
Interning at ESA: An Interview with Deja Newton
University of San Francisco Environmental Management undergraduate and recent Northern California intern, Deja Newton, tells us about her experience at ESA and what she learned and benefited from while she was here.
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Webinar Replay: Reimagine San Geronimo
Learn more about the restoration efforts underway at San Geronimo and ESA’s involvement by watching the full webinar replay from The Trust for Public Land.
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Tim Sturtz, PhD, Joins ESA as Principal Air Quality Specialist
Tim Sturtz, PhD, one of the Northwest region’s top air quality experts, has joined ESA. Tim will be providing expertise in air quality assessment and management, including greenhouse gas analyses and odor assessments.
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Reducing Risks in Airports During a Pandemic
As the world continues to navigate the impacts of COVID-19, ESA is committed to helping the aviation industry establish health and safety protocols for its employees and passengers. Read a brief synopsis of the briefing and find the full PDF in this story.
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SCAG Climate Adaptation Guidebook Released
The full SCAG guidebook has been released, providing steps cities and counties can take to better prepare their communities for climate change impacts.
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ESA’s 2020 Scholarship Program Recipients
We are honored to present three students – Jessica Brown, Sierra Red Bow and Victor Lopez – with the inaugural ESA Scholarship Program grants, established at the end of last year to commemorate our 50th anniversary.
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Restored and Resilient: Bay Point Regional Shoreline Opens
In a year where outdoor recreation has been the key to good health, the East Bay Regional Park District has announced that the long-awaited Bay Point Regional Shoreline will open to the public in November.
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ESA’s Sacramento Office Ranked 2020 Best Places to Work
ESA’s Sacramento office was ranked as one of the “2020 Best Places to Work” in the medium-sized company category by the Sacramento Business Journal.
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Senate Bill 288: What It Means for the Transportation Market
Are you aware of the newest legislation impacting California transportation projects? Read our summary and download our fact sheet by clicking here.
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ESA Welcomes Ruta K. Thomas as Southern California Regional Director
ESA announces the arrival of our new Southern California Regional Director: Ruta K. Thomas.
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Chase Center Achieves LEED Gold Certification and Receives Award
Just a year after its opening, San Francisco’s Chase Center, home to the NBA Golden State Warriors, has some good news to share: it has achieved the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for Building Design and Construction: New Construction.
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Join ESA at the 2020 APA California Virtual Conference
We are excited to be at the APA California Virtual Conference September 14-16. This year’s conference is centered around the theme of “State of Change.” Read more to see how to connect with us!
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Michael Newland Receives SCA’s 2020 Presidential Award
In recognition of his participation and co-leadership of the extensive volunteer efforts to reunite families with the cremains of their loved ones after the devastating California fire seasons starting in 2017, Michael Newland has been awarded the 2020 President’s Award by the Society for California Archaeology (SCA).
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ESA Welcomes Jon Ambrose as Principal Associate in Seattle
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading community planning and environmental consulting firm, welcomes Jon Ambrose to its Northwest team as Principal Associate in the firm’s Environmental Hydrology and Design team.
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Join ESA at the Restore America’s Estuaries 2020 Summit
Join a few of ESA’s habitat restoration experts―Doug Robison, PWS, Tom Ries, and John Bourgeois―as they present or serve as panelists at the annual RAE Summit.
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ESA Airports Specialists Host Online Course at UC Davis
Join ESA’s Steve Alverson, Senior Vice President, and Chris Jones, Principal Associate, at their online course through the University of California at Davis that focuses on airport land use compatibility and how it affects local land use planning.
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ESA Promotes Chris Lockwood to Cultural Resources Business Group Director
A key member of the ESA Cultural Resources team since joining in 2012, Chris Lockwood, PhD, RPA, has been promoted to the role of Business Group Director for the Northwest Region.
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We Made the List!
ENR Ranks ESA in Top 30 All-Environmental Firms
According to the July 2020 release from Engineering News Record, ESA ranks as number 21 of the Top 30 All-Environmental Firms.
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World Landscape Architecture Month
ESA’s landscape architecture team has been combining design, planning, and natural resources—rooted in science—to create, enrich, and build the places we love to be. We want to take this moment to celebrate some of our talented team members and their award-winning projects.
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What You Otter Know About Spatial Epidemiology
A pertinent topic for another group of mammals.
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Two ESA California Restoration Projects Featured in Estuary News
Two prominent ESA projects are featured in articles in the latest issue of

Leslie Moulton-Post Joins Water Education Foundation’s Board
Moulton-Post joins the Foundation’s board alongside four other new members: former Natural Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman, Association of CA Water Agencies’ Executive Director Dave Eggerton, Kronick’s Eric Robinson, the Water and Power Group’s John Bezdek, and GEI Consultants’ Erica Bishop.
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Engineers Week
During National Engineers Week—which was founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951 to ensure a diverse and well-educated future for the engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers—we want to recognize each of the nearly 50 engineers at ESA who have made a positive impact on the world around us.
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ESA Biologist Erika Walther Receives Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Permits
One of the smallest, and arguably cutest, San Francisco Bay endemic species is the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris). These mice are listed as a federal- and state-endangered species due to habitat loss, but ESA’s biologists are hard at work to restore and preserve these areas. Enter Erika Walther.
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Hydro-Carving Approach a Success at Balm-Boyette Stallion Creek Restoration
This restoration project seemed fairly straightforward at first blush: grade the pits, plant native species, and restore the freshwater wetland and upland communities back to the way they were before the area was mined. Then Tom reviewed a historic aerial of the site. “There was a creek there that was breached by the mining activities, which resulted in the creek being cut off from the natural flow patterns in the region,” Tom Ries explains. “As soon as I saw that, I thought, ‘well, we have to restore that creek.’”
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Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR)
On January 23, 2020 the EPA and Department of the Army finalized the “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” (NWPR) to define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The new rule finalizes a two-step process to replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which also re-defined WOTUS. ESA’s team of environmental permitting specialists are reviewing the NWPR to understand how it may affect our clients and their projects, including the potential jurisdictional status of various aquatic features.
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Press Release: Environmental Science Associates Opens San Jose Office
“For all of us, opening a new office during our 50th anniversary year is especially exciting—it’s a celebration of the firm’s important relationships with our South Bay clients, a continuation of our long-standing tradition of supporting the development of healthy, livable communities, and, of course, it supports our mission of providing value for our employee-owners,” said ESA President and CEO Leslie Moulton-Post.
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ESA Connects:
Integrated Water Resource Management
The latest issue of ESA Connects is out, and it is overflowing with water news: an overview of the California Water Plan Update 2018 and Sustainable Water Management, a look at the City of Ventura’s new VenturaWaterPure project, the latest outcomes of Washington State’s Hirst Decision, and much more.
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Inside Look: ESA’s Fisheries Team
Matthew Silva is a part of our Northern California Fisheries team consisting of 20 fisheries biologists. He oversees the implementation of large-scale fisheries research efforts as a field lead and project manager. We interviewed Matt to get an inside look on our fisheries team; here’s what we found out.
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ESA Welcomes Mary Laux as Principal Planner in Northern California
We are glad to welcome Mary Laux back to our Northern California team. Laux began her consulting career at ESA in 2001 with the airports group, and has spent the last 16 years with AECOM as an Associate Principal/Planner managing large, multidisciplinary projects.
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Acoustic and Air Quality Specialist Dr. Tony Chung Joins Southern California Team
Having completed thousands of noise and air quality studies, and as a certified member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering since 1991, Dr. Chung is recognized as one of the premier noise experts in the nation. He has also been involved in more than 100 greenhouse gas and climate change impact analyses.
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California Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to EIR for Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project
The California Supreme Court, in a late-August decision, denied challenges to the sufficiency of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared for California American Water Company’s (CalAm) long-awaited desalination plant, the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project (MPWSP).
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Research Shows Nutrient Diet Improves Water Quality, Fishery Habitat
Across the globe, coastal zone management efforts have concluded that restoring fish populations often requires acting on land-based human activities. With a few notable exceptions, most commercially and recreationally important species of fish, crabs, and shrimp spend at least a portion of their lives in estuarine locations, where waters from the open ocean mix with runoff from land.
Read More »September 22-26 | National Center for Sustainable Transportation
Sacramento, CA
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ESA Adds Beverly Choi as Northern California Community Planning Program Manager
Recognized as one of the California Top 20 Under 40 Professionals by Engineering News Record in 2016, Choi most recently worked for AECOM where she held a variety of leadership roles—from Studio Leader to Senior Project Manager—and worked on a number of high-profile local and international, multi-disciplinary projects.
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Finding Common Ground to Advance Restoration in California’s Delta and Beyond
An interview with Bill Harrell, California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Erika Lovejoy, Sustainable Conservation, on accelerating restoration projects in California.
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ESA Connects:
Accelerating Restoration
The latest issue of ESA Connects is out, and it is packed with restoration stories from coast-to-coast, including an exclusive interview with Bill Harrell, California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Erika Lovejoy, Sustainable Conservation, on accelerating restoration projects in California.
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ESA’s Autumn Ward Joins Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society Board of Directors
Senior Airport Planner, Autumn Ward, based out of ESA’s Tampa office was inducted to the Board of Directors for the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society (TJDAS).
Read More »October 30 – November 1 | Washington State Lake Protection Association
Lake Chelan, WA
Read More »September 29 – October 3 | American Fisheries Society + The Wildlife Society
Reno, NV
Read More »September 15-18, 2019 |
American Planning Association California Conference
Santa Barbara, CA
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Are American Shopping Malls Really Dying?
Since 2013, e-commerce retail sales have been creeping up from 7 percent to 10 percent in the United States, and that number is expected to reach almost 14 percent by 2021.
While not a staggering statistic (considering the amount of business and personal shopping most of us do online on a daily basis), it has had a direct effect on the brick-and-mortar counterparts—especially those large retailers that anchor shopping malls.
August 4-7, 2019 |
Florida Airports Council 50th Anniversary Conference & Exposition
Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Florida Local Environmental Resource Agencies Annual Conference
St. Augustine, FL
Read More »July 16-19, 2019 |
33rd Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School
Marco Island, FL
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ESA Welcomes Linda Peters as Principal Associate in Northern California Region
Recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business in 2018 by the San Francisco Business Times, Peters most recently worked for AECOM where she directed its San Francisco Bay Area Cities Program and held a key role on its Pacific Region Growth Team.
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Environmental Science Associates Welcomes Spencer Mains as Director of Information Technology
Based in San Francisco, Mains brings more than two decades of experience directing information technology and knowledge management for major consulting, branding, and merchandise firms, including 16 years with Landor, a global branding firm.
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Port of Oakland Seaport Air Quality Planning: Aligning with State and Community Goals
An interview with Richard Sinkoff, Director of Environmental Programs and Planning, Port of Oakland, on the value of working with stakeholders to achieve a healthier environment.
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ESA Adds Paul Schlenger to Biological Resources and Land Management Group in Seattle
“He is truly a thought leader on key issues affecting our region including climate reliance, restoration, salmon recovery, and strategic planning; and bolsters our ability to tackle challenging environmental problems in a strategic, scientific, and collaborative way.”
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ESA Welcomes Eric Haase as Chief Operating Officer
Based in San Francisco, Haase brings more than two decades of operational experience across a diverse range of business lines for the building, engineering, and environmental industries.
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ESA Strengthens Southeast Region with the Addition of New Biological Resources Director Douglas Skurski
“Joining ESA gives me an incredible opportunity to expand my professional development as a multifaceted biologist, collaborating with some of the best scientific consultants in our industry, while contributing to strategic planning and growth of the Southeast region.”
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ESA Is Taking Action: Global Climate Action Summit
For decades, we have been watching the devastating effects that climate change has had on our environment. This global epidemic has moved from the outer reaches of our attention to endangering our homes and daily lives. Whether the threat is drought, fire, rising sea levels, agriculture loss, or storm intensity, the time for action is now.
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ESA Bolsters Compliance Team with Patrick Tennant and Jon Waggoner
Tennant is based in the firm’s Irvine office and Waggoner is located in Sacramento, each bringing extensive experience in managing large-scale compliance programs for high-profile infrastructure projects.
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Hillary Gitelman Joins ESA as Bay Area Community Development Director of Environmental Planning
“Hillary has a proven track record of managing planning and environmental review processes for highly visible and complex projects in communities across the Bay Area. She is a well-known advocate for sustainable development, and we are thrilled to have her expertise and leadership at ESA.”
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ESA Welcomes Adrienne Centano as Director of Communications
Centano joins ESA’s corporate management team and builds on the firm’s recent and forthcoming prominent and strategic hires.
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Chris Easter Joins ESA as Director of Air Quality and Noise in Northern California
This role better positions ESA to respond to the growing need for consulting services in Chris’ areas of specialty, including air quality permitting, climate-sustainability strategy, and environmental management systems and regulatory compliance.
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Pam Xander Joins ESA as Principal Planner in Pacific Northwest Region
Pam brings more than 30 years of experience in planning, conducting, and preparing environmental studies and has worked with public agencies and private developers on more than 200 small- and large-scale projects requiring State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes.
Read More »ESA Builds Team of FAA-Certified Drone Operators
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to announce that the firm has five pilots certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly drones. The pilots—Russ Burdge, Jonathan Kemp, Julie McNamara, Brian Pittman, and Brendon Quinton—are being dispatched to project sites to conduct real-time site monitoring and reconnaissance, and to collect orthomosaic imagery and high-definition video for clients in the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, and Southeast regions.
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ESA Expands Oakland Presence in New Office Location
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is relocating their Oakland office to 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1050, on the edge of Lake Merritt. The move was prompted by the firm’s commitment to meet the needs of its Bay Area clients and to accommodate its growing team of scientists, engineers, planners, and designers in the East Bay.
Read More »ESA Expands Northwest Regional Reach into Bend, Oregon


Scheda Ecological Associates Joins ESA
The merger supports ESA’s strategy to deepen technical expertise and meet growing client demands for responsive and high quality environmental services throughout Florida and elsewhere in the Southeast.
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Michael Newland Joins ESA as Northern California Cultural Resources Director
Mike will be based in ESA’s Petaluma office, leading the region’s Cultural Resources team of expert prehistoric and historical archaeologists, architectural historians, and historians to increase the breadth and depth of ESA’s Cultural Resources practice.
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More Agencies Get On Board with Alternative Project Delivery Methods
The 2016 California Transportation Commission (CTC) Annual Report recommends eight California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reforms for promoting efficiency through innovations. One of the reforms is to permanently authorize Caltrans and its regional partners to “use alternative project delivery tools such as public-private partnership (P3), design-build (DB), and construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) methods.”
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Christopher Warn Joins ESA’s Southeast Region as Principal Managing Associate
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Christopher Warn has joined ESA as a principal managing associate, with a focus on client service, project management, and business development.
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ESA Names Three New Vice Presidents: Terri Avila, Dana McGowan, RPA and Elizabeth Andrews, PE
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to name three new vice presidents: Terri Avila, Community Development Practice Leader; Dana McGowan, RPA, Cultural Resources Practice Leader; and Elizabeth (Betty) Andrews, PE, Senior Program Manager.
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Swen Swenson Joins ESA as Corporate Controller
Swen brings over 20 years of experience in financial management with professional services. He has experience in all aspects of the financial operations, including resource allocation, monthly reporting, forecasting, collections, accounts receivable, accounts payable and management of the finance department.
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Jill Sunahara Joins ESA’s Northern California Team as a Senior Permitting Specialist
“With a practical understanding of biological and water resources, she partners with clients to get projects in the ground—from planning and environmental compliance to permitting and monitoring.”
Read More »ESA PCR Moves Santa Monica Office
ESA PCR, a premier environmental consulting firm, has moved its Santa Monica office from 201 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 500 to 233 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 150, a few blocks away. Nearly 20 environmental planners, CEQA/NEPA specialists, air quality analysts, climate change adaptation planners, historical archaeologists, and cultural resources specialists will occupy the new space.
“This move enables us to continue our 42-year legacy of serving local clients with a team of on-the-ground experts,” said Bobbette Biddulph, Southern California Regional Director.
Read More »New “Blue Carbon” Study Supports Tampa Bay Habitat Restoration and Resiliency Planning
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, recently completed a landmark study reinforcing the importance of restoring coastal habitats in Tampa Bay and around the nation to buffer the effects of rising seas and a changing climate.
Read More »Dr. Colin Thorne Honored by Royal Geographical Society
ESA’s Senior River Scientist, Dr. Colin Thorne is being honored by the Royal Geographical Society with the prestigious Back Award.
An expert in rivers, Colin has been recognized for his outstanding contribution in helping to shape national and international policy on rivers and flood management.
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Chris Sequeira Joins ESA’s Growing Team of Aviation Experts
Chris will support our aviation clients nationally in the areas of noise, air quality, land use compatibility, and public outreach from his base in New York City.
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ESA Welcomes Albert Cuisinot as Chief Financial Officer
“Albert’s impressive track record of maximizing the financial performance of A/E/C companies makes him a great fit for his new role within ESA,”
Read More »ESA Combines Irvine Offices
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, has consolidated its Irvine office with recently acquired ESA PCR from 17744 Skypark Circle to 2121 Alton Parkway in Irvine, California.
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ESA Announces New President and CEO Leslie Moulton-Post
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Leslie Moulton-Post has been named ESA’s Chief Executive Officer and President effective April 1, 2016.
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SF Estuary Partnership Features the Sonoma Creek Marsh Enhancement
The Sonoma Creek Marsh Enhancement Project will reduce mosquito production and improve habitat conditions for special status species for roughly 260 acres of centennial marsh located near the mouth of Sonoma Creek and San Pablo Bay in Sonoma County California.
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PCR Services Corporation Joins ESA
The merger supports ESA’s strategy to deepen our technical expertise and broadens our reach as we continue to meet growing client demands throughout Southern California.
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Barbra Calantas Joins ESA’s Southern California Team
A leader in the fields of wildlife biology, permit strategy, endangered species act consultation and CEQA/NEPA compliance, Barbra joins our growing Southern California team of more than 20 scientists specializing in biological resources, resources management, wetlands studies, habitat restoration, permitting, and monitoring.
Read More »ESA’s Tampa Office Moves To Accommodate Growing Team
ESA's Tampa office has moved to Meridian Three at 4200 West Cypress Street, Suite 450 in Tampa, Florida.
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ESA Appoints Leslie Moulton-Post President-Elect
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Leslie Moulton-Post has been appointed ESA’s next Chief Executive Officer and President. Leslie will take over the position from President Gary Oates in the spring of 2016 following a planned transition period.
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Terri (Vitar) Avila Named ESA Community Development Practice Leader
Terri brings over 30 years of experience in environmental consulting and natural resource planning. With a diverse background that includes urban and greenfield development, natural resources management, transportation, and water, she approaches her work from a multi-faceted perspective, demonstrating a unique ability to reconcile the competing demands of development and natural resources management.
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Alisa Moore Promoted to Bay Area Water Director
“Alisa is integral to the measured growth and success of our water and energy practice, and her career has been focused on the integration of water, energy, and the environment. In this new role, she will continue to collaborate with clients as a trusted strategic advisor to meet the increasing environmental challenges of today and tomorrow.”
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Dan Dameron Named ESA’s Northern California Community Development Director
Dan brings more 30 years of experience working on large-scale, complex, multidisciplinary planning and development projects. His leadership and expertise has been integral to growing ESA’s community development practice and advancing our community and environmental planning work.
Read More »Pier E3 of Old Bay Bridge Detonated Saturday
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, participated in Saturday’s carefully executed implosion of Pier E3, the largest of the piers on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s Old East Span. Pier E3 contains the largest caisson used to support the cantilevered section of the Old East Span, and is one of about 20 piers that will need to be removed as part of the demolition process.
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RPI’s Team Selected to Conduct Best Available Science Reviews for RESTORE Projects

Dana McGowan Joins ESA as Cultural Resources Practice Leader
From our Sacramento office, Dana will lead the firm’s Cultural Resources Practice, which is comprised of a team of 60 professionals including prehistoric and historical archaeologists, architectural historians, preservation planners, maritime archaeologists, and curation specialists.
Read More »State of the Estuary Honors San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines Project
ESA Opens New Office in Irvine, California
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental consulting firm, is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in Irvine, California on August 3, 2015. The office is located at 17744 Skypark Circle, Suite 200 in Irvine, California, 92614 and will help service our growing Southern California clients in Orange County and beyond.
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Michael Houlihan, AICP Joins ESA as Principal Managing Associate
“With more than three decades of experience in Orange County, Michael’s established relationships with agencies, districts, and regulators will strategically build upon ESA’s successful legacy of providing premier environmental planning and design solutions to our Southern California clients.”
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ESA’s Brian Boxer, AICP Named Northern California Regional Director
Brian has dedicated his career to strategically addressing technically and politically complex issues of resource allocation, balancing the demands of the built and natural environment by delivering integrating solutions for environmental compliance and documentation, community planning, and project development.
Read More »New Definition of “Waters of the U.S.” Effective August 28, 2015
On Friday, October 9, 2015 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a nationwide stay against the so-called Waters of the United States rule, which is intended to clarify which bodies of water are covered by the Clean Water Act.
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Derry Dell Stream Restoration Project
On June 9th, the Oregon Department of State Lands awarded the Derry Dell Stream Restoration Project the Project of the Year Award.
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Jim Keany Named Northwest Director of Biological Resources
Jim manages our growing northwest team of more than 20 professionals specializing in biological resources, fisheries science, resource management, wetlands studies, habitat restoration, permitting, and monitoring.
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Mark Johnson, PLA Named Northwest Director of Community Development
Mark manages our northwest team of planners and technical specialists with a thorough understanding of environmental conditions, design processes, and agency requirements to help clients plan, design, permit, and implement their planning and development projects.
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ESA Releases 2014 Sustainability Report
In ESA’s 2014 Sustainability Report, we’ve outlined how our company has performed against the sustainability goals and objectives outlined in our 2012 Sustainability Plan. The 30-page document measures the firm’s progress and further promotes our commitment to sustainable operations, pursuing work that matters within a vibrant employee-ownership culture.
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Mike Leech Named ESA’s Director of Geospatial Services
Mike’s experience includes deploying field teams with GPS devices for data collection, mapping plant communities using object-based and pixel-based remote sensing tools and managing software development life cycles for international humanitarian organizations.
Read More »Restore America’s Estuaries brings science and business together for Tampa Bay
Partnership with Tampa Bay Watch, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Environmental Science Associates, NOAA, U.S. EPA, U.S. FWS, and ScottsMiracle-Gro will demonstrate how Bay restoration efforts can best help mitigate climate change impacts.
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ESA’s Margaret Clancy, PWS, Named Vice President and Northwest Regional Director
“She is an effective leader with deep technical expertise and strong people skills that our clients and employees truly value. In her new role as Regional Director, Margaret will continue to advance our firm’s integrated services and solutions for clients throughout the Northwest.”
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Blue Carbon Study Illustrates Climate Benefits in the Snohomish Estuary
Read how this 2014 study discovered that functioning tidal wetlands actually store carbon, removing it from the atmosphere and from causing further environmental harm.
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Landmark Study Demonstrates Climate Benefits of Estuary Restoration
Contact: Steve Emmett-Mattox
Phone: 720.300.3139
ESA’s Work Receives 2013 ASLA Oregon Chapter Merit Award for Analysis and Planning
ESA is pleased to announce that the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recently awarded the Minto-Brown Island Park Floodplain Restoration project with a 2013 Merit Award for Analysis and Planning.
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Adapting to Sea Level Rise in the Bay Area: Protecting Our Communities, Infrastructure and the Bay
The rapid changes in climate and sea level projected over the next 100 years threaten not only the natural wetlands, but also the communities and infrastructure around San Francisco Bay. How can we proactively create a new, more sustainable shoreline that integrates natural processes and undervalued resources such as sediment and wastewater?
Read More »Airport Cooperative Research Program Releases Report 84, A Guidebook for Preparing Airport Emission Inventories for State Implementation Plans
The Federal Clean Air Act of 1970, as amended, requires that states identify those areas where the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are not met for six air contaminants, known as criteria air pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated such areas as nonattainment areas. A state with a nonattainment area must prepare a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that details the programs and requirements that the State will use in order to meet the NAAQS by the deadlines specified in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Read More »A Tale of Two Optimized Profile Descents
While Los Angeles and Sacramento have vastly different population levels, climates, and cultures, they shared a common theme at the University of California at Davis’ Aviation Symposium in Costa Mesa; lessons learned from implementing Optimized Profile Descent (OPD) procedures at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Mather Airport (MHR). ESA Airports National Director, Steve Alverson, moderated a panel to share lessons learned from recent OPD efforts.
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Expert Eyes and Ears…and Noses
A floor-by-floor snapshot provides building managers with a useful assessment of the effectiveness of their building's waste diversion programs and suggestions for increasing compliance.
Read More »FAA Issues Guidance on Recycling at Major Airports
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued a Program Guidance Letter (PGL) 12-08 to instruct Airport District Offices (ADOs) on how to implement portions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FMRA).
Read More »What is the New Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Protocol Anyway?
With more and more cities and counties planning for a greener future, a key baseline of both an effective sustainability plan and climate action plan is to clearly assess current conditions.
Community-scale Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories are critical to the development of GHG reduction strategies in both sustainability plans and climate action plans. The new Community GHG Inventory Protocol provides a framework for accounting consistency between inventories and among communities within a larger county, region, or state.
Read More »Climate and Energy Action Plans: Getting to Implementation
Climate Action Plans (CAPs) and Energy Action Plans (EAPs) have become important planning tools for communities to articulate how they will meet energy, mobility, and material resource challenges in a carbon-constrained economy.
Read More »Global Carbon Markets Now Open to Wetland Restoration and Conservation
An initiative led by Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), aimed at creating greenhouse gas offset opportunities for wetlands received final approval under the Verified Carbon Standards (VCS) on October 4, 2012. This ground-breaking approval paves the way for increased private investment in wetland restoration and conservation projects through the issuance of internationally recognized carbon credits.
Read More »FAA Issues Guidance on Recycling
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued a Program Guidance Letter (PGL) 12-08 to instruct Airport District Offices (ADOs) on how to implement portions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FMRA).
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Getting to Zero Waste
One half planning and implementation, the other half requires a shift in culture.
Read More »California Anaerobic Digestion Forum Explores Project Successes and Challenges
Stakeholders examine the successes and challenges of anaerobic digestion technology, permitting, and economics.
Read More »Climate and Energy Action: More Plans in the Works
Climate Action Plans (CAPs) have become important planning tools for communities to articulate how they will meet energy, mobility, and material resource challenges in a carbon-constrained economy.
Read More »ESA Releases its Inaugural Sustainability Report
ESA celebrated Earth Day 2012 by releasing its first bi-annual sustainability report. The 50-page document highlights the firm’s progress toward being a sustainable business, providing forward-looking sustainable solutions to the firm’s clients, and promoting stewardship of the environment, our communities and employee-owners.
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Section 404 Nationwide Permits are Changing
The new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Clean Water Act Nationwide Permits (NWPs) will become effective March 19, 2012. The existing (2007) NWPs will expire on March 18, 2012. We’re here to help you keep your projects on track during this transition by providing resources, information, and assistance.
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Celebrate Innovation on GIS Day
November 16th is GIS Day and we’re celebrating more than a decade of delivering creative, innovative, and integrated client solutions using GIS. We’ve been using this powerful tool to benefit our clients and the environment on projects spanning a variety of markets and geographic locations from coast to coast. In recognition of GIS Day, we’re taking a moment to highlight the value this technology and our GIS team has contributed to our clients, the environment, and our teaming partners on several recent efforts.
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ESA Completes Most Comprehensive Fast-Track Environmental Review of its Kind
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a San Francisco-based environmental science and planning firm, led the City and County of San Francisco’s environmental consultant team in releasing the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the 34th America’s Cup (AC34) venue for the City and Port of San Francisco.
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