Justin Semion, MBA, PWS
Technical Services Director

Overview
Justin Semion focuses his work on guiding clients to outcomes that benefit organizational goals and contribute to environmental sustainability. His background in environmental science and business management provides a unique set of skills and perspective to assist with integrating the needs of the environment and society into the decisions of private and public organizations. By integrating social and environmental aspects into the decision making process, project risks and benefits can be easily identified and managed to facilitate project approvals.
Justin has worked at WRA since 2001 and during his time he has managed hundreds of diverse projects involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), regulatory permitting, restoration and habitat management, habitat mitigation planning and monitoring, and essential fish habitat evaluation. His broad environmental science expertise includes eelgrass and subtidal estuarine habitats, wetland delineation, ecosystem functions and services evaluation, stream and riparian habitat assessments, rare and endangered species surveys and evaluations, wildlife corridor evaluation, vegetation ecology, and fisheries ecology. He uses the skills gained in his graduate work to guide public and private organizations through project risk assessments and valuations, stakeholder mapping, environmental negotiations, environmental metrics and environmental factors of financial decision making. In 2015, he became WRA’s first Chief Technical Officer, responsible for overseeing the development of new and existing services.
Justin’s experience with environmental permitting includes Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) permits, Corps of Engineers Clean Water Act Section 404 permits, Endangered Species Act Section 7 and Essential Fish Habitat consultations, Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Water Quality Certifications, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Streambed Alteration Agreements, and San Francisco Bay Dredge Material Management Office (DMMO) permits, as well as implementing permit compliance, mitigation and monitoring requirements of these permits. He has also managed the completion of CEQA and NEPA documentation for federal, state, and local organizations and provides planning consultation for private organizations engaging in the CEQA and NEPA approval process.
Publications
Member, Port of San Francisco Waterfront Plan Resilience Advisory Team
Restoration Subcommittee Member, Subtidal Habitats Goals Project, California Coastal Conservancy
Poster Presentation: Eelgrass Transplantation Methods, State of the Estuary Conference 2009, San Francisco Estuary Institute
Projects
Port of San Francisco Seawall Resiliency Project, San Francisco, California
Silicon Valley Clean Water RESCU Program Environmental Services, Redwood City, California
Silicon Valley Clean Water, 48-inch Force Main Replacement, Redwood City, California
Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island Redevelopment, San Francisco, California
Exploratorium Relocation and NPDES Permitting, San Francisco, California
Pier 70 Special Use District Project, San Francisco, California
Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Novato Creek Dredging and Beneficial Reuse SIS/MND, Novato, California
Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Deer Island Restoration and Flood Control Project, Novato, California
Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Simmons Slough Water Management Project, Novato, California
Coyote Creek Flood Control Delineation, Mill Valley, California
San Francisco Bay Creosote Removal and Pacific Herring Habitat Restoration Project, Richmond, California
WETA Central Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility, Alameda, California
WETA San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project, San Francisco, California
City of Alameda, Marina Village Boardwalk and Shoreline Park Improvements BCDC Permitting, Alameda, California
Marin County Parks, Paradise Beach Park Master Plan CEQA, Marin County, California
Marin County Parks, McNears Beach Park Master Plan CEQA, Marin County, California
Port of Redwood City, Ferry Terminal Assessment, Redwood City, California
Education
View LinkedIn Profile
semion@wra-ca.com
415.454.8868 x1320
MBA, Sustainable Management, Presidio Graduate School. 2014
BS, Resource Ecology and Management, University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and Environment. 1998
Other
Certified Professional Wetland Scientist (#2072)
Association of Environmental Professionals
Section 7 Endangered Species Act Biological Assessment Workshop, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. June 2007
San Francisco Bay Eelgrass Workshop. 2006
CEQA Basics Workshop, Association of Environmental Professionals. 2002