SERVICES
OUR SERVICES
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▪ Renewable Energy & Utility Permitting
▪ Biological Consulting
▪ Facilitation and Stakeholder Outreach
▪ Site Remediation & Restoration
▪ Permitting (Local, State, & Federal)
▪ Compliance Programs
▪ Sustainability & Conservation
▪ FEMA & HUD Programs
CERTIFICATIONS
“Camas is an extraordinarily effective environmental and regulatory specialist firm. They combine an eye for detail with the ability to translate the regulatory fine print into a summary of facts that not only identifies the relevant considerations but also has practical meaning for a business.”
RENEWABLE ENERGY & UTILITY PERMITTING
Camas is a leading provider in renewable energy and utility services. We help our clients obtain all necessary permits from local entities through state and federal agencies. Whether it’s wind, solar, hydro, or transmission, we can help. If you are looking for Conditional Use Permits to Streambed Alteration Agreements, FERC Licensing or any other special permits, Camas will deliver in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
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▪ Wind
▪ Solar
▪ Hydro
▪ Transmission
▪ FERC Licensing & Compliance
▪ Project Siting
▪ Landowner Agreements
FERC DAM & PUBLIC SAFETY
Camas supports dam owners with dam and public safety programs. This support includes:
Board of Consultants Set-Up and Management
Has FERC requested that you establish an independent Board of Consultants (BOC) to review engineering designs, investigations or dam safety measures related to the ongoing operations, maintenance, or rehabilitation of your dam? Camas can assist dam owners in establishing a BOC, navigating rules and requirements governing the BOC, as well as staffing and managing the BOC process from start to finish. We will work with your engineering staff to find the appropriate BOC members, arrange for FERC approval, establish communication protocols among staff, BOC and FERC, facilitate recurring BOC meetings, file appropriate documents in accordance with FERC’s requirements, and allow you to stay focused on addressing the dam safety conditions.
[1] This includes: the Canadian Dam Association (CDA) Public Safety Around Dams (2011), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Dam Safety Warning Signs (2021), the FEMA Process for Assessing Public Health at Dams (2021), and the Bureau of Reclamation draft Public Protection Guidelines (August 2022): A Risk Informed Framework to Support Dam Safety Decision Making.
Board of Consultant Member
Camas can assist your project as an independent Board of Consultant (BOC) member for environmental regulatory compliance. We have extensive knowledge of dams, environmental permitting, and overall regulatory expertise for dam and hydro projects. Complex dam retrofit and rehabilitations greatly benefit from a BOC member in the regulatory realm. We strategize to recommend cost effective solutions than can be both permitted and implemented in a timely manner, avoiding unnecessary project delays.
Public Safety Risk Assessments and Program Development
Camas has performed more than 25 public safety risk assessments, reports, and audit programs utilizing a risk scoring metric adopted by both the U.S. and Canadian government and private dam owners alike.[1] The risk assessment process identifies the direct risks associated with the operations and management of a hydroelectric project and yields actionable measures to address risks unique to each dam component. This process begins with interviewing project site personnel to understand day-to-day dam operations and the potential for public safety risks under present and future conditions. We then review all current public safety barriers in place, assess their effectiveness, and recommend tailored measures to reduce the likelihood of public incident. Camas will train onsite personnel to perform such assessments to ensure accountability and the ability to effectively reevaluate and address public risk as conditions change or as incidents occur. Finally, we can assist you in building a prioritized capital budget that identifies cost effective risk reduction measures that will protect public safety without increasing your bottom line.
BIOLOGICAL CONSULTING
At Camas we know that ground and stream disturbance permits require mitigation of impacts to fish and wildlife. We negotiate up-to-date, scientifically-proven permit terms that ensure species protection from construction and production activities. We provide initial biological and habitat monitoring before your project begins, construction monitoring during your project, and compliance monitoring for years after project completion. We have worked with various federal and state endangered and threatened species and are proud to be a part of conservation initiatives that protect these animals and plants.
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▪ Wildlife Monitoring
▪ Habitat Monitoring
▪ Fire Emergency Management
▪ GIS Data Collection & Mapping
▪ Terrestrial, Aquatic & Plant Species Protection, including
▫ Federal & State ESA Listed Species
▫ Other Protected Species
(such as state Species of Special Concern)
▫ Migratory Birds
SITE REMEDIATION & RESTORATION
From a permitting and compliance standpoint, a project lives on after construction activities have ceased. Many permits require site restoration and environmentally-sensitive O&M activities. Camas not only helps you develop restoration plans, tailored specifically to the project, but will be there through the implementation and monitoring process as well.
Camas also provides remediation services if you require pollution cleanup programs. We use up-to-date scientific methods and provide alternatives analyses to determine the best solution for your needs. As described above, we will also be there for any remediation restoration efforts.
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▪ Revegetation/Planting
▪ Stream Restoration
▫ Dredging
▫ Bank Stabilization
▫ Fish Recovery
▪ Bioremediation
▫ Phytoextraction
▫ Bioventing
▪ Mitigation Plans
▪ Feasibility Studies
LOCAL PERMITTING
Camas has experience with City and County building and planning permitting. We have worked with personnel within all tiers of government to provide cost-efficient solutions that comply with land use ordinances and plans. Additionally, Camas is skilled at maneuvering local agriculture zoning regulations pertaining to hemp farming to ensure that land use practices are compatible with local development requirements and comprehensive plans. Camas provides preliminary environmental assessments and ensures that those assessments provide firm ground for the permitting process. Camas keeps you updated throughout the process so that you have an informed experience and achieve expected results.
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▪ Land Use Planning
▪ Industrial Hemp Land Use Approvals
▪ Phase I and Phase II ESA
▪ Environmental Reviews
▪ Alternative Analyses
▫ HUD/NEPA
▫ Exempt Findings
▫ Categorical Exclusions
▫ Environmental Assessments
▫ Environmental Impact Statements
▪ Mitigation Plans
STATE / FEDERAL PERMITTING
Camas helps our clients maneuver through state and federal permitting requirements across the United States. Whether your project must comply with state statutes, like CEQA and SEPA, or has federal requirements, such as NEPA or ESA compliance or FERC Licensing process, Camas is there to ensure that permitting is accomplished efficiently and correctly. Camas facilitates client and agency interactions that result in the shortest possible permitting timelines. By establishing these communication channels early in the process, Camas is able to develop permitting packages that are easily reviewed and approved by regulators. Both the client and relevant agencies are then confident that compliance measures meet the needs of all parties.
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▪ California Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreements
▪ Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Permits
▪ California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
▪ Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
▪ FERC Licensing
▪ FERC Dam & Public Safety
▪ NEPA Compliance
▪ Field Monitoring
▪ Biological Mitigation Measures
▪ Incidental Take Permits (State & Federal)
▪ SWPPP Development and Monitoring
COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS
Camas knows that compliance programs are essential to reducing client risk. Each project comes with its own specific environmental compliance measures and that maneuvering through all of the regulations can be overwhelming. Camas identifies and addresses every regulation and potential obstacle so our clients are aware of potential risk and how to mitigate them before they become a violation. Our experts comb through every detail within compliance documents and establishes a deliverable outlining the exact measures for compliance. Camas works closely with our clients throughout the process and provides innovative solutions to meet all compliance measures.
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▪ Endangered Species Act
▪ Clean Water Act
▪ Clean Air Act
▪ The National Environmental Policy Act
▪ California Environmental Quality Act
▪ Washington State Environmental Policy Act
▪ ISO 14001 Compliance Programs
SUSTAINABILITY & CONSERVATION
SUSTAINABILITY: Camas assists our clients with sustainable practices certifications in the winery and green building industries. We provide an initial facility/site review and assessment to determine eligibility based on current standards. We then prepare the certification application and provide up-to-date scenarios to meet sustainability goals while representing your best interests throughout the process.
CONSERVATION: Camas works with clients to meet their land conservation goals. From stream restoration, conservation land exchanges and easements, or simply the improvement of existing land use practices to be more responsive to current water and energy limitations, Camas is there to support your needs.
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▪ Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW)
▪ Sustainability in Practice (SIP)
▪ Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE)
▪ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
▪ Energy Star
▪National Green Building Standard
FEMA & DISASTER RESPONSE
FEMA & Disaster Response: Camas has extensive knowledge of the FEMA and Emergency Services regulatory filings requirements arena to obtain approvals for construction, maintenance, and restoration for rebuilding communities swiftly. Rebuilding requires complying with the local, state, and federal rules which is a core specialty for Camas. Our experience has enabled us to be highly effective within all governmental departments to rebuild communities. We can assist from the top tier of program management to the on the ground presence obtaining working directly with victims and local governments to obtain all necessary approvals in time and cost-sensitive manner. We bring to all situations a sound administration process to ensure audit compliance with restoration funds through a comprehensive tracking system for rapid reporting.
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▪ Regulatory Approvals
▪ Reporting & Filings
▪ Program Management/Facilitation
▪ Multi-Agency Agreements
▪ Environmental Monitoring
▪ NEPA Analysis
▪ Phase I & Phase II ESA
▪ Grant Administration Assistance
▪ Scientific & Socio-Economic Analysis
HUD PROGRAMS
Camas has a wealth of experience with HUD Grant Implementation. We have worked with personnel within all tiers of government to provide responsible entities with cost-efficient solutions that comply with NEPA standards.
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▪ Regulatory Approvals
▪ Reporting & Filings
▪ Multi-party Agreements
▪ Environmental Monitoring
▪ NEPA Analysis
▪ Phase I & Phase II ESA
▪ Grant Administration Assistance
▪ Scientific & Socio-Economic Analysis