Matthew Schweisberg, Associate
mschweisberg@burnsidegroup.com
Matthew Schweisberg is a retired federal wetlands ecologist and wildlife biologist with over three decades of experience in the Clean Water Act Section 404 (dredge and fill) Program. He spent more than 32 years with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency at both its Headquarters office in Washington, D.C. and New England Region office in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to retiring from federal service, he served concurrently as Chief of the New England Region’s Wetlands Protection Program, as Senior Mediator with the Region’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, and as the Agency’s representative on the International Joint Commission’s International St. Croix River Watershed Board.
He also served as the Boston Region’s Wetlands Enforcement Coordinator for 11 years, Senior Wetlands Ecologist for 26 years, and as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Regional Administrator for one year. While with the Agency’s Headquarters office, Mr. Schweisberg managed nationally controversial cases for the EPA National Wetlands Program. He also worked in the Superfund Program.
As a nationally recognized expert in the federal Clean Water Act’s Section 404 Program, Mr. Schweisberg served on national EPA work groups developing federal guidance and regulations on Clean Water Act jurisdiction, and agriculture and enforcement issues. He convened and supervised teams to prepare expert testimony for litigation for federal court cases. He also testified before federal grand juries and served several times as an expert witness on wetland regulatory and technical matters in civil litigation at both federal and state levels for cases involving residential development, agricultural conversions, and Superfund remedies.
Mr. Schweisberg also served as the technical expert for EPA Clean Water Act section 404(c) veto actions for projects in New England and advised both EPA Headquarters and other EPA Regions on section 404(c) veto actions in other parts of the country. While with EPA Headquarters, he provided oversight for section 404(c) veto actions in South Carolina and Louisiana.
Mr. Schweisberg has extensive experience with wetland and other aquatic resource issues for major projects throughout New England and other parts of the country involving transportation, energy, agriculture, commercial and port development, and Superfund cleanup. He has managed or served as the technical expert for:
- Transportation projects such as major highway and large rail line extensions;
- Energy projects such as natural gas extraction via hydrologic fracturing, wind turbine fields, and electrical and natural gas transmission lines;
- Agriculture conversions such as turf farms and cranberry bogs;
- Marine cargo port development;
- Shopping mall and industrial park developments; and,
- Superfund remedies.
He has taught courses in wetland regulation, restoration and creation, wetland ecology, and wetland identification and delineation for EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the New England states, Northeastern University, and many other organizations. He has made presentations and served on panel discussions at numerous conferences and symposia.
During his federal service, Mr. Schweisberg received 7 EPA Bronze Medals, 11 EPA Superior Achievement Awards, 2 U.S. Department of Justice Certificates of Commendation, and 2 Army Corps of Engineers Commendations. Mr. Schweisberg has a solid working knowledge of the National Environmental Policy Act; Rivers and Harbors Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; Endangered Species Act; Magnuson-Stevens Essential Fish Habitat requirements; USDA Food Security Act-Swampbuster program; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-Dam/Hydropower licensing program; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act; Water Quality Standards program; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program; and several state wetlands and water quality protection programs.
Mr. Schweisberg provides insightful and judicious policy, regulatory and technical advice and assistance for clients seeking to navigate regulatory issues related to wetlands and other aquatic resources. He also is well versed in all aspects of alternative dispute resolution. For nearly 15 years, he has mediated large public policy and environmental cases.
Mr. Schweisberg received his degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine. He is a certified professional Wetland Scientist under the Professional Certification Program of the Society of Wetland Scientists. In addition, he is certified as a mediator by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.