arena rising ceo's message
TRANSCRIPT
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Developing Function-Based Assessment Methods for Mitigation
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AFS President Elect
January 2015
Arena Rising Mitigation Monitoring in an Urban Environment
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Traditional Cultural Properties and CEQA
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We’ll See You AroundNew Faces
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CEO’s Message
Message from our CEO
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The New Year always seems to bring out the best in us, in terms of our determination to renew and improve ourselves both personally and professionally, to be posi-tive and committed to the idea that things can be better – that we can be better. Optimism and hope reign supreme. If things didn’t quite work out the way we planned in the “Old Year,” we are glad to move past it and on to new challenges and of course much greater success in the New Year (because we get it now, our luck is going to change, the planets will be aligned in our favor, etc.). And if the Old Year was really good, well then there seems to be no limit to just how much better it will be in the year ahead. Whichever of these scenarios fits your experience best, I sincerely hope that the optimism sticks for as long as possible in 2015!
2014 has been a very good year for ESA. We’ve been fortunate to see some significant growth in our business and have welcomed many experienced professionals with a range of management and technical depth. The most recent of these new faces are featured later in this newsletter, and include seasoned experts that are impressively accomplished and prominent in the industry, bringing both a strong record of client service and a solid commitment to environmental stewardship. They are drawn to ESA for many reasons, foremost among them the team-oriented culture we have here as well as the broad-based 100% employee ownership model we employ – an ownership model that I believe serves our clients best by helping to ensure the kind of respon-siveness and enlightened problem-solving expected of a high-caliber consulting enterprise.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect for me about our business at this optimistic time of year is the number of unique and forward-looking projects our clients have entrusted us with. Projects such as developing ecosystem function assessment models in the Puget Sound area that should enable greater predictability in assessing impacts and devising effective mitigation strate-gies (see adjoining article). Another “cutting edge” project is our
effort to develop and pilot test a program in conjunction with the Sonoma County Water Agency on behalf of the California Water Foundation that would enable water agencies to employ a standardized assessment tool to evaluate and rate agency-wide sustainability. Effectively accounting for inter-agency water transfers and other connectivity between and among watersheds has proved challenging but we are confident they can be effectively incorporated into the program.
Another interesting project involves our forthcoming work to analyze and monitor the effects of controlled implosions on a number of large underwater caissons (foundations) as part of dismantling the eastern span of the Old Bay Bridge in San Francisco Bay. The overall bridge demolition project is part of a growing trend to remove in their entirety (or at least nearly so) infrastructure facilities that are no longer operable rather than to allow them to remain in place indefinitely. We’re also working on another demolition project in the Simi Valley area of Southern California that involves repurposing a former rocket engine test site for open space and recreation uses. The facility, once operated by Boeing, requires considerable contamination cleanup and corresponding soil removal and will require creative strategizing regarding appropriate treat-ment and/or off-hauling through sensitive residential neighbor-hoods that surround the site.
In the Southeast we’re gearing up to begin work preparing and then helping to implement an Expenditure Plan for the Florida Gulf Consortium that will guide restoration projects along hundreds of miles of shoreline in the Florida Panhandle and other Gulf Coast counties for many years to come. Funding for those projects will come to the Consortium via the provisions of the RESTORE ACT passed by Congress in 2012 in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
These and many other exciting project opportunities provided to us by our clients offer a lot to be grateful for and much to look forward to at this Old/New time of year.
Photo by Jim Keany
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Developing Function-Based Assessment Methods for MitigationBy Nicole Czarnomski, PhD, Fluvial Geomorphologist and Jim Keany, Senior Program Manager
Mitigation is commonly understood as the intent to offset loss or reduction of ecological functions and values associated with permitted actions. Mitigation for a project’s adverse effects is considered once a project can demonstrate that effects have been avoided and minimized to the extent practicable. For example, when a new development is proposed, adverse impacts to stream hydrology are minimized through setbacks and low-impact design alternatives; however, if the development is large, it may not be possible to completely avoid impacts to hydrology. Across the country, there is extensive experience with wetland mitigation, but only a few states use standardized frameworks to manage mitigation for other habitats. Most mitigation programs assess structural conditions to quantify impacts (debits) and miti-gation benefits (credits). However, there is growing concern that this approach does not adequately mitigate for functional loss and that the efficacy of structure and condition-based restoration is uncertain. Thus, to improve ecological outcomes from mitiga-tion and restoration, an assessment tool that provides a clear link between project objectives and ecological functions is needed.
Here we share two recent efforts to develop function-based assessment methods to guide outcomes for mitigation programs. An assessment tool can assist with mitigation sequencing (e.g., avoidance, minimization, and compensation) and provide a basis for predicting outcomes associated with proposed alternatives.
Steam Function Assessment Method
ESA led the development of the Stream Function Assessment Methodology (SFAM) tool for the Project Team to provide: (1) a standardized, rapid, function-based method for assessing streams and (2) a method for predicting outcomes associated with permitted actions and proposed mitigation. Direct measures are the best method for evaluating stream function; however, this requires data collection and evaluation over longer time frames and larger spatial scales typical of individual permitted actions. While long-term (5 years or longer) and intensive monitoring may provide an assessment of how permitted actions or mitigation affect ecological function, calculating debits and credits needed within the regulatory framework requires rapid assessment at a point in time. In this assessment method, we developed indica-tors that can be quickly measured in the field and that cumula-tively provide an assessment of the relative ecological function of streams.
The final SFAM tool is under development and is planned for public release in 2015. Ultimately, this stream mitigation frame-
work should provide an effective, predictable, and clear way to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to Oregon streams. It should also support the broader conservation, economic, and restoration goals of watersheds throughout Oregon. Efforts are also under way to adapt the tool to other states.
Nearshore Function Assessment Tool
ESA is leading a technical science team that developed the Nearshore Assessment Tool (NAT), which assesses the functions of riparian shorelines, tidal wetlands, intertidal non-wetlands, and subtidal habitats in Hood Canal, Washington. Thirteen Valued Ecosystem Components ranging from forage fish habitat to sedi-ment transport processes are assessed in a rapid field method for this functional assessment. The NAT was developed to assess the effects to nearshore functions from Navy projects and to assess the functional lift of corresponding restoration projects as part of an established in-lieu fee program. It was developed with exten-sive input from a diverse stakeholder group. ESA has led regular briefing meetings with agencies, non-governmental organiza-tions, Tribes, and other stakeholders, including experts in fields of fisheries ecology, benthics, marine nearshore processes, tidal wetlands, and a separate peer review group of scientists to inform the development of the NAT.
The NAT has been field tested on 90 sites over the summer of 2014, calibrated, and edited. Following stakeholder review of the data analysis report and additional meetings, the model will be finalized. The goal is to apply this assessment tool for future Navy and other nearshore permitting requirements in Hood Canal and to use it as a foundation for calibration to other areas of Puget Sound.
Each of these functional assessment tools and methodologies provide a more comprehensive metric for mitigating permitted actions than was previously available. Regardless, describing complex ecosystems using rapid assessment tools will continue to be challenging. As mitigation programs are implemented, the tools will be further assessed and refined. Because ecosystems are interconnected and often traverse man-made boundaries, developing tools that quantify impacts not only locally and region-ally, but throughout the habitat or waterway, will provide a true glimpse into the permitted action impacts.
For more information about function-based assessment methods, contact Nicole Czarnomski at [email protected] or Jim Keany at [email protected] or by calling 503.274.2010.
Sample of artifacts collected during cultural resources monitoring at the Sacra-mento Entertainment and Sports Center (l–r: alcohol bottles; ceramics [including: stoneware ink/gin bottle, porcelain mug, and various white improved earthenware tableware items]; food and medicine bottles; and porcelain knob electrical insulator).
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Sacramento, California, is undergoing an exciting downtown transformation as city and business leaders press forward with reimagining how downtown should look, feel, and operate. New development projects are coming online, with perhaps the largest being the Sacramento Entertainment and Sports Center (ESC) project. The ESC envisions a 779,000-square-foot, 17,500-seat arena as part of a larger redevelopment effort that includes 1.5 million square feet of new retail, residential, hotel, and office uses in the heart of downtown Sacramento. The ESC will be home to the NBA Sacramento Kings and will also host a variety of commu-nity events, from family ice shows to concerts to graduation ceremonies.
To create a seamless user experience and to integrate the interior and exterior of the ESC, the arena’s main concourse will be constructed at ground level. This means that the event floor will need to be considerably below grade, which will require substan-tial amounts of excavation. The excavation phase involves earth movement and hauling on an exposed site of approximately 5.5 acres over a 3-month period. Approximately 70,000 cubic yards of earth has been removed from the project site, an average of about 3,200 cubic yards per day over 33 days of hauling.
Normally, construction activities in established and previously built urban areas would not elicit too much concern for archaeological resources. Many times, previous excavation and construction activities have already either disturbed or destroyed any resources that may have been present on the site. However, given Sacra-mento’s rich history, going back to the beginnings of the California Gold Rush and thousands of years of Native American habita-tion near the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers,
Arena RisingMitigation Monitoring in an Urban EnvironmentBy Christina Erwin, Senior Managing Associate
Demolition and earthmoving activities at the ESC site
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combined with the documented presence of nearby historic and prehistoric resources and the depth of excavation, the likelihood of encountering prehistoric and historical archaeological deposits at the ESC site was high.
ESA prepared the Environmental Impact Report for the ESC & Related Development Project, which was approved by the City Council in May 2014. Prior to initiation of demolition and exca-vation activities, our archaeologists tested for resources at the project site. We oversaw the sampling of geologic cores to test for potential presence of prehistoric and historic-era material. Given site constraints, archaeological boring proved to be a useful and practical way to help define the presence/absence of archaeo-logical deposits. The sample borings at the ESC site showed a possibility of encountering historic-era scattered resources.
We recognized the possibility of unearthing Native American resources as the ESC site is within the exterior boundaries of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians’ aboriginal territory. We proactively consulted and partnered with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to provide input on the Archaeological Testing Plan, develop training for construction personnel, and conduct tribal monitoring, consultation, and facilitation for this project during the archeological investigations and all ground-disturbing activities for the project.
Because of the archaeological boring results and the possibility of uncovering Native American resources, we developed a detailed Archaeological Testing, Data Recovery, and Unanticipated Discovery Plan (ATP) to outline on-site monitoring procedures and protocols and strategies for resources recovery. The plan also
described who to contact in case of a resource discovery and incorporated mitigation measures from the environmental impact report. The ATP was accepted by both the City of Sacramento and Turner Construction as the go-to document for how to handle cultural resources discoveries.
Our archaeological monitors were there when excavators, backhoes, and bulldozers descended on the site in August 2014. Using a mix of part-time and full-time archaeologists, we provided both daily monitoring and spot-checking as demolition and earthmoving activities occurred. Our monitors identified on-site resources that we expected to see – bricks, alcohol bottles, ceramics (including stoneware, a porcelain mug, and various white improved earthenware tableware items), food and medicine bottles, a porcelain knob electrical insulator, and various metal objects, including horseshoes and nails. Demolition and excava-tion at the ESC site did not uncover any significant intact archaeo-logical features or deposits.
Although no significant cultural resources were discovered, our proactive, collaborative approach engaged Turner Construction, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and the City of Sacra-mento early in the process, got buy-in on how to handle a find, and ensured there was a plan in place if prehistoric or historic-era resources were discovered. The construction of the Sacramento ESC is moving forward, with the arena scheduled to open in fall of 2016, in time for the 2016-2017 NBA season.
For more information about mitigation monitoring, please contact ESA’s Christina Erwin at [email protected] or at 916.564.4500.
Chances are you’ve heard the words “Traditional Cultural Prop-erty,” or “TCP” for short. Maybe you’ve had a TCP identified in one of your project areas…and if you haven’t, it may not be long before you do.
In this article, we’ll explore the concept of the TCP, and the chal-lenges of addressing TCPs in the CEQA process. These chal-lenges include: determining if there is a TCP in a project area and whether it is eligible for listing in the National and California Registers; identifying the qualities of the TCP that convey its significance and assessing whether those qualities would be impacted by the proposed project; and identifying appropriate mitigation measures to reduce impacts to an eligible TCP.
What Is a TCP? Simply put, a TCP is a place that holds cultural and/or tradi-tional meaning to a living community. It can be anything from a landscape associated with the birth of a Native American god to an ethnic enclave in an urban neighborhood. The concept was first introduced in the National Park Service’s 1990 publica-tion National Register Bulletin 38: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties. Bulletin 38 describes a TCP as a place significant because of its “association with cultural practices or beliefs of a living community that (a) are rooted in that community’s history, and (b) are important in main-taining the continuing cultural identity of the community” (Parker and King 1998:1).
Unlike buildings, structures, or archaeological sites, which have a substantial physical presence, TCPs can be ethereal—difficult to identify, define, and describe. Even those who ascribe meaning to, and have a sense of community identity in relation to, a place often have difficulty explaining why a place is special since the significance and importance of a place goes beyond what can be described by words. Some TCPs will have nonvisible spiritual elements that are not evident to outsiders, and to those of us outside of that community and belief system, the place just looks like any other place and appears to have no particular special meaning.
A TCP can be thousands, hundreds, or only decades old. It can be a few square feet, several acres, or hundreds of square miles in size. While TCPs are typically associated with Native American cultures, they can also include places of importance to ethnic communities, or really any community. Some examples of TCPs
include Mount St. Helens, which holds significance to local tribes; Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District in Florida, which boasts a large Greek population; and Ocmulgee Old Fields in Georgia, ancestral home of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Is There a TCP in Your Project Area? Whether or not there is a TCP in a project area is not generally information written down in a book on a library shelf, retrievable through a Google search, or discernible by walking the project area and making note of old buildings and archaeological sites. The only way to ascertain whether or not a TCP exists within a project area is by talking to community members who understand the culture, history, and traditions associated with the area. The CEQA process, including NOP and Draft EIR circulation, goes a long way toward getting the word out that a project is being contemplated and what resource impacts are being considered, but this process alone would likely not be sufficient to identify a TCP. Additional outreach to local Native American groups and historical societies is a way to connect with the most knowledge-able individuals in a local community. These groups are most likely to have a deep understanding of the cultural history of an area, and contacting them directly affords them a special oppor-tunity to respond about significant resources, such as TCPs, that may not otherwise be identified through traditional research avenues. In short, knowledge of a TCP is only really attainable through communication with actual community members and user groups that might bestow traditional/cultural significance on resources in the area.
Is the TCP Significant and Eligible for Listing and What Qualities Convey Its Significance? If a TCP is identified in the project area, the next step is to deter-mine whether it is significant and, if so, what qualities convey its significance. The National and California Registers have long included resource types such as buildings, structures, objects, and archaeological sites, which are clearly definable in their significance qualities because of their relationship with an impor-tant historical event or person, important design style, or inherent empirical value. The significance of a TCP, on the other hand, is more difficult to evaluate and is largely reliant on information provided by the group or community who ascribe significance to it. According to National Register Bulletin 38, a TCP garners its significance from its association with practices and beliefs of a living community and needs only to be rooted in a community’s
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Traditional Cultural Properties and CEQA By Monica Strauss, MA, RPA, Southern California Cultural Resources Director
history and important in the continuing cultural identity of the community. If the group who identifies with the place possesses specific beliefs or ideologies about the place that they espouse traditional cultural significance in connection with their history and community identity, the TCP is very likely significant.
It should be noted that very few TCPs have been formally listed—in fact, only about 25 nationwide. But there are hundreds of TCPs that have been found eligible, affording them the same protections as those TCPs that have been formally listed (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)(3)).
Similarly, the qualities that convey the significance of the TCP can only be identified in consultation with the group or commu-nity that attaches significance to the TCP. While it is generally very difficult to articulate ideologies and the spiritual, religious, emotional, and traditional aspects of how and why certain beliefs, customs, and practices are important and we should be sensitive to a group’s or community’s reluctance to share this information, every attempt must be made to garner this information to draw an accurate picture of the TCP’s important characteristics.
These qualities may often be intangible and supernatural and thus would not manifest themselves in our physical environ-ment. But if there are physical manifestations in the environment that portray or reflect the intangible beliefs, values, and ideals associated with the place, those physical manifestations would be considered qualities that convey the significance of the TCP. For example, maybe the trees, the adjacent river, or the way a nearby peak casts a shadow onto the landscape at a certain time of year and day are critical to the meaning of a ceremony held in a certain place. Those natural elements that provide a larger spiritual meaning and context to the landscape would be the characteristics that convey the significance of the TCP.
How Does the Notion of the TCP Fit into the CEQA Process? The answer is, not very easily. Because of their intangible nature, TCPs are often not identified or acknowledged in the environ-mental review process, and may be impacted without adequate consideration. However, if a significant TCP is identified in a project area, it must be considered during the CEQA process just like any other cultural resource. This can be tricky since CEQA is focused on addressing the physical environment, not intangible or metaphysical perspectives that may be associated with the environment.
Will the TCP Be Impacted by the Project? CEQA states “Substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource means physical demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediate surround-ings such that the significance of an historical resource would be materially impaired” (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(1)). How do we reconcile the standard of “substantial adverse change” to the physical aspects of a significant resource as defined by CEQA with the non-physical qualities often associ-ated with TCPs? TCPs, by their nature, are significant because they hold meaning and important traditional/cultural value. If the physical characteristics that convey the meaning of the TCP for the user group are subject to substantial adverse change by a project, that would constitute a significant impact to the TCP.
Take our earlier example of natural characteristics (trees, rivers, peaks) that contribute meaning to a TCP. The alteration or destruction of those tangible characteristics could impact the
nontangible meaning and significance associated with the place and interfere with the future use of the place by that community—this would be considered a significant impact.
It is easy to see that permanent alterations of a TCP, such as grading or removing landscape features, or introducing new visual elements such as power lines, wind turbines, solar arrays, or other structures, could result in a significant impact to a TCP. However, even temporary project impacts, such as increased noise levels, traffic, or the simple presence of personnel and equipment during construction, could be considered incompat-ible with the nature of the TCP and result in a significant impact.
How Does One Mitigate Impacts to a TCP? Developing appropriate mitigation to reduce impacts to a TCP is challenging. How does one reduce or mitigate impacts to a place that holds intangible and supernatural meaning to a commu-nity? CEQA requires that “A lead agency shall identify potentially feasible measures to mitigate significant adverse changes in the significance of an historical resource. The lead agency shall ensure that any adopted measures to mitigate or avoid significant adverse changes are fully enforceable through permit condi-tions, agreements, or other measures” (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(4)).
Ideally, the project would strive to avoid impacts wherever possible. Consulting the group or community during the project planning phase can be helpful to design the project to avoid impacts to a TCP where possible. When impacts cannot be avoided, several forms of protective mitigation can be appropriate to reduce impacts to a TCP. Protective mitigation usually features ways to preserve and/or restore those physical characteristics that manifest the nonphysical meaning and significance of the place. Measures to reduce impacts could include: involving the community during the construction process through moni-toring or site visits; giving back to the community in traditional and cultural ways, including educational programs and grant funding; providing opportunities to stay connected to the place; and restoring the landscape to the extent feasible after project completion.
In many cases, there will be no way to mitigate impacts to a TCP to a level of less than significant, and the project will result in a significant and unavoidable impact. However, all feasible mitiga-tion that could minimize the impact should be considered in the CEQA process, regardless of the final impact outcome.
For more information about TCP or CEQA, contact Monica Strauss at [email protected] or at 213.599.4300.
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TCP Tips•Respect a community’s beliefs about the traditional/cultural
significance of a place.
•If traditional/cultural significance and community identity is associated with a place, accept the TCP as significant.
•Identify what the “physical” character-defining features of the TCP are.
•Treat the TCP as a historical resource under CEQA.
•Engage the affected community during all phases of the project.
Photo by Tom Taylor
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President-Electof the American Fisheries Society California-
Nevada Chapter is our own Restoration Ecology Program Manager, Ramona Swenson, PhD!
Ramona Swenson, PhDSenior Aquatic [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
Ramona traces her fisheries career to the tidal wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay, where she worked for the Smithsonian Environ-mental Research Center and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A member of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) for 21 years, Ramona was recognized for earning a best paper award as a student at the 1993 WDAFS meeting, and a special contribution award in 2000. She served on the California-Nevada Executive Committee 1995-2000 as the Fishery Action/Information Network coordinator, in collaboration with the Conservation Committee. Ramona also promotes opportunities for girls in STEM fields, mentors young biologists, and sponsors networking events for professional women.
She earned her PhD in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley in 1995, and her BA in Biology at Swarthmore College. Her doctoral research focused on the curious reproductive behavior and ecology of the tidewater goby, an endangered species native to California’s coastal lagoons. As an Ecoregional Ecologist for the Nature Conservancy, she developed conservation strategies, restoration plans, and measures of success for the Cosumnes River and other Central Valley sites.
Join us in congratulating Ramona by sending her an email at [email protected] or giving her a call at 916.564.4500.
AFS has been my most valued professional organization. The connections and friendships I’ve made through the California-Nevada chapter helped launch my career. As President-Elect, I am excited to serve the Chapter, to promote sound fisheries management and restoration, to support professional growth for our members, and to increase diversity in our field.
New Faces
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Kelly DunlapDirector of TransportationNorthern [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
With 17 years of experience, Kelly is a nationally recog-nized CEQA/NEPA practitioner who has led and authored numerous guidance papers and practitioner tools related to environmental compliance for transportation projects. She led and prepared environmental documents for complex EIR/EIS-level transportation projects, including projects funded by private-public partnerships and delivered using design-build. Kelly’s experience includes the development and implementation of national and statewide environmental policy, procedures, and research, including involvement with the Federal Highway Administration, the Transportation Research Board, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. As the former Chief of the California Department of Transportation Headquarters Environmental Management Office, Kelly brings clients in-depth knowledge of statewide CEQA/NEPA policy and procedures as they relate to trans-portation projects.
ESA continues to strategically add expertise and resources to better meet our clients’ needs. Join us in welcoming the latest additions to our growing team!
I don’t have kids; I have crabs! Sparky, Lewis, Clark, and Junior, who have so inspired me that I have drafted a book about what my hermits crabs have taught me about life.
I have been studying and learning to speak Italian for the past three years. In 2012, I joined a program and lived on an organic wine vineyard outside of Florence, Italy, for the duration of the wine harvest.
Nic BarberaMarketing CoordinatorNorthern [email protected] | San Francisco, CA
Arabesque Said-AbdelwahedSenior Associate IICommunity [email protected] | Los Angeles, CA
As a graduate student in UC Irvine’s inaugural Masters in Public Policy program, my classmate and I won the first ever policy innovation tournament out of 20 other students in our cohort. Our idea was to encourage private investors to provide the upfront costs to retrofit or develop government buildings to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, and the government then providing a rate of return to those investors out of the cost savings. The award has been named after my classmate and me, and the competition continues to this day,
I am a bit of an adventure junkie. I’ve been skydiving, zip lining, bungee jumping, and hang gliding numerous times. Next up, canyoning in Costa Rica.
Alanna BennettAssociate IIIBiological Resources and Land [email protected] | San Diego, CA
I spent some time working as a sea kayak guide in the San Juan Islands!
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I love to make my own beer at home—especially uncommon, exotic combinations from other countries. I like to bottle swap with other home-brewers and trade techniques on brewing practices!
Michael EngSenior Managing AssociateBiological Resources and Land [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
I’ve recently completed my first Olympic distance triathlon as a part of Team in Training which raises money for blood cancer research for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To continue this effort, I will be volunteering as a mentor for Summer 2015’s team and will be competing in an Olympic distance and my first 70.3 distance race. Our goal this year is to raise over $200,000 towards blood cancer research!
Kimberly ComachoSenior Associate IICommunity [email protected] | Los Angeles, CA
I love to fly. Growing up we had an airplane and took many family weekend trips all over the west coast. In my teen years I took flying lessons and almost had my private pilot’s license before my driver’s license. My goal is to finish my training and finally get my private pilot’s license.
Meryka DirksSenior Associate [email protected] | San Francisco, CA
Lucas EdensGIS Analyst IIIPacific [email protected] | Seattle, WA
Susan ShawSenior Managing [email protected] | Orlando, FL
With local projects in the ground and extensive experience throughout the state, Susan’s project experience spans the full range of environmental compliance for a variety of project and client types. Bringing 20 years of experience, she is well-versed in biological and resource management, environmental compli-ance, water and wastewater permitting, and land management. From natural areas assessments, wetland delineation, noxious species control, vegetative monitoring, to listed species surveys, permitting and relocations, Susan is experienced in all aspects of federal, state, and local permitting, and compliance. She was integral to data collection, wetland delineations, public aware-ness meetings, agency coordination for permitting activities, and environmental construction oversight associated with Semi-nole County’s first surface water withdrawal facility. Susan has actively managed Seminole County’s last remaining Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) population for the last sixteen years and has authored several publications on alternative land management techniques for Florida scrub jay habitats.
People often ask how I ended up getting my degree in Limnology. We had a slough feature that ran through my childhood neighborhood in central Florida. The neighborhood kids (myself and eight boys) would play there and every day the pull of the water, the animals, the muck, the trees…even the smell would bring us back and eventually leave me with wonderful memories of my youth and a passion to learn about Florida’s diverse wetland systems.
Joseph HuangAssociate IIIBiological Resources and Land [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
I took a herpetology class at UC Davis in the spring of 2007 with world-renowned Dr. Brad Shaffer and soon after reptiles and amphibians became my favorite animals. This has led me to pursue a career in wildlife biology. Specifically, my favorite group of animals are snakes. I just don’t think snakes get enough love, thus I take it upon myself to try and convince people how absolutely fascinating and amazing they really are.
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Christy HerronSenior Managing AssociateCommunity [email protected] | San Francisco, CA
In my spare time I’m busy assisting with 6th grade math homework, catching a show at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, or enjoying a live music show.
I make a killer pecan pie, yell loud enough at soccer games that the officials look over the sidelines at me, am the best aunt on the planet Earth, and once wrestled a protective goat on my way to work after leading a horse out of the middle of the road!
Emma GillContracts ManagerNorthern [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
Upon graduating from high school, I enlisted in the United States Army. I graduated top of my class in my technical training and I thought that I would get my choice of where I would be stationed. The Army had different plans, I was sent to South Korea. I was really excited about it at first, however; because I excelled at my training, I was sent to the DMZ. For the year and a half I was there, I woke up every morning looking at the North Korean flag and listening to propaganda over loud speakers which included American rock music. I made the most of it though and enjoyed travelling the country when I had time off. One day I will definitely visit South Korea again.
In addition to enjoying time with my family, I have a broad range of interests and hobbies. One of which is history. To me, understanding how different factors, such as natural resources, geography, political systems, economics, and people, influenced historic events is fascinating and helps provide perspective on current events.
Craig StoutManaging AssociateBiological Resources and Land [email protected] | Orlando, FL
Peter GreenProgram [email protected] | Tampa, FL
Diana HaugMarketing Coordinator IIPacific [email protected] | Seattle, WA
When I am not in the office, you will find me on the mountain seeking the first tracks of the day. I enjoy the outdoors and the thrill of exploring new terrain in the beautiful mountains we have here in the Pacific Northwest.
Heather DuboisTechnical AssociateCommunity [email protected] | Los Angeles, CA
Melanie SnyderMarketing CoordinatorNorthern [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
Susumu ShirayamaTechnical [email protected] | San Diego, CA
For the past two years my biggest problem has been a BEAR. So much so that my husband and I refer to him as our bear. He’s been with us since he was a cub and has destroyed our chest freezer, eaten over $500 worth of meat, one bag of dog food, put 3 huge white scrapes along one of our trucks, gotten into our garbage more times than I can count, and destroyed a perfectly good archery target. I think he knows what that was for…
I have been playing Rugby since I was 15 years old and I currently coach a high school Rugby team, and get to play a few games per year. I compete in four to five Sprint/Olympic distance triathlon races per year and plan to compete in a Half Ironman within a year or two.
Joseph BlanchetteSenior Project AccountantPacific [email protected] | Portland, OR
I went to high school with Will Ferrell. He was a very funny guy – even back then!
Steve SmithManaging AssociateCommunity [email protected] | Sacramento, CA
We’ll See You Around
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ESA is a leading environmental science and planning firm committed to the principles of sustainability. We specialize in environmental and community planning, ecosystem restoration design, technical studies and investigations,
environmental impact assessment and documentation, and environmental compliance. Learn more about us at www.esassoc.com. To receive ESA News, subscribe by emailing [email protected].
See our experts at these upcoming events
JanuarySociety for Historical Archaeology 2015 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology in Seattle, WA
California Native Plant Society 2015 Conservation Conference: Celebrating 50 Years of Progress and Promise in San Jose, CA
Rachel Brownsey co-chair for the Invasive Plants Session
Mid-Pacific Region Water Users’ Conference in Reno, NV
The Seminar Group: 22nd Annual Endangered Species Act Conference in Seattle, WA
The Southwest Chapter of the American Associate of Airport Executives 55th Annual Airport Management Short Course in Monterey, CA
The Western Section of The Wildlife Society 2015 Annual Meeting in Santa Rosa, CA
University of California at Los Angeles Extension 29th Annual Land Use Law & Planning Conference in Los Angeles, CA
FebruaryRiver Restoration Northwest 14th Annual Stream Restoration Symposium in Stevenson, WA
Curtis Loeb, PE presenting “Stream Simulation Design for the Estuary and Coastal Areas”
Colin Thorne, PhD co-presenting a half-day course “Fluvial Geomorphology Demystified”
Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver: Urban Ecology & Conservation 13th Annual Symposium in Portland, OR
Adam Zucker, PE, CWRE presenting a poster session titled “SE Sandy Green Street: A Citizen’s Effort to Transform an Underutilized Section of Roadway”
Nicole Czarnomski, PhD presenting a poster session titled “Functions-Based Stream Assessment and Classification in Oregon”
Northwest Hydroelectric Association 2015 Annual Conference in Portland, OR
The Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology and Northwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Joint Annual Meeting in Portland, OR
Ilon Logan, PWS and Jessica Redman presenting “Evaluating Marine Nearshore Connectivity: An Exercise for the Bellingham Bay Shoreline”
Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists 2015 Shlemon Specialty Conference in Seattle, WA
MarchUniversity of California 30th Annual Symposium on Aviation Noise & Air Quality in Palm Springs, CA
Steve Alverson co-teaching “Noise 101” and moderating a panel titled “A Moderated Discussion on the NAC CATEX2 Recommendation”
Society for California Archaeology 2015 Annual Meeting in Redding, CA
2015 WateReuse California Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA
Association of Environmental Professionals 2015 Conference in Santa Barbara, CA
Airports Council International North America 2015 Environmental Affairs Conference in Vancouver, BC
University of Oregon, Department of Anthropology and the Museum of Natural & Cultural History jointly host the 68th Northwest Anthropological Conference in Eugene, OR
MAR1-4
JAN6-11
JAN15-17
JAN26-30
JAN30
FEB3-5
FEB9
JAN21-23
JAN22-23
JAN25-28
MAR12-15
MAR15-17
MAR22-25
MAR22-25
MAR25-28
FEB26-28
FEB24-27
FEB17-19