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 »
Regulatory Compliance
WRA Participates in NAHB ESA Practitioner Panel
Through WRA’s involvement in the California Building Industry Association, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) invited Amanda McCarthy, PhD PWS, to join a panel of practitioners and to speak about WRA’s experiences working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for consultation on impacts to listed species under the Federal Endangered Species … Continue Reading »
Silicon Valley Clean Water Project Wins AEP 2018 Outstanding Environmental Analysis Award
The Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) held their annual conference in Palm Springs March 25-28, 2018 in Rancho Mirage, California. The Silicon Valley Clean Water Wastewater Conveyance System and Treatment Plant Reliability Improvement Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was recognized with AEP’s top honor – the Outstanding Environmental Analysis Award. WRA wishes to congratulate our … Continue Reading »
Spring Environmental Checklist
RARE PLANT SURVEY Conducting a full season of rare plant surveys before designing your project can help you avoid last-minute redesigns and costly project delays. The first step is conducting a habitat assessment to determine whether rare plants have potential to occur on your site and whether surveys are needed. Because different rare plants bloom … Continue Reading »
Endangered Species Habitat Expanded in Marin
The Creekside Marsh near Hal Brown Park is home to the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, California Ridgway’s rail, and many other tidal marsh species. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filled this marsh and many other tidal wetlands in the watershed with dredge spoils in the late 1960’s when the earthen channel for the … Continue Reading »
WRA Guest Column Featured in North Bay Biz Wine Issue
The March 2017 North Bay Biz magazine features WRA’s guest column on the increasing use of drones in the agricultural industry, especially for vineyards. WRA has supported the North Bay wine industry for several decades, from vineyard site selection, development, permitting, and maintenance. Recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, ‑aka drones‑now allows for substantial … Continue Reading »
Callippe Preserve Recognized for Continued Environmental Stewardship
One of WRA’s legacy projects, the Callippe Golf Course and Preserve in Pleasanton, California, has again been recognized for environmental stewardship. The property has retained a status as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” since 2006 as authorized through a program of Audubon International. Read a recent press release here. Starting in 1999, WRA … Continue Reading »
State Water Board Renews Effort to Adopt Uniform Statewide Wetland Policy
On June 17, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board reissued its proposed state wetland policy in a new format, titled “Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Materials to Waters of the State”. The purpose of this document is to unify the approach used by the Regional Water Boards for approving projects that occur … Continue Reading »
2016 NMBA D.C. Fly-In
Executive members of the National Mitigation Banking Association (NMBA) joined forces in their annual trip to Washington, D.C. in late March. NMBA members including WRA’s Chief Executive Officer Tim DeGraff and Chief Investment Officer Ben Guillon, who also serves as a Director at Large for the organization, converged on the nation’s capital to continue their bi-partisan approach … 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 »
