By Myla Ablog, WRA, Inc., Aquatic Resources Permitting Specialist On June 22, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) implemented the new Navigable Waters Protection Rule (2019 Rule) that defines “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in all states except Colorado where a federal judge stayed the implementation. This is an … Continue Reading »
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The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog: Status Update and Steps for Compliance
Updated June 11, 2020 (originally published September 13, 2018) By Brian Freiermuth, Wildlife Biologist Foothill Yellow-legged Frog Life History The foothill yellow-legged frog (FYLF), Rana boylii, is visually one of the more non-descript frogs in California, but it must gamble for survival. Although FYLF breed in relatively calm parts of streams, these areas are prone … Continue Reading »
Wildlife Impacts and Public Access: Are there unintended consequences of increasing open space visitation?
By John Baas, PhD The Shelter in Place (SIP) order has been in effect in the San Francisco Bay area for nearly three months and has implications for how park, recreation, and open space agencies may need to manage public access in response to wildlife impacts. Last week I saw a juvenile coyote trotting down … Continue Reading »
[VIDEO] People & Projects: Marlene Tyner-Valencourt and the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Project
With many people still working from home, the WRA team is finding innovative new ways to stay connected with our clients. One such way is through Zoom meetings – which got us wondering, what else can we use Zoom for? It turns out, it’s a great way to record an interview! You can get to … Continue Reading »
[VIDEO] WRA Celebrates American Wetlands Month, 2020
A special video from WRA CEO, Geoff Smick, in honor of American Wetlands Month. WRA Celebrates American Wetlands Month, 2020 from WRA, Inc. on Vimeo. As part of our American Wetlands Month celebration, we put together a short video on the importance of wetlands, WRA’s history and vision for these critical ecosystems, and a few … Continue Reading »
Greenways and Climate Change Resilience: A Call to Action at the ASLA Ecology & Restoration PPN Meeting
With a record number of industry events postponed or canceled this year, it’s comforting to have a good record of past conferences to reflect on for inspiration. The 2019 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Conference was particularly memorable. WRA Landscape Architect, Ingrid Morken, captured the highlights of the Ecology & Restoration Professional Practice Network … Continue Reading »
Why You Should Check For This Underwater Plant Before Planning In-Water Construction
Perhaps you are considering the addition of a private boat pier to your property, or need to increase the depth of a channel through dredging. For whatever in-water construction you are planning, it’s important to know if an underwater plant called eelgrass lives in or near your project site to make sure your work can start without a hitch.
Programmatic Biological Opinions for Ecological Restoration: Efficient Section 7 Consultation with NMFS for Projects in Riparian and Aquatic Habitat
Many habitat restoration project applicants, whether proposing voluntary or mitigation activities, need a federal permit or have federal grant funding for their projects, or both. By Erik Schmidt, WRA Regulatory Permitting Specialist The Endangered Species Act (ESA) states that all federal agencies are responsible for conserving threatened and endangered species and their habitat. Section 7 … Continue Reading »
Paying for Stewardship: A Guide to Conservation Finance
Conservation finance is a fascinating new way for landowners to earn revenue, but it can prove challenging to navigate on your own. If you’re curious about this emerging field, check out Paying for Stewardship, a free guide for landowners about conservation finance, co-authored by WRA’s Jane Rice in partnership with the Western Landowners Alliance, Conservation … Continue Reading »
Napa River Rotary Screw Trap Open House 2019
On Sunday May 5, 2019 the Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) hosted an Open House event for approximately 50 interested members of the public at the Napa River Rotary Screw Trap. For nearly a decade, the RCD has been using the rotary screw trap — a fish collection device — to monitor fish populations … Continue Reading »
