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 »
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[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 »
WRA Announces New Cultural Resources Service Line to be Led by Robin Hoffman, RPA
WRA, Inc. is thrilled to bring Robin Hoffman, RPA, on board to develop and lead our newest service offering: cultural resources management. Robin is a Registered Professional Archaeologist with more than 15 years of experience in environmental consulting as project manager, archaeologist, cultural anthropologist, and historian. With his unique background and highly sought-after skill set, … 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 »
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 »
