By Brian Freiermuth, WRA Senior Wildlife Biologist and Project Manager On December 28, 2021, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced through the Federal Register that it is proposing to list 4 of 6 defined Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (FYLF; Rana boylii) under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The … Continue Reading »
New CEQA Statutory Exemption for Habitat Restoration Projects
By Erik Schmidt, Regulatory Specialist Law Provides for Initial 3-year Period with CDFW Oversight California continues to break new ground in efforts to accelerate critical habitat and ecosystem restoration projects with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP). The exemption is a key part of the California Natural Resources Agency’s … Continue Reading »
Dr. Greta Brownlow Joins WRA, Inc. as Environmental Planning Director
WRA, Inc. is thrilled to welcome Dr. Greta Brownlow as Environmental Planning Director. Dr. Brownlow brings more than 20 years of experience specializing in environmental planning and analysis, policy research and analysis, and community outreach. She brings a diverse portfolio of experience working collaboratively with public agencies, private developers, and local communities to plan key … Continue Reading »
WRA Celebrates International Women’s Day 2022
Women comprise 51% of WRA’s staff and are vital contributors to the work we do as a company. WRA appreciates the leadership and contributions of our team! International Women’s Day is Tuesday, March 8th, 2022. This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias. “The most important thing one woman can do for another is expand her sense of … Continue Reading »
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vacates Some AJDs Processed Under 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule
By Bianca Clarke Agricultural reservoir impounding ephemeral waters not considered Waters of the U.S. under 2020 NWPR but may be under the pre-2015 regulatory regime. The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued an order on August 30, 2021 to vacate the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR, commonly referred to as the … Continue Reading »
WRA Congratulates 2022 Staff Promotions
We are honored to announce our recent leadership and staff promotions! Congratulations to the individuals for their achievements. Thank you for your contributions and we look forward to celebrating your future success at WRA! Leadership Promotion Please join us in congratulating Hope Kingma for her promotion to Biology & Regulatory Permitting Director! Hope joined WRA in … Continue Reading »
Western Joshua Tree’s CESA Review Period Is Near Its End: What Have We Learned And What Should We Expect?
By Tyler Hanson On September 22, 2020 the California Fish and Game Commission voted to consider the petition to list western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and subsequently listed it as a candidate species the following October. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s) report … Continue Reading »
Field Notes: A Modern Perspective
By Marisa Ishimatsu Data capture is at the heart of all science. Whether it’s recovering photos from camera traps, collecting eDNA samples, or recording species observations, the collection of reliable data that can be easily interpreted and analyzed is essential in every discipline. For centuries the standard has been the trusty field notebook. From Darwin … Continue Reading »
WRA, Inc. Welcomes Lisa Hulette, Resiliency Policy and Funding Director
WRA, Inc. is pleased to welcome Lisa Hulette as Resiliency Policy and Funding Director. Ms. Hulette has led teams and coalitions that have successfully secured over $220 million in grant funds for natural hazard mitigation and resource conservation projects in California. She brings new grant writing and funding support services to WRA’s resilience planning, design, … Continue Reading »
What Is “Blue Carbon”?
By Liz Allen Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Monterey, CA. By now, the concept of planting trees to offset carbon emissions is familiar to most. Through photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to form the sugars they need to grow, offsetting the carbon dioxide pollution in the air. The same concept applies to … Continue Reading »