February 15, 2005

Environmental Watch: Kennedy/Jenks adds engineer

PORTLAND — Kennedy/Jenks Consultants named Brad R. Moore senior water resources engineer in the Portland office. He'll lead technical and business development, and provide technical stormwater support to industrial services clients.

Moore's background is in analyzing stormwater and surface water systems. He has 20 years of civil engineering experience and has designed drainage, water and sewer improvements. He prepared municipal stormwater master plans and specialized in drainage planning, including flood hazard studies, and helped develop regional flood control plans.

Herrera announces promotions

SEATTLE — Herrera Environmental Consultants has made the following promotions.

Mark Johnson is a planning director, Amanda Azous is a science director, Jose Carrasquero is a fisheries director, Paula Fedirchuk is a senior engineer, Craig Doberstein is a senior project manager, Ardith Lanstra-Nothdurft and Jennifer Goldsmith are senior scientists, Chase Barton is a project geomorphologist, Mark Ruebel is a staff engineer, Gina Catarra is a staff scientist, Carol Newlin is a senior technical editor, Sean Robertson is a project GIS analyst, Todd Prescott is a CAD technician, Rhoda Bolton is a senior graphic designer, and Brenda Peterson is administrative staff.

Herrera is an environmental and engineering consulting with 80 engineers, scientists and planners in the Northwest.

Land & Water Consulting joins PBS&J

MISSOULA, Mont. — Land & Water Consulting, a 43-person engineering and natural resource consulting firm headquartered in Missoula, Mont., has merged with PBS&J, an Orlando, Fla., company with 70 offices around the country that is focusing on growth in the West.

Land & Water works on assessing and restoring natural resources in the Northwest and northern Rockies. Its expertise is in stream and wetland restoration, water resources, water rights, and regulatory permitting and compliance. The company has offices in Spokane and the Montana cities of Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell and Helena.

Land & Water will be part of PBS&J's environmental services division. Paul Callahan was president of Land & Water and is now vice president and division manager.

PBS&J does infrastructure planning, engineering, construction management and program management.

WWU prof writes book on assessing risk

Landis

Landis chairs the department of environmental science in Western's Huxley College of the Environment.

His book "Regional Scale Ecological Risk Assessment" focuses on risk assessment using a model called relative risk. It covers the model, which was developed at Western and has been used to assess ecological risk in the Pacific Northwest and in Brazil, for example.

State updates nonpoint pollution plan

OLYMPIA — The Department of Ecology seeks public comment on updating a plan to manage water quality and control nonpoint source pollution.

Meetings will be in Lacey on March 8, Spokane on March 9, Ellensburg on March 10 and Everett on March 16. A draft is posted at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/nps_plan.html.

Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. Written comments can be sent by March 18 to Bill Hashim, Department of Ecology, Box 47600, Olympia WA 98504-7600. Call (360) 407-6551, fax (360) 407-6426 or e-mail bhas461@ecy.wa.gov.

Ecology will submit a final plan to the Environmental Protection Agency after receiving comments.

Nonpoint water pollution is generated by land uses and activities such as construction, car washing, pet waste and lawn fertilizers.

Grants available for local projects

SEATTLE — King County's Water and Land Resources Division is giving grants for local watershed protection, habitat restoration, reforestation, salmon conservation, stewardship and education projects. Maximum awards are $50,000. Deadlines are March 1 and July 1.

Grants are for projects in King County or south Snohomish County watersheds that flow into Lake Washington or the Sammamish River. Eligible applicants include municipalities, local governments, First Nation communities, nonprofits, organizations, schools and community groups.

A rural community partnership grant gives up to $35,000 for water quality, drainage and water-dependent habitat projects. "Splash" grants of up to $15,000 go to water quality education projects in King County and South Snohomish County basins that drain into the Sammamish River. "WaterWorks" funds are for up to $50,000 for projects that improve or preserve water quality and water-dependent habitat. "Wild Places in City Spaces" grants are for up to $10,000 for urban wildlife habitat and reforestation projects within the urban growth area.

Last year 54 grantees received more than $1.3 million in grants. A new program this year offers $500 and there is no deadline to apply.

For more information, call Ken Pritchard, Grant Exchange Coordinator, at ken.pritchard@metrokc.gov or (206) 296-8265 or (800) 325-6165 ext. 6-8265.

DNR offers free fire-safety video

OLYMPIA — The Department of Natural Resources has a video and brochure available now to show property owners how they can better protect their homes from fire by using fire-safe landscaping materials and techniques.

Master gardener Ciscoe Morris shows landscaping tips in "Naturally Beautiful Fire Resistant Greenbelt Landscaping," which is targeted for groups such as neighborhood associations. For the free video and brochure, call DNR's Sandy Williams at (360) 902-1114 or Nancy Carpenter of State Farm at (253) 912-7257.