By Myla Ablog, WRA Aquatic Resources Permitting Specialist Do you have a complex project? Are you concerned about navigating through the environmental permitting process? Would you like to reduce risks to your project schedule? One potential way to address these concerns is to attend a pre-application Interagency Meeting. Depending on the region in which your … Continue Reading »
Landscape Architecture and Planning
Corte Madera Tidal Marsh Habitat Restoration and Public Access Complete
By Ariella Simke, Freelance Science Writer, and Ingrid Morken, WRA Landscape Architect In collaboration with The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District), WRA, Inc. designed four acres of restored tidal marsh located within the District’s 72-acre property adjacent to the Corte Madera Ecological Reserve. The project reached a significant milestone on December 10, … Continue Reading »
Alameda’s Encinal Beach Provides Restored Dune Habitat and Recreation Enhancements
By Ariella Simke, Freelance Science Writer in collaboration with Leslie Lazarotti, Ellie Knecht, and Russell Prange Poking out from the coastline, Encinal Beach in Alameda is bringing awareness of sensitive coastal habitats to Bay Area visitors. The park is a local favorite, providing recreational opportunities and public beach access, and serving as one of the … Continue Reading »
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reissues Several Nationwide Permits
By Myla Ablog, WRA Aquatic Resources Permitting Specialist On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the reissuance of 12 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and the addition of four new NWPs. In addition, NWP general conditions and modified definitions were reissued for those 12 … Continue Reading »
Acoustic Device Advancement Encourages a Wide Variety of Monitoring Improvements
By Shawn Carroll If a bird chirps in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? WRA is about to find out! In late 2020, WRA avian biologists Shawn Carroll and Nick Wagner kicked off an exciting pilot project by successfully deploying five AudioMoth devices in coastal sage … Continue Reading »
Restoration Project Planning: Efficient CDFW Permitting with the HRE Act
By Erik Schmidt, Regulatory Permitting Specialist WRA expects to soon submit its first project application to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for regulatory review through the innovative Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Act (HRE Act), an alternative approval process for small-scale habitat restoration activities. Many types of commonly proposed restoration work may be … 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 »
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.