On May 25, 2023, the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) issued a ruling in the Sackett v. EPA case, stating only wetlands with a continuous surface connection to large rivers, lakes, and streams are eligible for federal protection. On August 29, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the 2023 Clean Water Rule
Noise mitigation is often required to comply with permits for a variety of projects. Misunderstanding the most effective noise control methods can derail your project, wasting time and money in implementing ineffective noise control methods. Dudek Lead Acoustician Jim Cowan debunks four noise control myths, so you can develop noise control measures that reduce noise
Sound affects people in both positive and negative ways. Besides sound being the primary communication channel for most people, our reactions to sound provide a key trigger for protecting ourselves from harm. This protective reaction is usually accompanied by an increase in stress hormones, which can cause physical damage to our bodies over time. Sound
Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) needed to conduct breeding bird data analysis for data from 25 individual properties throughout the County. Dudek analyzed the data to assess the effects of various land management actions on the avian population and identify trends in bird populations at each property over time to determine potential correlations
The operation of wind energy facilities can potentially harm bats, but the true extent of this danger is not fully understood. In some US regions, a significant challenge to developing wind energy is finding ways to lower the number of bats that collide with wind turbines while maintaining high power production levels. When developing or
On February 8, 2023, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) considered several items, including the petition to list the western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s status review report; and comments received to potentially determine whether listing the tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) is
Now is the Time to Do Rare Plant Surveys With the record-setting storms throughout California in January 2023, now is the time to conduct rare plant surveys, as many species are likely to bloom this year Plant growth and its relationship to climate is very nuanced, but in general the higher the rainfall, the more
Noticing is sometimes seen as the easy part of CEQA, but the CEQA public noticing process is an alphabet soup of categories and acronyms that isn’t clearly laid out in a single resource. In addition, it’s helpful to be familiar with case law that provides guidance on legally defensible notification, as well as with other
Construction delays, tied-up bonding capacity, and extraneous years of site mitigation, monitoring, and maintenance are just a few of the consequences of poorly considered and negotiated permit conditions. Conversely, a thorough, thoughtful permitting strategy can save you time and money. Dudek Habitat Restoration Practice Director Mike Sweesy offers five tips on how to tailor a
Every spring biology survey is slightly different. While some species—plants and butterflies to name two—have variable survey seasons, others have well-established or federally mandated survey seasons. Missing a survey window can adversely impact a project’s schedule. Working closely with project biologists can help identify biological constraints early in the process, helping a project stay on
