Project Team

The department's Bureau of Mine Reclamation (BMR) has been charged with administration of the Upper Peace River / Saddle Creek Restoration Project, and has been designated as the chair of the project's Selection Committee. The selection Committee is made up of representatives from BMR, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and is responsible for selection of the final restoration plan and other critical project decisions. The BMR heads the Project Team, which consists of representatives of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and a group of consultants led by BCI Engineers and Scientists, Inc. (BCI). The project Team conducts periodic meetings to discuss the status of active tasks, review ongoing work, and develop new task orders for subsequent project activities.

The FFWCC has managed operations at the Tenoroc Fish Management Area since 1993, and their primary objective is to provide a viable public facility for anglers as well as the general project. In addition, the FFWCC conducts ongoing biological and fish management studies in an effort to enhance freshwater fishing opportunities throughout the state of Florida. Recreational management activities that have been completed under the FFWCC's supervision include the installation of boat ramps, hiking trails and horseback riding trails. Representatives of the FFWCC have provided invaluable assistance as members of the Project Team, due to their extensive knowledge of the history and conditions at the Tenoroc site.

BCI is registered to practice professional engineering and professional geology in the state of Florida, and has provided engineering and environmental services on more than 2,000 projects since its inception in 1977. These projects have dealt with a wide variety of technical services including water resource and storm water management, hydrology, geology, ecology, geotechnical, mining, and environmental engineering. As the lead consultant, BCI administers the day-to-day activities of the project, and is responsible for developing proposals necessary to meet the need of each new task order.

PBS&J is a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm that offers a comprehensive array of civil/environmental/transportation engineering, environmental sciences, land planning, and construction inspection/management services. PBS&J achieved early successes in large-scale, manmade wetland designs that have set the standards for use in advanced wastewater treatment, and offers a team of qualified ecological scientists experienced in all phases of wetland and upland environmental analyses.

Quest Ecology is a state certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) specializing in ecological studies and environmental permitting. Ms. Vivienne Handy, President of Quest, is a Certified Professional Wetland Scientist with over 15 years of natural resource management experience. Her wetland delineations, management and monitoring experiences cross over numerous industries and agencies, including extensive experiences with the phosphate mining industry in Florida.