Environmental Planning and Permitting

At GFT, we leverage science, engineering, technology, and innovation to create resilient and sustainable solutions for today’s environmental issues.

Our team is dedicated to preserving natural ecosystems, solving problems in natural and built environments, and assisting clients with compliance, investigation, and remediation for human and environmental health and safety.

Read on to discover how our engineers, scientists, and planners provide comprehensive environmental and regulatory solutions to ensure a vibrant future for our communities.

Comprehensive Environmental & Regulatory Services

Environmental Impact Analysis
Our interdisciplinary team helps clients advance their transportation, energy infrastructure, watershed, land use, and site planning projects in compliance with federal, state, and provincial laws and regulations.
With a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and a consensus-building approach, we anticipate and resolve potential issues effectively. Our National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Canadian and Ontario Environmental Assessment Acts, and related analyses are fundamental planning and decision-making tools. We conduct purposeful public and agency engagement to streamline issues and achieve timely approvals. Our precise, concise documentation effectively communicates with stakeholders and regulators.
Ecosystem Restoration
We enhance habitat and species diversity by restoring natural functions and productivity to watercourses and landscapes. Our award-winning stream restoration practice employs natural stream channel design, floodplain reconnection, armoring, grade control structures, and adaptive management to restore hydrologic functions in wetlands, streams, floodplains, forests, and disturbed areas. We evaluate baseline conditions, assess impacts, and provide detailed design plans, permit documents, and construction oversight.
Our projects improve nutrient and sediment retention, stormwater filtration, impervious surface runoff management, and vegetation stabilization. Our comprehensive solutions include reforestation services, invasive species control, fish passageway design, wetland enhancement, dam breach design, wildlife habitat improvement, and contamination cleanup.
Natural Resources & Permitting
Public and private sector clients throughout North America rely on us for comprehensive natural resources investigation, analysis, and permitting assistance. Our natural resources teams work with our engineers to identify impact avoidance opportunities and secure project permits.
Our wetland scientists, biologists, and ecologists are industry experts with extensive experience in baseline inventory work, species surveys, wetland and waterway delineations, habitat and water quality assessments, macroinvertebrate assessments, and dredging and contamination assessments.
We support public utilities, infrastructure, residential developments, transportation, and power projects, coordinating with federal, state, local, and provincial agencies to achieve compliance and award-winning success.
Economic Analysis
Our economists conduct benefit-cost analyses for water resources, transportation, and land use projects, aiding decision-makers in weighing the benefits of an action against the investment required. These analyses consider quantitative and qualitative benefits, including tradeoffs between ecosystem services. Our expertise includes consequence analysis modeling for hazard events and risk consideration in selecting a path forward.
With long-standing experience in economic impact analysis, we assess how projects may affect employment, income, tax revenue, and regional business communities. Using input-output modeling and other quantitative methodologies, we measure and communicate economic changes.

Social and Community Analysis
GFT’s team of certified planners and scientists prioritizes social and community health in project development. We excel at identifying complex conditions and aligning community goals with infrastructure needs. Our focus incorporates environmental justice, equity considerations, and the legacy effects of past activities.
We design and implement social and community impact analyses that identify issues early. Our expertise includes developing comprehensive community and stakeholder engagement plans that effectively solicit input, leading to more informed decision-making.
Acoustics, Noise & Vibration
We offer full-service acoustical design and engineering, including detailed noise abatement design. We use sophisticated instruments to measure and predict noise and vibration impacts on transportation systems, industrial facilities, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure. Our unique Sounds of Transit and Sounds of Highway applications simulate future sound levels, improving stakeholder education and engagement.
Noise pollution can cause significant project delays and controversy. Our top-quality noise and vibration analysts help manage and address noise sources and issues, contributing to project success.
Regulatory Compliance, Investigation & Remediation
We help you achieve compliance with the complex rules and regulations protecting human health and the environment.
We assist public and private clients by assessing and managing risks, investigating impacted areas, remediating soil and groundwater contamination, developing resource management strategies, establishing restoration goals, and discovering improvement opportunities through audits.
With a deep understanding of federal, state, and provincial jurisdictions’ regulatory compliance requirements, we are a single-source provider for air pollution, waste management, stormwater, spill prevention, chemical reporting, and industrial wastewater services.
We are leaders in environmental due diligence activities, like Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, real estate transactions, and litigation support, ensuring your operations meet mandatory regulations.
Public Outreach & Engagement
Connecting with people, communities, and other stakeholders impacted by projects begins with recognizing that all perspectives are crucial to a project’s success. We use constructive engagement techniques to help groups and individuals understand each other’s viewpoints. By employing decision-support tools, we bring structure to the analysis needed to consider the positive and negative impacts of public decisions.

Featured Projects

View All Projects

An aerial view of interconnected roads converging at a primary point, with multiple lanes with green grass on the right and parking lots and a more urban area to the left.

Vaughan’s Colossus Drive Extension

Vaughan, ON

A renovated indoor pool with eight repaired structural steel columns.

Emergency Structural Repairs Restore X425 Bronx School Pool

Bronx, NY

Intersection with marked crosswalk, curb ramp, and traffic signals along a commercial roadway under gray skies.

Environmental Assessment and Detailed Design for Stevenson Road North Corridor

City of Oshawa and the Region of Durham, Ontario

A view from under the bridge where a creek is flowing through.

Wellington County Bridge Replacements

Arthur, Ontario

Aerial view of completed Gambo Bridge spanning Gambo Creek with newly paved road and surrounding wetlands

Gambo Bridge Replacement at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren

Dahlgren, Va.

Interior view of a wastewater treatment facility featuring large open concrete tanks, metal railings, grated flooring, and an array of overhead pipes and conduits. The facility is well-lit with exposed concrete ceilings.

Forge River Watershed Sewer Project

Suffolk County, New York

Exterior view of a tan building with a sloped roof at the Frackville Center Street Water Treatment Plant.

Center Street Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

Frackville, Pa.

TEXRail Commuter Line

Fort Worth, Texas

Exterior of a large red brick fire station building with a large sign out front.

Camp Lejeune Fire Station

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Rendering of a two story, white building with lots of windows and two balconies, surrounded by green grass.

U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen

Borinquen, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

A rail bridge spanning over the Mississippi river with an industrial landscape surrounding it.

Merchants Bridge Main Span Truss Replacement & East Approach Retrofit

St. Louis, Mo.

Rendering of the exterior of consolidated rental car facility from an elevated view, with a visible shuttle and tracks and attached parking garage.

Los Angeles World Airports Consolidated Rental Car Facility Planning

Los Angeles, Calif.

Specialized Certifications

Rosgen Level-4 Certified Staff

Combining software capabilities and integrating workflows helps BIM managers increase productivity and decrease project production schedules.

AIA/AICP Certified Planners

Leveraging digital twins can reduce operating expenses by enabling potential issue foresight, mitigation strategy development, and better-informed decisions.

U.S. EPA Method 9 Visible Emissions Readers

While AEC isn’t yet in the mature stages of digitization and technology adoption, the increased demand for data transparency and integration is driving change.

Leadership Team

Amber Saltarelli, PMP, RPP

Environmental Practice Leader

Meet Amber

A woman in a black suit jacket with a white blouse.

Katherine Sharpe, AICP, ENV SP

Deputy Environmental Practice Leader

Meet Kate

What Our Clients Are Saying

“The common-sense approach of GFT provided a refreshing and balanced perspective regarding the future use of the property.”

“GFT showed very high technical competence in conducting and completing the project. The team was very careful in planning and executing the project in a timely manner.”

Environmental and regulatory services are crucial in ensuring that transportation projects are environmentally responsible, sustainable, and resilient. GFT adds value to transportation projects by offering environmental impact assessments and mitigation, regulatory compliance, pollution control and air quality management, noise and vibration control, and ecosystem protection.