Associates provided extensive effects assessments and expert testimony (in the form of written Declarations) for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund to use in litigation against the Corps of Engineers. Its suit sought to set aside permits issued by the Corps for the construction of three major gambling casinos (with their associated hotels, parking lots, shopping malls, entertainment facilities, golf courses, etc.) in largely undisturbed wetlands of coastal Mississippi. These casino/hotel developments and their induced secondary development would have dramatically affected the environmental quality of both St. Louis Bay and the Back Bay of Biloxi. Earthjustice can be contacted at (504) 522-1394 or through its web site, www.earthjustice.org.
On August 10, 2000, the Federal Court sided with Earthjustice by voiding all permits issued by the Corps and ordering EISs be prepared for each. This was a major victory for both Earthjustice and Chambers and Associates. |
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GO TO
Wetlands, Estuaries, Rivers and
Coastal Waters
Essential Fish Habitat
Importance of Shallow Water Habitats to Fish
Primary Causes of Fishery Population Declines
Wetlands Destruction
Dams and Flow Diversions
Toxic Contaminants
Nutrient Over-Enrichment
Cumulative Effects
Economic Benefits of Effective Habitat Protection
References
Chambers and Associates
Overview
Description of the Firm
Experience
List of All Pages on this Website
Others' Related Links
Home
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Chambers and Associates
9814 Kensington Parkway
Kensington, Maryland 20895
(T) (301) 949-3003 (Fax) (301) 949-3003
Email JimChambers@comcast.net
Website www.Chambers-Associates.org |
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Blue Marlin Logo by Artist Ron Pittard |
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