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 »
Services
WRA GIS Expert Elected to URISA’s GISCorps Core Committee
WRA’s Chris Zumwalt, GISP was recently elected to serve on the Core Committee of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association’s (URISA) GISCorps. The Core Committee is a group of nine members that run the GISCorps through a purely volunteer effort outside of their daily domestic and work responsibilities. Chris has been a volunteer and … Continue Reading »
The 2019 CEQA Guideline Update and What It Means for You
By Rachael Carnes, Environmental Planner While the environmental permitting world is abuzz with talk of the ever-shifting “Waters of the U.S.” definition, the State of California recently released revised CEQA Guidelines, and they could have important implications for your project. The Natural Resources Agency adopted final text, which was approved by the Office of Administrative … Continue Reading »
Pathogen Poses Threat to Habitat Restoration and Open Space Projects in California
By Isaac Swanson, Tanner Harris, and Kari Dupler Phytophthora is a water-borne fungus transmitted through contact with infected soil, water, or leaves. Some Phytophthora species are relatively innocuous, but others–like Phytophthora ramorum, the cause of Sudden Oak Death–can be deadly to woody shrubs and trees and even to some grass and marsh species native to … Continue Reading »
2018 ACES Conference Features WRA Conservation Finance Expertise
Members of WRA’s conservation strategies team including Matt Richmond and Jane Rice will attend the 2018 ACES: A Community on Ecosystem Services conference December 3-6, 2018 in Washington, D.C. This year’s event will convene an international community of professionals, researchers, and policy experts in an open forum to share experiences, methods, and tools for assessing … Continue Reading »
Oak Knoll Groundbreaking September 12, 2018
On September 12, 2018, the Oak Knoll development project broke ground after nearly decades of planning. WRA’s Amanda McCarthy, Kari Dupler, and Susie Bennett attended the event as guests alongside our client SunCal, government officials including Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Oakland City Council President Larry Reid, and local community leaders. The site, formerly … Continue Reading »
WLA/WRA Blog Series: Part Eight – Final Thoughts Now Available
The Western Landowners Alliance and WRA have partnered up on a blog series focused on how landowners can leverage the opportunities offered by conservation finance to further both conservation and economic goals. Each blog will provide an understanding of key concepts, market players and trends, and financial, risk and land management considerations particular to a topic. … Continue Reading »
The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog: Status Update and Steps for Compliance
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 to scour from large late-season rains, or dry out … Continue Reading »
WRA Welcomes Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Expert Katie Smith
Katie Smith, a leading expert in the salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM), joins WRA, Inc. as a wildlife biologist. “We are thrilled to have Katie join our team and share her expertise in endangered species ecology, especially her expertise with the salt marsh harvest mouse and its critical habitat, to assist our clients with projects … Continue Reading »
The River to Recovery: Fisheries Monitoring on the Napa River
The Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) has been operating the Napa River Rotary Screw Trap for nearly a decade. This collection device monitors fish populations in the Napa River Watershed, with particular focus on steelhead and Chinook salmon. Learn more about our collaboration with the RCD in our latest video story! Additional Resources … Continue Reading »
