Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. (NSA) is an environmental solutions, planning, and GIS consulting firm established in 1985 and headquartered in Winter Park, Florida. The company maintains a branch office in Dubois, Wyoming. NSA is also a licensed Real Estate Brokerage in Florida and Wyoming.
NSA works with public and private clients, governments, businesses, and organizations to develop practical solutions for complex environmental, planning, permitting, and mapping challenges throughout the United States.
NSA works with public and private clients, governments, businesses, and organizations to develop practical solutions for complex environmental, planning, permitting, and mapping challenges throughout the United States.
Our team combines ecological field expertise, regulatory experience, and geospatial analysis to help clients move projects forward responsibly.
We focus on clear communication, sound science, efficient project delivery, and solutions that improve environmental quality while supporting client objectives.
We focus on clear communication, sound science, efficient project delivery, and solutions that improve environmental quality while supporting client objectives.
Planning support for projects requiring ecological review, regulatory coordination, and practical environmental solutions.
Federal, state, and local permitting support for projects involving wetlands, waterways, protected species, land use, and environmental compliance.
Mitigation planning and support to address project impacts and meet regulatory requirements.
Evaluation of project alternatives to support defensible decision-making and reduce environmental impacts.
Field-based and GIS-based wetland mapping for due diligence, permitting, restoration, infrastructure, and land planning.
Surveys and assessments to identify protected species issues early and support compliance with applicable regulations.
Permitting
Environmental Planning
Mitigation
Alternative Analysis
Wetland Mapping
Protected Species
Core Services
Certified Floodplain Manager support for FEMA floodplain review, Flood Insurance Rate Map interpretation, Special Flood Hazard Area mapping, floodplain development support, and GIS-based flood-risk visualization
Floodplain Management & Special Flood Hazard Area Mapping
Geospatial analysis, map production, field data, integration, and decision-support mapping for environmental planning, permitting, floodplain, and infrastructure projects. We are an ESRI Business partner using ESRI software for our mapping needs.
GIS Analysis and Mapping Support
Representative NSA Projects
Yellowstone River Least Tern & Piping Plover Habitat Assessment; Eastern Montana
Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. conducted a Bureau of Land Management inventory and habitat assessment of approximately 200 miles of the Yellowstone River between Miles City, Montana, and the Missouri River confluence. The project evaluated river islands for their suitability as nesting habitat for the federally endangered Interior Least Tern and the federally threatened Piping Plover, while documenting invasive plant species that could diminish habitat quality. Using GPS-based field surveys, GIS analysis, and habitat mapping, the team inventoried 91 islands and developed a geospatial habitat database to support conservation planning and Endangered Species Act compliance activities.
Survey results showed that 61.5% of inventoried islands exhibited moderate nesting potential and 33% exhibited high nesting potential, with the highest-quality habitat concentrated between Miles City and Glendive. Four Interior Least Terns were observed during the survey, although no active nests were documented, and no Piping Plovers were observed. Habitat quality declined downstream toward the Missouri confluence as gravel substrates gave way to wet sand, silt, and clay. The assessment also documented invasive vegetation, including salt cedar, Russian olive, and leafy spurge, highlighting ongoing management challenges. Overall, the study concluded that the Yellowstone River remains an important nesting corridor for sensitive bird species while emphasizing the need for continued monitoring of habitat conditions and invasive species encroachment.
Blue Sky Highway Integrity and Wind River Mill Creek Conversion Environmental Assessment; Wyoming The Blue Sky EA Final was prepared by Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. for Source Gas LLC and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to evaluate the environmental effects of a proposed natural gas pipeline project on the Wind River Indian Reservation near Ethete and Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The project proposed constructing approximately 6,400 feet of 4-inch natural gas pipeline to connect the Ethete and Fort Washakie distribution systems into a looped network, improving emergency response capabilities, system reliability, and long-term service integrity for Reservation residents and businesses. The Environmental Assessment was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and analyzed potential impacts to land, water, wetlands, wildlife, vegetation, cultural resources, and local communities. The assessment concluded that the project would create minimal, short-term environmental impacts that could be effectively mitigated through standard construction best management practices. Detailed studies found no significant effects on wetlands, water quality, threatened or endangered species, cultural resources, or community infrastructure. The project also included consultation with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes and supported the preparation of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The resulting analysis provided a comprehensive environmental and regulatory framework that enabled critical utility infrastructure improvements while protecting the natural, cultural, and socioeconomic resources of the Wind River Reservation.
Kissimmee River Restoration – Crested Caracara Monitoring & Tagging Program; Florida Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. conducted comprehensive monitoring of the federally threatened Florida Crested Caracara in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Kissimmee River Restoration Project in Okeechobee and Highlands Counties, Florida. The project provided critical environmental compliance and wildlife protection services during major restoration activities along the Kissimmee River corridor. NSA biologists performed biweekly nesting surveys, territory mapping, nest monitoring, GPS data collection, and GIS analysis within and around active construction zones to ensure restoration activities were compatible with the conservation of this protected raptor species. All monitoring was conducted in accordance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protocols and Biological Opinion requirements. The project documented active caracara territories, nesting success, fledgling production, habitat use, and changing territory dynamics across the restoration landscape. Using GPS technology, aerial imagery, and GIS mapping, NSA developed a detailed spatial database of nest locations, flight paths, and habitat utilization patterns. Results demonstrated that multiple breeding territories remained active and productive throughout the monitoring period, providing valuable information to guide restoration planning while protecting one of Florida’s most iconic grassland birds. The study helped balance large-scale ecosystem restoration with long-term wildlife conservation objectives along the nationally significant Kissimmee River Restoration Project.
High Plains Power 69 kV Transmission Line Upgrade – East Fork to Burris Substation; Wyoming Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. prepared a comprehensive Environmental Assessment for High Plains Power, Inc. and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support replacement of a deteriorating 12.1-mile segment of 69 kV transmission line between the East Fork of the Wind River and the Burris Substation on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fremont County, Wyoming. The project was designed to improve electrical reliability for the Dubois, Henthorne, and Burris service areas by replacing aging infrastructure originally built in the early 1960s and relocating portions of the line closer to U.S. Highway 26 to improve maintenance access and reduce outage response times. The assessment evaluated potential effects on land resources, wetlands, wildlife, cultural resources, tribal lands, water quality, and local communities while ensuring compliance with NEPA and other federal environmental regulations. The study concluded that the project would produce no significant adverse environmental impacts and would substantially improve long-term electrical service reliability for residents and businesses in the Upper Wind River Valley. Detailed analyses of wetlands, wildlife habitat, cultural resources, and threatened and endangered species determined that impacts would be minor, temporary, and readily mitigated through standard construction best management practices. The project included extensive coordination with tribal governments, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies to protect environmental and cultural resources while modernizing critical rural energy infrastructure serving western Fremont County and the Wind River Reservation.
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring – Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP); Florida Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. conducted long-term Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) monitoring for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, a major component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The project evaluated the recovery and distribution of submerged aquatic plant communities throughout restored river channels and floodplain habitats following restoration activities designed to return the Kissimmee River to a more natural ecological condition. Through field surveys, GPS data collection, GIS mapping, and aquatic vegetation assessments, NSA provided critical scientific information used to measure ecosystem recovery and restoration performance. Submerged aquatic vegetation serves as a key indicator of water quality, habitat function, and ecological health throughout the greater Everglades system. Monitoring results were used to assess restoration success, document changing habitat conditions, and support adaptive management decisions by federal and state restoration agencies. The project produced detailed geospatial datasets, vegetation maps, and trend analyses that helped guide management of fish and wildlife habitat within the Kissimmee River watershed and contributed to the long-term restoration objectives of the Everglades ecosystem. As an important element of CERP, this work helped ensure that ecological benefits of restoration could be measured, documented, and incorporated into future restoration planning.
Mni Wasté Treated Water Line Wetlands Reassessment – Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation; South Dakota Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. completed a comprehensive wetlands reassessment for the proposed Mni Wasté Treated Water Line Project on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The project supports development of approximately 30 miles of treated water transmission line between Eagle Butte and Timber Lake, forming part of a broader regional water system improvement effort designed to provide reliable, treated water service to communities across north-central South Dakota. The study combined GPS field surveys, GIS analysis, National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) mapping, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation methods to verify wetland locations identified in previous environmental studies and evaluate potential impacts from the proposed pipeline corridor. Field investigations confirmed 32 previously identified wetlands and documented 6 additional wetlands along the Highway 63 corridor. Most wetlands were classified as palustrine emergent wetlands and riverine intermittent systems, including large wetland complexes associated with the Moreau River and Highway 20 corridor. The reassessment found that some wetland impacts would likely be unavoidable, particularly in areas containing extensive marsh and riverine habitats. NSA developed a series of mitigation recommendations including route adjustments, directional drilling beneath sensitive wetlands, limiting construction footprints, restoring disturbed areas with native vegetation, and the potential use of wetland mitigation banking to offset unavoidable impacts. The resulting study provided critical environmental compliance information supporting project design, permitting, and protection of wetland resources while improving long-term drinking water infrastructure for the region.
Survey results showed that 61.5% of inventoried islands exhibited moderate nesting potential and 33% exhibited high nesting potential, with the highest-quality habitat concentrated between Miles City and Glendive. Four Interior Least Terns were observed during the survey, although no active nests were documented, and no Piping Plovers were observed. Habitat quality declined downstream toward the Missouri confluence as gravel substrates gave way to wet sand, silt, and clay. The assessment also documented invasive vegetation, including salt cedar, Russian olive, and leafy spurge, highlighting ongoing management challenges. Overall, the study concluded that the Yellowstone River remains an important nesting corridor for sensitive bird species while emphasizing the need for continued monitoring of habitat conditions and invasive species encroachment.
Blue Sky Highway Integrity and Wind River Mill Creek Conversion Environmental Assessment; Wyoming The Blue Sky EA Final was prepared by Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. for Source Gas LLC and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to evaluate the environmental effects of a proposed natural gas pipeline project on the Wind River Indian Reservation near Ethete and Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The project proposed constructing approximately 6,400 feet of 4-inch natural gas pipeline to connect the Ethete and Fort Washakie distribution systems into a looped network, improving emergency response capabilities, system reliability, and long-term service integrity for Reservation residents and businesses. The Environmental Assessment was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and analyzed potential impacts to land, water, wetlands, wildlife, vegetation, cultural resources, and local communities. The assessment concluded that the project would create minimal, short-term environmental impacts that could be effectively mitigated through standard construction best management practices. Detailed studies found no significant effects on wetlands, water quality, threatened or endangered species, cultural resources, or community infrastructure. The project also included consultation with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes and supported the preparation of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The resulting analysis provided a comprehensive environmental and regulatory framework that enabled critical utility infrastructure improvements while protecting the natural, cultural, and socioeconomic resources of the Wind River Reservation.
Kissimmee River Restoration – Crested Caracara Monitoring & Tagging Program; Florida Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. conducted comprehensive monitoring of the federally threatened Florida Crested Caracara in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Kissimmee River Restoration Project in Okeechobee and Highlands Counties, Florida. The project provided critical environmental compliance and wildlife protection services during major restoration activities along the Kissimmee River corridor. NSA biologists performed biweekly nesting surveys, territory mapping, nest monitoring, GPS data collection, and GIS analysis within and around active construction zones to ensure restoration activities were compatible with the conservation of this protected raptor species. All monitoring was conducted in accordance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protocols and Biological Opinion requirements. The project documented active caracara territories, nesting success, fledgling production, habitat use, and changing territory dynamics across the restoration landscape. Using GPS technology, aerial imagery, and GIS mapping, NSA developed a detailed spatial database of nest locations, flight paths, and habitat utilization patterns. Results demonstrated that multiple breeding territories remained active and productive throughout the monitoring period, providing valuable information to guide restoration planning while protecting one of Florida’s most iconic grassland birds. The study helped balance large-scale ecosystem restoration with long-term wildlife conservation objectives along the nationally significant Kissimmee River Restoration Project.
High Plains Power 69 kV Transmission Line Upgrade – East Fork to Burris Substation; Wyoming Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. prepared a comprehensive Environmental Assessment for High Plains Power, Inc. and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support replacement of a deteriorating 12.1-mile segment of 69 kV transmission line between the East Fork of the Wind River and the Burris Substation on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fremont County, Wyoming. The project was designed to improve electrical reliability for the Dubois, Henthorne, and Burris service areas by replacing aging infrastructure originally built in the early 1960s and relocating portions of the line closer to U.S. Highway 26 to improve maintenance access and reduce outage response times. The assessment evaluated potential effects on land resources, wetlands, wildlife, cultural resources, tribal lands, water quality, and local communities while ensuring compliance with NEPA and other federal environmental regulations. The study concluded that the project would produce no significant adverse environmental impacts and would substantially improve long-term electrical service reliability for residents and businesses in the Upper Wind River Valley. Detailed analyses of wetlands, wildlife habitat, cultural resources, and threatened and endangered species determined that impacts would be minor, temporary, and readily mitigated through standard construction best management practices. The project included extensive coordination with tribal governments, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies to protect environmental and cultural resources while modernizing critical rural energy infrastructure serving western Fremont County and the Wind River Reservation.
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring – Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP); Florida Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. conducted long-term Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) monitoring for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, a major component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The project evaluated the recovery and distribution of submerged aquatic plant communities throughout restored river channels and floodplain habitats following restoration activities designed to return the Kissimmee River to a more natural ecological condition. Through field surveys, GPS data collection, GIS mapping, and aquatic vegetation assessments, NSA provided critical scientific information used to measure ecosystem recovery and restoration performance. Submerged aquatic vegetation serves as a key indicator of water quality, habitat function, and ecological health throughout the greater Everglades system. Monitoring results were used to assess restoration success, document changing habitat conditions, and support adaptive management decisions by federal and state restoration agencies. The project produced detailed geospatial datasets, vegetation maps, and trend analyses that helped guide management of fish and wildlife habitat within the Kissimmee River watershed and contributed to the long-term restoration objectives of the Everglades ecosystem. As an important element of CERP, this work helped ensure that ecological benefits of restoration could be measured, documented, and incorporated into future restoration planning.
Mni Wasté Treated Water Line Wetlands Reassessment – Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation; South Dakota Natural Systems Analysts, Inc. completed a comprehensive wetlands reassessment for the proposed Mni Wasté Treated Water Line Project on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The project supports development of approximately 30 miles of treated water transmission line between Eagle Butte and Timber Lake, forming part of a broader regional water system improvement effort designed to provide reliable, treated water service to communities across north-central South Dakota. The study combined GPS field surveys, GIS analysis, National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) mapping, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation methods to verify wetland locations identified in previous environmental studies and evaluate potential impacts from the proposed pipeline corridor. Field investigations confirmed 32 previously identified wetlands and documented 6 additional wetlands along the Highway 63 corridor. Most wetlands were classified as palustrine emergent wetlands and riverine intermittent systems, including large wetland complexes associated with the Moreau River and Highway 20 corridor. The reassessment found that some wetland impacts would likely be unavoidable, particularly in areas containing extensive marsh and riverine habitats. NSA developed a series of mitigation recommendations including route adjustments, directional drilling beneath sensitive wetlands, limiting construction footprints, restoring disturbed areas with native vegetation, and the potential use of wetland mitigation banking to offset unavoidable impacts. The resulting study provided critical environmental compliance information supporting project design, permitting, and protection of wetland resources while improving long-term drinking water infrastructure for the region.