About Inver

Inver is Scots Gaelic for "confluence of waters", and it's more than just a word:

• Integrity - open and honest communication with owners, engineers, and regulators
• Navigation - guiding projects through the regulatory landscape with practical solutions 
• Value - cost-effective services scaled to fit your project budget, schedule and goals
• Expertise - 30 years of consulting experience applied directly to each project
• Reliability - proven repeated results generating long-term relationships and respect

Inver's driving force is passion for our work, fueled by the endless variety of field sites and the satisfaction of completing a project which protects the natural environment, meets client goals, and complies with all applicable regulations. Applying a deep interest in, and knowledge of, the intricacies of environmental rules along with an understanding of client goals, from initial field work through permitting yields the most successful outcome for every project.   While providing a complete suite of services for most projects, Inver is a true teaming partner offering specialized consulting expertise to a variety of clients on a wide range of projects. No competitors, just potential partners - Inver welcomes collaboration through teaming with quality engineering and environmental firms.   

Inver is centrally located near Winston-Salem, North Carolina within a short drive of Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Raleigh (see map above). Our experience includes natural and water resources field work in 94 of the 100 North Carolina counties, literally from Murphy to Manteo. 

In addition, we often work in adjacent states including Georgia and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee and Virginia.  This range of work provides in-depth familiarity with mountain, piedmont, sandhills and inner/outer coastal plain wetlands, streams and habitats throughout the southeast.

General Qualifications

30 years project experience in NC, SC, & GA

USACE Wetland Delineation

NCSAM Stream Functional Assessment

NCWAM Wetland Functional Assessment

 NCDWR Stream Identification

Recent Presentations

Waters of the US Panel 

NC WRRI Annual Conference

(2019, 2023, 2024, 2026)

Natural Resources Consulting 

Appalachian State University 

(2023)

Waters of the US Status 

NC SWANA Conference (2024)

NC Society of Surveyors - Central (2024)

SC SWANA Conference (2023)

Phil May is the senior consultant and managing member of Inver. His three decade career specializes in environmental consulting services for natural and water resource issues for hundreds of projects throughout the southeastern US. He has been responsible for delivering environmental approvals for major projects in the fields of solid waste, transportation, water/wastewater and private industry.  

Phil's expertise has been recognized by multiple groups, as evidenced by his selection to major project teams, election to multiple association boards, beta-tester for the USACE 2025 RRS rollout, as well as expert panels and expert witness testimony. He currently serves as Treasurer for the NC Water Resources Association and board member of the Carolina Wetlands Association, as well as vice-chair for the Planning Board and chair for the Municipal Service District Board for the Town of Lewisville, NC. 

Inver expands our resources via teaming with other consultants with similar outlook and expertise, as well as specialty services that complement our own strengths. Including:

Unaka Environmental, LLC 

Reece Environmental Consulting 

Inver is a proud sponsor of:

Carolina Wetlands Association 

Non-partisan, science-based organization advocating for wetlands in the Carolinas 

NC Water Resources Association

Fostering the exchange of ideas and approaches from research to policy to practice.