Understanding paleontological potential early helps keep a project on track. Museum record searches and reviews of published scientific literature show where fossils have been documented before, both in and around the proposed project area.

Our paleontologists have strong working relationships with museum repositories and keep up with current research. That gives clients reliable baseline information to guide planning and design.

Geologic mapping shows which rock formations within a project area are likely to contain significant fossils. Our team reviews and interprets geologic maps to identify areas of higher and lower paleontological sensitivity.

This focused approach helps clients put field effort where it matters most. It reduces unnecessary survey work and supports informed decisions about project siting and design.

Merjent’s paleontologists conduct field assessments and surveys to identify and document fossil resources within a project area. Our team has expertise in vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology, paleobotany, and paleoethnobotany.

When a project could adversely affect significant fossils, we coordinate the permits needed to collect and protect them. We work to keep that process efficient and in step with project timelines.

Our team knows the laws and regulations that govern paleontological resources. We help clients understand how those requirements apply to their projects. We support compliance with NEPA, the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA), and other applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

We work regularly with agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the National Park Service (NPS). We prepare impact assessments that follow PRPA guidance and BLM paleontological resource requirements.

Every project has its own mitigation requirements. Our paleontologists review the conditions that apply to each project and prepare customized monitoring and mitigation plans that meet agency expectations.

We have prepared plans for a wide range of sectors, including power generation, solar and wind energy, oil and gas, mining, transportation, and land development. Our goal is to keep projects compliant and moving forward.

Merjent provides paleontological monitoring and coordination before, during, and after construction for projects of any size. Pre-construction Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training teaches construction crews how to recognize fossils and what to do if they find one.

Our field monitors have extensive experience working safely alongside heavy equipment and construction crews. They use digital data collection and can identify fossils in the field. If paleontological materials are found, our team assesses their significance quickly and coordinates with contractors and regulators to keep delays to a minimum.

When significant fossils are found, our paleontologists have the expertise to recover them properly. That ranges from collecting small specimens at the surface to removing large fossils such as partial skeletons.

We understand construction pressures and work efficiently to recover fossils in a way that fits within project schedules.

Recovered fossils must be prepared and documented to meet federal and state requirements as well as each museum’s curation standards. Our team provides laboratory preparation, fossil identification, and pre-curation services.

We coordinate with museum repositories so that fossils collected during a project are properly curated and preserved.