EDAW

Specialty: Restoration ecology, wildlife biology, wetland ecology
Principals: Jill Sterrett, Chuck Everett
Year founded: 1982
Local office: Seattle
2003 revenues: $4.9 million
Projected 2004 revenues: $5.2 million
Largest current projects: Statewide biological assessment for FEMA post-disaster transportation system repair and replacement; city of Edmonds critical areas ordinance update

Photos courtesy EDAW EDAW is updating the city of Edmonds’ critical areas ordinance, which covers Lund Creek, top, and Hindley Creek, bottom.

In the environmental market, EDAW has seen increases in some federal work and decreases in others. The Iraq war has siphoned federal dollars from the Army Corps of Engineers and federal land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Reclamation.

But work for the U.S. Coast Guard — since moving from the Department of Commerce to Homeland Security — has significantly increased after languishing for many years, according to EDAW principal Chuck Everett. “Unlike the Navy, the Coast Guard’s facilities are old and need updating,” said Everett.

In addition, he said, “We’re seeing some increases in work with U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service on design projects and related environmental work, and some increases in work with FEMA.”

EDAW recently led a team of biologists who completed a five-year endangered species status review of the marbled murrelet bird for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This was a major piece of work brought on by legal action against the USFWS,” said Everett.

EDAW also has worked with electric utilities and been involved with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on re-licensing hydroelectric projects across the Northwest, including work on most of the major rivers in the region.

Everett

“With only a few hydro projects left to re-license, we have gotten more into follow-on compliance work and implementing actions in the new licenses,” he said. “We also recently won a new multi-year contract to site and permit transmission lines and substations in a six-state area.”

Current utility clients include Snohomish PUD, Grant PUD, Puget Sound Energy, PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric.

The firm is integrating, where possible, environmental and planning practices with its design and landscape architecture practice. The Chambers Creek Project is an example in Pierce County where EDAW is helping integrate a new golf course and recreation facilities with environmental restoration work.

Other recent local projects have included city and county comprehensive plans and environmental impact statements for Kitsap County and the city of Covington.

Globally, the office has been working on several resort, new town and development projects in China, South Korea and Spain. The projects include both planning, design and environmental.

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