Media

SWCA’s newsletter, The Wire, provides readers with timely features relevant to the environmental consulting industry. News articles include feature stories on issues of concern or interest to our clients, industry trends, and changes in regulatory compliance requirements.

To be included on an e-mail list with a link to each new Wire edition (downloadable in Adobe® PDF format).

Winter 2012 (Vol. 12, No. 1)

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A River Runs Through It: Middle Rio Grande Habitat Restoration and Wildlife Monitoring – A multi-year, multi-agency effort to restore habitat for the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow and southwestern willow flycatcher is improving river flow for everyone who depends on the water supply.
Focus: Reflections on our 30-Year Anniversary – Company President and CEO John Thomas talks about joining the company in its early days, how we have grown since then, and where the road leads from here. * See a bonus video! *
East Canyon Restoration: Bringing a Utah Watershed Back to Health – SWCA helped develop and implement a plan to improve water quality in East Canyon Creek and Reservoir and return a prized fishery to its former glory.
Getting Our Kicks on Route 66 – A small team is conducting a comprehensive historical survey of Arizona’s Route 66 relics to help them earn National Register recognition. * See a bonus narrated slideshow! *
Running the Numbers – A staff statistician explains the role of statistics in the environmental consulting industry and how we are using advanced data analysis, statistics, and simulations in our client projects.
Better Data Management Through Custom Databases – SWCA is creating specialized databases to help make project data processing more efficient for clients and SWCA project managers.

Fall 2011 (Vol. 11, No. 2)

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Old King Coal – The Texas Clean Energy Project aims to turn one of the problems of fossil fuel use (carbon dioxide) into an energy solution through a new coal gasification power plant that will capture carbon and sequester it for Enhanced Oil Recovery.
SWCA’s Science Leadership Program – To foster a culture of scientific excellence, SWCA has created a program that invests company resources in high-performing scientists who contribute to scientific knowledge and client projects.
Get Smart: Cool Tools in Field Data Collection and Mapping – In a new column, Technology Corner, SWCA explores the use of smartphones in the field for navigation and geotagging photos, and connecting smartphone data with Google mapping software.
Spotlight on Turtle Research in Florida – Supported in part by SWCA’s Science Leadership Program, a project in central Florida is using tattoo wands and microchips to mark turtles in one of the largest long-term freshwater turtle population studies in the country. * See bonus material for this story on our Multimedia Page! *
Putting the Brakes on a Silent Invasion – The Hawai’i Department of Transportation’s Statewide Noxious Invasive Pest Program is making highway landscape maintenance more sustainable and training staff to control non-native species wreaking havoc on the Islands.
When the Bulldozer Hits the Bone: Mitigation Paleontologists on the Cut – SWCA paleontologists are helping clients comply with regulatory requirements to preserve scientifically important fossils that could be damaged or destroyed by development activities. * See bonus material for this story on our Multimedia Page! *

Summer 2011 (Vol. 11, No. 1)

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Over the River and Through the Woods – SWCA makes use of helicopter-mounted cameras, underwater video and other technologies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and keep the public informed about a proposed airport project in Angoon, Alaska. * See bonus material for this story on our Multimedia Page! *
Tensions Mount Over New Wind Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation Guidelines – New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service draft guidelines on wind energy and eagle conservation appear to pose more challenges to wind power developers. SWCA founder Steve Carothers assesses some of the possible implications.
Sandpoint, Idaho: Small Town, Big History – While cataloging archaeological artifacts associated with construction of the Sand Creek Byway, SWCA’s historical and cultural resource experts uncover the multi-hued history of this once rough-and-tumble Western frontier town. * See bonus material for this story on our Multimedia Page! *
Living off the Land: Subsistence Resources in Alaska – The proposed Kaktovik airport project shows the challenges of development in Alaska’s rural areas with regard to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the impacts on people who rely on those areas’ resources to sustain their way of life.
Digital Reporting: A New Approach to Cultural Resources Management – The Milford Wind Corridor project serves as a proving ground for using digital technology in presenting cultural resource management reports.

Spring 2010 (Vol. 10, No. 1)

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A Conservation Conundrum – SWCA is helping clients progress with their energy development and transmission projects while ensuring that preemptive conservation measures are taken.
Renewable Energy and Endangered Species: A Potential Train Wreck or Good Conservation? – A supplement to “A Conservation Conundrum,” this article further discusses the environmental trade-offs involved in wind and solar energy development and transmission.
How Environmentally Responsible Business Practices Can Improve Your Organization – This case study explores the plan SWCA’s Environmental Performance Group develops for a company in need of more sustainable practices.
Relieving Traffic, Uncovering History – As part of the San Gabriel Trench Grade Separation project, SWCA’s historic and cultural resource experts evaluate projects impacts, gather artifacts, and uncover the fascinating history of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel.
Beyond Wind and Rain: The Ecological Effects of Typhoons on the Island of Guam – SWCA is working on Guam to restore the island’s ecological balance, which has been disrupted by typhoons over a number of years.
Helping the Sundance Film Festival Reduce its Eco-Footprint – The independent film event asked SWCA’s Environmental Performance Group for help in developing its first ever Comprehensive Sustainability Program.

Helping the Sundance Film Festival Reduce its Eco-Footprint – The independent film event asked SWCA’s Environmental Performance Group for help in developing its first ever Comprehensive Sustainability Program.

Winter 09 (Vol. 9, No. 3)

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The Ever-Changing Transportation System
Our transportation systems and infrastructures are ever growing, changing and becoming more complex. With increased traffic and pressure on these systems, the surrounding environments and ecosystems are also impacted. In this issue we take a look at these effects and how local communities, agencies, corporations and SWCA are playing a role in striking a balance between the built and natural environment.

Transportation: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities – Whether the project involves commuter- and light-rail systems; historic structures; roadways; or sea ports, SWCA is assisting our transportation clients with a wide variety of environmental services.
From Bedrock to Orbit City – Just as the Flinstones and the Jetsons enjoyed a wide variety of transportation options, Americans are using new and different ways to travel; we are also seeing the revival of “old” transportation systems — namely, railroads.

“Greening” Your Fleet - Companies that manage fleet vehicles as part of their business are under social and regulatory pressure to reduce their carbon emissions. SWCA Environmental Performance Group is helping companies evaluate and reduce their emissions with both short-term and long-term solutions.

Where are they Now? An Update on the Legacy Parkway and Nature Preserve –As mitigation for the Utah Department of Transportation’s Legacy Parkway, SWCA created an ecological restoration and community involvement plan for the Legacy Nature Preserve.

Unlucky Strike: Assessing Aircraft-Wildlife Collisions and other Airport Safety Issues – To help reduce the risks and costs associated with aircraft-wildlife collisions, SWCA is assisting public-use airports in developing Wildlife Hazard Assessments (WHAs).

Happy Trails to You - California is developing a Coastal Trail, a pedestrian trail that will run the entire length of the state’s coastline, extending 1200 miles once completed. SWCA is providing services for two of the trail’s sub-projects.

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