News & Ideas

January 30, 2026

Proposed Revisions to Clean Water Act Section 401 Could Narrow State and Tribal Review

On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed revisions to the existing Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification regulations that could narrow the scope of state and tribal review. The proposed rule—which is assumed will become known as the 2026 CWA Section 401 Certification Rule—was published to the […]

February 5, 2026

Webinar: Federal Budget, Permitting Policy, and Technology Solutions

Our experts will highlight key federal policy updates, including takeaways from the 2026 appropriations, the latest changes to environmental guidance and regulations, and the emerging innovations that will shape the year ahead.

January 26, 2026

Accelerating Transportation Project Delivery

ESA has created an AI-supported NEPA Assignment Navigator GPT for transportation agencies to better understand the application process for the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program, aka the NEPA Assignment.

February 5, 2026

SB 149: Accelerating CEQA Judicial Review for Critical Infrastructure

California’s SB 149 introduces a 270-day target for resolving CEQA litigation on certified infrastructure projects,...

February 5, 2026

Emerging Technology in Aviation: Advanced Air Mobility Challenges, Efforts, and Resources

As Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology continues to rapidly advance and become integrated into the...

January 6, 2026

Emerging Technology in Aviation: An Introduction to Advanced Air Mobility

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an exciting emerging aviation technology sector that uses highly automated...

December 31, 2025

Spotlight: Neal Wolfe

Neal has spent more than two decades helping airports tackle complex environmental and planning challenges....

December 9, 2025

Eroding the Federal Endangered Species Act: New Proposals Lessen Species and Habitat Safeguards

The four proposed rules could amount to a substantial weakening of one of the United...

December 8, 2025

Proposed Update to Definition of WOTUS: Will Federally Regulated Wetlands Continue to Shrink?

If finalized, the Waters of the United States Proposed Rule would reduce the geographic extent...

December 1, 2025

ESA’s Permitting Policy Tracker

ESA’s federal strategy and NEPA experts have been staying abreast of the shifts in federal...

November 29, 2025

Meet Our Federal Policy & Permitting Experts at Upcoming Events

As we kick off 2026, our federal policy and permitting experts are hitting the road...

November 29, 2025

Eric Beightel’s Full Remarks Delivered at The Special Institute on NEPA

The following speech was delivered on November 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City, at The...

November 24, 2025

Emerging Technology in Aviation: Drone Delivery Takes Flight

The commercial drone package delivery sector is growing rapidly, with multiple operators looking to gain...

November 24, 2025

From Farmland to Floodplain: Rebuilding the Pacific Northwest’s Lost Estuarine Habitats

ESA is leading dozens of restoration projects across the Pacific Northwest, in collaboration with tribes...

November 21, 2025

Spotlight: Melanie DuBoce

Celeste Barnes-Crouse is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist with five years of experience and a background...

November 20, 2025

New Housing Bills Reshape Historic Preservation in California

This new framework marks a significant change in how historic resources are considered during environmental...

November 18, 2025

Emerging Technology in Aviation: UAV, UAS, and Drones

Drones are reshaping industries from infrastructure, to agriculture, to emergency response—and the FAA's proposed new...

November 18, 2025

Webinar: Back to Business – What’s Next in Federal Policy?

With the shutdown behind us, federal agencies and Congress are shifting back into gear and...

November 17, 2025

Lisa Kay Joins ESA as Chief Growth Officer

Kay will lead ESA’s firmwide growth strategy, aligning business development, client engagement, and marketing to...

November 17, 2025

Shaping the Future of Surfers Point, Naturally

More than a decade after it's first phase of construction, Surfers' Point in Ventura, California...

November 10, 2025

The Culture of Flying: Cultural Resources Expertise for Airport Projects

ESA integrates cultural resources management and historic preservation expertise directly into the aviation and airport...

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