Aqua-Terr Systems provides environmental consulting for developers

by Joshua Ryan Contributing Writer

As the Washington housing market continues to boom unabated, more builders and developers are seeking new sites on which to build. Many nature lovers move to the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the great outdoors and to be ensconced near the water, forests and byways that make Puget Sound one of the most popular regions in the nation.

For environmental specialists like Tony Gallina of Aqua-Terr Systems, Inc. (ATSI), it fuels a passion to provide accurate, detailed reports of estuaries, wetlands and other sites, inspired by the beauty nature has to offer.

Based in Bellingham near the Canadian border, ATSI was founded in 1982. Tony and his wife, Karla, principal biologist, have overseen the consultancy’s rapid growth since 2016. The couple welcomed a new baby girl in March.

“We live in a beautiful part of the world,” Gallina said. “We started in Whatcom County but have projects we’re consulting now in King County and throughout the state.”

ATSI’s Molly Harding, in purple mask, and Tony Gallina, in black mask, facilitated a cleanup project for the Meadows Homeowner’s Association in Ferndale, WA.

Credit: Leo Spenser

Assessing impacts

“We realize builders want to explore spaces to see if a space might be available for a project,” he said, explaining how ATSI helps assess how development might impact protected species or streams that may once have been considered habitat for spawning salmon.

“We have a reputation for supporting and working with builders,” Gallina said. “And we’re known for accurate work so environmentalists and potential homeowners alike know any building has been done in a way that’s harmonious in the area where they live. This generally helps the project go through the permitting process the first time.”

First step in wetlands mitigation

If a contractor or land developer is considering a location and notices water or various species like reed grass on the site, what should they do?

“They should call ATSI,” Gallina said. “We’ll know the area already or be ready to start an assessment with recommendations early in the process. We understand people need places to live, and we believe that can be done while still being responsible stewards of the land and water around us.

Olin Anderson and Steven Walker survey a field.

Credit: Karla Gallina

“After all, with a new baby of our own, we want future generations to know we partner with developers to always try to do the right thing,” he said.

Aqua-Terr Systems, Inc. is an associate member of the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County. For more information on wetland mitigation and environmental services, contact Tony Gallina at (360) 824-2379 or tonyg@AquaTerrSystemsInc.com.

Joshua Ryan is a contributing writer for Building Insight. Joshua is an Emmy-nominated writer and has contributed to many publications. He is also the Builder Pro Manager for Metropolitan Appliance in Seattle. Joshua may be reached at joshua@metropolitanappliance.com.