ESA is once again a proud sponsor for this year’s Environmental Markets Conference in Seattle, Washington, from May 12-15. We have a number of presenters at the event and our team of habitat restoration and compensatory mitigation experts are looking forward to seeing you there!
ESA’s team of restoration engineers, ecologists, and biologists will be attending the conference this year and we look forward to connecting with you.
Melissa Denena
Erich Fischer
Luke Johnson
Jennifer G. Thomas
Sky Miller
Mike Leech
Matt Deniston
Susan O’Neil
Jocelyn Seltenrich
Adrienne Centano
Gwen Santos
See our team speak at the following sessions.
(SESSION 6) Assessing Riparian Conditions in Washington: A Spatially-based, Analytical Framework & Decision Support Tool
Monday, May 12 | 2:45pm – 3:45pm
Presenter: Mike Leech
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is leading a critical riparian assessment project aimed at supporting the state’s efforts to protect and restore riparian ecosystems wherever possible for water quality, biodiversity, and salmon habitat. Riparian areas provide vital ecological services such as bank stability, shade, pollution filtration, and habitat for wildlife. In partnership with ESA, WDFW is mapping current riparian conditions across the state to enable identification of gaps in vegetated cover and address the relationship with related challenges like water temperature impairments, fish passage barriers, and salmonid stock health. ESA is collaborating with WDFW to develop the Riparian Data Engine, a statewide decision-support tool that integrates high-resolution land cover data with natural resource datasets. This tool will allow resource managers and planners to analyze riparian ecosystem conditions and prioritize restoration efforts. Phase I focused on system architecture and data ingestion, while Phase II has expanded outreach to Tribal and state agencies. The tool’s initial release is anticipated in early 2025, providing a valuable resource for guiding riparian restoration actions across Washington. In this interactive session you’ll learn how WDFW and ESA collaborated to design and build a web-based Riparian Data Engine, and how this approach could readily be applied to other geographies and ecosystems. You’ll also learn about data science tools used to automate the data processing and spatial analysis techniques used to develop a network model for visualizing upstream and downstream impacts. Presenters will also show how land managers use this web-based tool to summarize and visualize conditions at reach, stream/river, watershed, and other jurisdictional boundary extents. Last, presenters will share their successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way, providing valuable insights for those interested in developing similar tools for prioritizing habitat restoration actions.
Trends in Pacific Northwest Mitigation
Day, May 14 | 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Room 612
Presenter/Panelist: Sky Miller, PE
Sky will describe new engineering design criteria and construction methods; innovative models for Advance Mitigation and NRDA banks and Pay for Success financial models.
Blue Heron Slough Field Trip
Tuesday, May 13 | 8:30 am – 12:00pm
Attendee/Engineer of Record: Sky Miller, PE
Field trip to the Blue Heron Slough Conservation Bank for Chinook salmon, a 364-acre dike breaching estuary restoration project completed in 2022.
(Session 21) Perspectives on Environmental Markets in Washington State
Day, May 14 | 9:45am – 10:45am
Panel Moderator: Susan O’Neil
In conversation with a panel of local experts, this session will explore the evolution and intersection of environmental markets in Washington State from the perspective of different sectors. Leaders from the WA Department of Ecology, King County, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and Anchor QEA will provide an overview of their role and insights into how voluntary and regulated markets are shaping their work. Topics will range from state-wide emissions offsets to regional carbon and nearshore credit programs. Panelists will offer brief comments followed by a discussion and Q&A with the audience.
Panelists include Michael Murphy (King County), Michelle Havey (Achor QEA), Allan Warren (Bonneville Environmental Foundation), and Jordan Wildish (Washington State Department of Ecology).
We are currently seeking candidates for the following positions:
- Senior Fisheries Biologist
- Senior Wildlife Biologist and Project Manager
- Technology Solutions Manager
- Wetland Biologist
- California Tiger Salamander Biological Monitor
- California Tiger Salamander Designated biologist
- Biological Monitor, On-Call
More opportunities on our Job Openings page
