A Look at the Upper York Creek Ecosystem and Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project By Erik Schmidt, Regulatory Permitting Specialist, WRA, Inc. In the year 1900, in the small Napa Valley town of St. Helena, increasing water needs for agricultural and municipal uses prompted the St. Helena Water Company to build a 45-foot high earthen dam … Continue Reading »
Government
The Benefits of Public-Private Collaboration for Land Preservation
The Tri-Valley area in Alameda County is a vibrant Bay Area suburb that encompasses the cities of Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. The region, marked by rolling hills and sprawling residential developments, is experiencing rapid growth. The area’s open spaces and grazing lands support sensitive species and habitats, including federal and state-listed species, but currently lacks … Continue Reading »
WRA Waterfront Expert Joins Port of San Francisco Resilience Advisory Team
Justin Semion, WRA Principal and one of the company’s foremost waterfront experts, is a member of the Port of San Francisco’s newly formed Waterfront Plan Resilience Advisory Team. Waterfront Plan The Port’s Waterfront Plan Working Group is assisted by seven advisory teams to address these needs and recommend updates to the Waterfront Plan. The Port … Continue Reading »
Presidential Memorandum Issues Support for Mitigation Banking and New Policy Guidelines
President Obama recently released a Presidential Memorandum supporting private investment in natural resource conservation and restoration. Mitigation and conservation banking, in particular, were lauded as the environmentally superior and preferred approach to natural resource impact mitigation. Current studies suggest that private sector investment in compensatory mitigation is currently $1.3 – $4 billion dollars with 40% … Continue Reading »
Top 6 Maintenance Tips to Tame El Niño
The weather models continue to call for a potentially extreme El Niño event this winter in central and southern California. Being prepared for what Mother Nature has to offer is your first line of defense in protecting your assets. Names like “Godzilla El Niño” and “Bruce Lee El Niño” are commonplace and hint at the … Continue Reading »
Maintenance Plan Key to Avoid Stormwater to Wetland Conversion
by Megan Stromberg Stormwater treatment facilities are not jurisdictional wetlands; however, stormwater to wetland conversion can occur if they are not maintained according to an approved management plan. As long as they are maintained according to the plan, and drainage functions as designed, they remain non-jurisdictional. Impacts of Latest Stormwater Regulations Increasingly, developers, land owners, and facility … Continue Reading »
How California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Permits Affect You
Projects with environmental impacts in Califonia don’t happen without agency participation. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is the oldest wildlife conservation agency in the country and to this day is a linchpin in the protection of California wildlife. If you have ever hunted or fished in California, you’ve received a CDFW recreational … Continue Reading »
City Meets Tree Preservation Goals with ISA Certified Arborist
A $28 million community improvements plan, known as Measure E was set in motion in 2009 to upgrade parks and construct community infrastructure in the City of Pleasant Hill (City). While the plan included some much-needed modernization for the City, it was also important to preserve city-defining trees in the process. These trees are treasured … Continue Reading »