Resilience Services

SWCA recognizes the increasing threat posed by changes in the global climate. Environmental changes will exert a broad range of impacts on natural resources including wildfires, coastal flooding, and the spread of invasive species. As one of the nation’s oldest and largest environmental science and planning firms, SWCA’s experts possess the skills and experience to assist our clients in identifying climate risks within their projects and properties. We then develop strategies that will address those risks and support sustainability long term.

Across the U.S., coastal wetlands are experiencing crucial losses. Coastal wetlands include freshwater and saltwater wetlands that can spread for miles beyond the coast into inland areas. These wetlands are critical to the wellbeing of the environment and the people who live near them. Wetlands play a significant role in protecting upland areas from flooding, filtering water before it reaches the ocean, providing habitats for threatened and endangered species, and preventing coastline erosion.

With rising sea levels, storms, and urban and rural development, maintaining and protecting our coastal wetlands is critical to maintaining the environment.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and other natural disasters can have devastating impacts on communities. The aftermath can seem overwhelming. SWCA have personally weathered these disasters, so we understand firsthand how to help move recovery efforts forward quickly, effectively, and economically.

SWCA’s disaster recovery experts can help to navigate the maze of environmental regulations required throughout the recovery process including through grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Our experts have experience with FEMA Public Assistance and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funded disaster recovery programs, Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief (FHWA-ER), Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection program (NRCS-EWP), and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), among others. Our specialists include wetland, water, and stream restoration scientists; fire scientists and post-fire specialists; threatened species specialists; ecologists; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) planners; archaeologists; and architectural historians. We provide on-the-ground and regulatory support for individuals, private companies, non-profits, and municipal agencies—anyone needing environmental expertise that will enable them to move forward in their disaster recovery.

With almost three decades of experience in wildfire sciences, SWCA is a recognized expert in the U.S., delivering wildfire solutions grounded in sound science and applied research. We emphasize collaboration with federal, tribal, state, and local government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private industry, and communities to support informed decision-making that is both technically defensible and operationally effective. We recognize and embrace the essential role wildfire plays in many regions, providing important ecosystem services for fire-adapted landscapes.

At the same time, increasing wildfire severity, expanding development in fire-prone areas, and changing environmental conditions require proactive, science-based planning across the full wildfire cycle—readiness, response, recovery, and restoration. SWCA helps communities and land managers evaluate risk, prioritize actions, and implement strategies rooted in the best available data, fire ecology, and land management practices to strengthen resilience and long-term sustainability.

Our wildfire mitigation and management experts provide a comprehensive suite of services and customized solutions to address both large-scale regional objectives and the unique needs of individual communities. Our work aligns with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, as well as applicable state guidance and policies, ensuring recommendations are practical, defensible, and aligned with regulatory and planning frameworks.

Read more about our Wildfire service here.