June 15, 2004

Environmental Watch: Sheldon & Associates adds wetland expert

Gresham

SEATTLE -- Doug Gresham has joined Sheldon & Associates as a senior wetland ecologist. He has 14 years of experience in wetland ecology, environmental restoration and fisheries assessment in the Northwest.

Gresham will work on environmental studies, wetland delineations, restoration design and permitting. He was with Herrera Environmental.

CH2M Hill names Anderson director

HANFORD -- The CH2M Hill Hanford Group named Dr. Thomas J. Anderson the company's first director of environmental health. Anderson, a former Navy industrial hygiene officer, has 20 years of safety and risk assessment experience, and was with the University of Wisconsin.

Anderson will lead the firm's industrial hygiene program for site workers' health and safety. He will develop exposure risk assessments and work with staff, medical providers and regulatory agencies on industrial health and safety programs at Hanford.

Dave Clark wins national recognition

SEATTLE -- Dave Clark, manager of King County's flood hazard reduction program, received a national award from the Association of State Floodplain Managers. The association's award recognizes one floodplain manager in the country.

Clark has more than 30 years of experience in floodplain management, basin planning and surface water management programs in King County. He helped develop King County's first Shoreline Management Program and basin planning in urban watersheds.

He also worked to develop a flood warning program and other hazard reduction measures, including home buyouts, home elevations and maintenance of flood protection facilities.

Audubon Society medal goes to Bullitt

SEATTLE -- The National Audubon Society presents this year's medal to Harriet Bullitt for her work in conservation and environmental protection. Bullitt works with the Bullitt Foundation to protect forests, rebuild salmon runs, restore wetlands and clean up nuclear waste sites.

She owns and operates Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, a conference resort on the Icicle River.

Straw bale house tour June 26

SPOKANE VALLEY -- Northwest EcoBuilding Guild hosts a tour on June 26 of two straw bale houses in the Spokane Valley. The tour begins in Spokane Valley and takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Architects, owners and the builder of the homes will be on hand to answer questions.

Spokane County Conservation District promoted straw bale housing after a ban on field burning in 1998. For more information, call Cherie Peacock (509) 928-3326 or Deborah Warner (208) 683-1649.

Hydropower relicensing seminar in Seattle

SEATTLE -- The Seminar Group of Vashon hosts a conference on hydropower relicensing July 1 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle. A panel will present an overview of Federal Power Act rulings, Indian treaty rights, ESA and FERC issues.

Seminar co-chairs are James M. Lynch of Stoel Rives and Mason D. Morisset of Seattle's Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak & McGraw.

It is designed for lawyers, government officials, tribal leaders, engineers and consultants. Cost is $395 per person. For more information, call (206) 463-4400 or (800) 574-4852 or visit www.theseminargroup.net.

New Web sites for SPU and ORCAA

SEATTLE — Seattle Public Utilities launched a new Web site on its water, recycling, drainage and sewer services. Customers tested the design to help create www.seattle.gov/util. An engineering section lists information for contractors and consultants who are working on SPU projects.

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency has also revamped its Web site, www.ORCAA.org, to include details on permit applications under review by ORCAA staff. For more information, call (360) 586-1044 or (800) 422-5623.

Daylighting lab at University of Idaho

BOISE -- Architects and engineers in Idaho have a new resource to help with commercial building designs. BetterBricks, a nonprofit program run by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, partnered with the University of Idaho, Idaho Power Co. and the Idaho Department of Water Resources Energy Division to launch an Integrated Design Lab at the UI campus in Boise.

The lab will focus on energy efficiency, daylighting and lighting.

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, who was with the University of Washington and the Daylighting Lab in Seattle, will head the Boise lab.

BetterBricks is a free service that connects building professionals with information, tools and training to design and construct high performance buildings. For more information, visit http://www.betterbricks.com or call the Idaho IDL at (208) 342-6817.