Justin Semion, MBA, PWS

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.