Richard Pratt Scientist IV

Education Rick has 30 years of experience as a biologist and has participated in projects that MS, Oceanography and Coastal involve wetlands and wetland delineation, streams, mitigation design, mitigation Sciences, 1998, Louisiana State monitoring, fisheries assessments, and ESA throughout the Pacific Northwest. He is University well-versed in providing independent reviews and evaluations of ecological systems BS, Environmental Studies, and the interpretation of regulatory assessments, permitting, and compliance 1989, Huxley College of documents. Rick has conducted thorough and scientifically defensible wetland studies Environmental Studies for public and private sector clients throughout the Puget Sound area. In addition, Certification while a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) liaison at the Certified Erosion and Sediment Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), he recommended issuance or denial of Control Lead, 2015 Washington State Wetland Department of Army permit for projects based on compliance with Section 404 of Rating System, September 2014 the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbor Act, Endangered Species U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Act (ESA), Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSA), Regulatory IIA, December 2007 and other regulations. He has conducted presentations to the public, trained Hydric Soils, January 2007 regulatory staff and other environmental professionals on wetland plant identification, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers delineation techniques, and environmental documentation and permitting. Rick has Regulatory I, September 2006 extensive experience in both design of wetland mitigation and monitory mitigation for Dept. Transportation, Cultural regulatory compliance. His stream experience includes determining stream’s ordinary Resources Training, October high water mark and regulatory jurisdiction for both western Washington and the arid 2006 west regions. Rick has worked on numerous projects with documentation from Washington State Wetland Rating System, January 2006 simple discipline reports to EISs throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also is familiar Advanced Hydric Soils, May with the requirements of both SEPA and NEPA. 1996 Professional Affiliations Representative Experience: Society of Wetland Scientists Point Wells Redevelopment Project, for BSRE Point Wells LP, Snohomish County, Washington Years of Experience Rick conducted the environmental assessment for wetland, streams, and the coastal 30 ordinary high water for a shoreline redevelopment of a brown field site. DEA provide innovative design expertise for permitting and mitigation along 0.6 miles of Puget Sound shoreline. The proposed shoreline restoration will create 8 acres of new near shore habitat. Rick produced the critical areas and mitigation design documentation and participated in public hearing for the development.

Sound Transit SR 522/NE 145th Street NE Bus Rapid Transit, for North Lake Washington Cities, Washington Rick is a critical area biologist for this new BRT service along an 8 mile corridor along North Lake Washington from I-5 to Woodinville proposed by Sound Transit as part of the ST3 funding package. Work included wetland and stream delineation, wetland and stream rating and classification, preparation of an ecosystems technical report, contribution to the project SEPA Checklist, and agency coordination.

SR 202/Evans Creek and Patterson Creek Fish Passage Design-Build, for WSDOT, King County, Washington Rick was a biologist for this design-build project—one of the first in the state that addresses fish barriers on the federal injunction list. This project replaced existing fish barrier culverts crossing SR 202 at Evans Creek, Patterson Creek, West Tributary to Patterson Creek, and East Tributary to Patterson Creek with fish passable water crossing structures. The project provided stream restoration in the immediate vicinity of the crossings. DEA’s responsibility included water crossing and structure designs, PS&E, acquiring environmental permits as an authorized agent of WSDOT, analyzing impacts to wetland and stream habitats, preparation of environmental technical reports, and facilitating the temporary and permanent adjustment/relocation of utilities. Rick conducted critical areas, project impacts and produced permitting documentation for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The project includes impacts to wetlands and streams. Rick also worked with the DEA team for construction support on fish removal at the culvert sites.

Upper Hoh River Road Bank Stabilization and Bridge Replacement, for FHWA Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Jefferson County, Washington Rick conducted the wetland delineation and produced existing conditions and mitigation documents for natural resources and permitting for a bank stabilization project along the Hoh River on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. The project involved wetland and stream delineation as well as identification of ordinary high water mark in a challenging riverine environment.

First Creek Assessment and Restoration Planning, for Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Tacoma, Washington DEA assisted the tribal government in a restoration and improvement project near the tribal casino in Tacoma Washington. Rick confirmed existing critical areas information and coordinated with the City on opportunities for restoration on the site. DEA developed multiple options for restoration and recreation for tribal review.

Stonewater Creek/29th Development Project, for Private Developer, Mill Creek, Washington DEA assisted the residential development on 29th Ave in Mill Creek, Washington. Rick lead the critical areas assessment, prepared environmental documents, and mitigating plans. In addition Rick and DEA conducted construction compliance mitigation instillation.

Tokul Residential Lot, for Private Developer, Snoqualmie, Washington Rick assisted a client in a site assessment of a residential lot near Tokul Creek, Snoqualmie Washington. Rick assessed critical areas, developed permit documentation, and coordinated with King County.

Eagle County Airport De-icing Facility, for Eagle County, Colorado Rick assessed wetlands and streams for a de-icing facility at the Eagle County Airport near Vail, Colorado. Project fills a portion of stream adjacent to the airport taxiway. The stream and associated wetlands were delineated. Permitting and mitigation for the impacts were completed with the Corps of Engineers.

35th/36th Avenue West Improvements, for City of Lynnwood and Snohomish County, Washington Rick is the wetland biologist working on a key one-mile-long, north-south corridor linking the City of Lynnwood and Snohomish County. Rick performed multiple rounds of field work, prepared wetland and stream rating and classifications, prepared a Critical Areas Report and subsequent supporting narratives, developed wetland mitigation options, and conducted agency coordination.

88th Avenue Sidewalk Safety Improvements, for City of Bothell, Washington Rick was the lead biologist for this project for the City of Bothell. Rick supervised the Critical Areas Report and Conceptual and Final Stream Buffer Mitigation Plan. Rick coordinated with the City and regulatory agencies for mitigation and permitting.

NE 124th Avenue NE Pedestrian Improvements, for City of Kirkland, Washington Rick is a biologist for this project for the City of Kirkland. Rick prepared the Critical Areas Report and Conceptual and Final Wetland and Stream Buffer Mitigation Plan. The City requested DEA to assist them in using this project as a case study as the first transportation project to use the City’s new programmatic permit process under their revised Critical Areas Ordinance.

Bucklin Hill Road/Nels Nelson Road Intersection Improvements, for Kitsap County, Washington DEA is assisting Kitsap County with road improvements at the intersection of NW Bucklin Hill Road and Nels Nelson Road NW near Silverdale, WA. Project involves road widening, installation of turn lanes, improvement of sight lines, signalization, and drainage improvements. Rick is the lead for environmental, conducting wetland and stream delineations, preparing the Critical Areas Report, and coordinating with the County and regulatory agencies regarding impacts to aquatic areas and relevant mitigation.

Gig Harbor 38th Avenue Widening Project, for City of Gig Harbor Public Works, Gig Harbor, Washington Rick was the lead for preparation of a Critical Areas Report for this pedestrian improvement project in Gig Harbor, WA. Work included the wetland and stream delineation, the critical areas report, and the mitigating report.

SR546 Power Pole Realignment, for Whatcom County, Washington Rick was the wetland biologist for assessment of critical area along a realignment of an existing powerline corridor east of Bellingham. All wetlands and streams were delineated and assessed for critical areas permitting.

Pleasant Acres Lane Access Road Improvement, for Puget Sound Energy, Washington Rick is the wetland biologist for evaluation of a new permanent access road to a key turning point pole along an existing PSE transmission line in central Whidbey Island, south of Coupeville. This access road involves direct impacts to a high quality wetland. DEA provided wetland delineation, classification, mitigation analysis, survey, and permitting services for PSE to allow construction of this access road.

Upper Tokul Creek Bridge Replacement, for King County, Washington Built in 1965, Upper Tokul Creek Bridge serves roughly 400 vehicles per day and provides sole access for approximately 50 homes and one access point for logging operations. King County selected DEA to design a replacement bridge that meets updated requirements. DEA’s responsibilities include environmental services, developing a bridge type, size, and location (TS&L) analysis, bridge and roadway approach design, drainage design and hydraulics, waterway vertical and horizontal clearances, and community outreach. As DEA’s biologist, Rick assessed and coordinated with the project team on critical areas, impact avoidance and permitting.

Puyallup Cemetery Access Road, for Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Federal Way, Washington Rick assisted the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to document existing environmental conditions and potential impacts of a new access road to a parcel of tribal land to potentially be used for a new cemetery. Work included delineating wetlands and streams on the property, including a large riparian wetland mosaic associated with Hylebos Creek.

Centennial Trail: Woodinville to Snohomish, for Snohomish County, Washington DEA is assisting Snohomish County Parks with analysis, design, and permitting of a new 12-mile extension of the existing Centennial Trail system in Snohomish County, Washington. Rick is the field lead for environmental work on the project, which has included extensive wetland and stream delineations along the entire 12-mile corridor. DEA has identified, mapped and classified approximately 60 wetlands, 40 streams, and 40 jurisdictional ditches along the corridor. Rick produced a comprehensive Critical Area Study documenting the results of the fieldwork and analyzing potential project impacts, based on 30% design.

120th Water Quality Monitoring, for Bellevue BMW (sub to Lance Mueller Associates), Bellevue, Washington Rick provided ongoing water quality monitoring during the construction of a new BMW auto dealership in Bellevue at the location of a former Lowes Home Improvement store. Task required monitoring of turbidity and pH into a large offsite wetland. During construction, Rick worked closely with the contractor and the owner to deal with an ongoing problem with high pH in site runoff. Project was successfully concluded with the City of Bellevue in 2020.

Mitigation Monitoring: Rick is the primary wetland monitoring biologist for DEA’s PSR Region. Some of his recent monitoring projects include the following:

• Shoreline Mitigation Monitoring, for TEMCO, Tacoma, Washington Rick provided Tacoma Export Marketing Company, a grain elevator and ship loading facility in Tacoma, with mitigation monitoring services. Rick conducted field work, wrote annual monitoring reports, and coordinated with regulatory agencies. Monitoring was accepted as complete in 2020.

• Maple Avenue Aquatic Center Mitigation Monitoring, for Snohomish County School District, Snohomish, Washington Rick provided the Snohomish County School District with wetland mitigation monitoring services at the Maple Avenue Aquatic Center. Monitoring is currently in year six of seven. Work involves extensive coordination with the school district to manage maintenance on the site.

• Environmental Services, for McClean Iron Works, Everett, Washington DEA provided engineering and environmental services to McClean Iron Works for the design and permitting of a new 45,000 square foot steel fabrication facility along the Snohomish River. This project received an Industrial Reasonable Use permit from the city of Everett, the first ever granted, because 90 percent of the project area was restricted by a shoreline setback. Additional environmental regulatory compliance was coordinated with numerous agencies, including the USACE, DOE, NMFS, WDFW, as well as the city. More than 850 feet of fish habitat and shoreline enhancement supported a successful project. DEA also prepared the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) needed for the industrial stormwater NPDES permit. DEA continues to support the project by conducting mitigation monitoring for the fabrication facility and other projects on the site.

• Bellevue Yarrow Tributary and Forest Hills Mitigation Monitoring, for the City of Bellevue, Washington Rick is providing critical area buffer mitigation monitoring for the City of Bellevue at two recent construction sites. Work involves field work, annual monitoring report writing, and agency coordination.

• Point Wells Urban Center Redevelopment Project, for BSRE Point Wells LP, Snohomish County, Washington During the course of this project, DEA has provided innovative design expertise for permitting and mitigation along 0.6 miles of Puget Sound shoreline. Rick conducted the environmental assessment for wetland, streams, and the coastal ordinary high water for a shoreline redevelopment of a brown field site. The proposed shoreline restoration will create 8 acres of new near shore habitat. Rick produced the critical areas and mitigation design documentation and participated in public hearing for the development.

Experience Prior to DEA:

Systemwide Railway Permitting Assistance – Environmental Permitting / Biology Coordination Assistance, for BNSF, United States Rick is providing assistance with environmental permitting needs as it pertains to biological coordination for over 100 Corps and NPDES projects for sidings, yards, bridges/ structures, communications systems, various infrastructure improvements, and natural event emergencies. Rick was responsible for assisting in project construction compliance management and documentation.

NEPA/SEPA Procedures, for WSDOT, Washington During his employment at WSDOT, Rick worked with a dedicated team to develop tools and procedures to assure WSDOT complies with the National Environmental Protection Act and State Environmental Protection Act (NEPA/SEPA). He wrote WSDOT’s procedure for conduction discipline studies and developing NEPA/SEPA documents and developed a document cost database to assess expected costs for WSDOT document development. Rick also conducted an assessment of comments by WSDOT and Federal Lead Agency on NEPA/SEPA documents to assist authors. He developed a supporting document to assist both authors and reviewers to assure timely NEPA/SEPA process and documents and worked to update NEPA/SEPA process with passage of the MAP-21 legislation. Rick assured the WSDOT’s performance standards for Federal Highway Administration are tracked and compliant.

WSDOT Liaison, for USACE, Washington During his four-year tenure at the US Army Corps of Engineers, Rick managed evaluation of permit applications for large and small transportation and federally funded projects in waters of the U.S. pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbor Act. He coordinated Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSA) actions in association with permit issuance. Rick was also responsible for reviewing, researching, and interpreting policy documents, laws, and regulations. He communicated with the applicants, WSDOT, resources agencies, local governments and agencies.

Rick recommend issuance or denial of Department of Army permit for proposed projects based on findings. He collected and evaluated necessary data to assess natural resource impacts and conducted jurisdictional determinations and wetland delineations for proposed projects. Rick also conducted inspections of Department of Army authorized projects to determine compliance with permit conditions. He conducted review of wetland mitigation monitoring and determined compliance with permit conditions and evaluated and determined acceptance or contingencies for completed wetland mitigation projects.

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Permit Application, for USACE, King County, Washington As project manager, Rick managed the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East permit application. He managed the response to emergency flood damage of transportation infrastructure. He represent the Corps on the Multiagency Permit Team. He conducted outreach and training on the 2007 Nation Wide Permits, Jurisdictional Determinations guidance, and wetland impact assessment to WSDOT environmental staff. He conducted training on wetland grasses to the Corps of Engineers staff.

Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Steven Fisheries Conservation Act, for USACE, Seattle, Washington As project manager, Rick was responsible for reviewing biological assessments and no effect determinations as part of the Section 404 process. He Incorporated biological opinions and conservation recommendations for aquatic species into the permit conditions. He researched and wrote biological assessments for estuarine and freshwater systems. Rick conducted stream and fish assessment in Washington and Idaho and performed additional field studies to assess stream flow, water quality, nutrient loading, aquatic benthic community assessment, calculate B-IBI, and analyze metric results. Rick also trained and conducted marine marbled murrelets survey and identification of immature age classes.

Environmental Assessment for Mason County SR 3 Replacement Study, for Mason County, Washington Rick conducted assessment for wetland and streams for 75 miles of proposed roadway alignment from Belfair to Shelton, Washington. He was involved in all field identification of wetlands and streams, and coordinating multiple reviews with the project engineering staff.

Wetland Mitigation Site Monitoring, for Emerald Downs Racetrack, Auburn, Washington Rick served as project manager for the 15-year mitigation monitoring period. He supervised staff in conducting and documenting the regulatory compliance documents for the racetrack’s mitigation. He coordinated with both the client and regulatory agencies to provide regulatory status of the mitigation compliance.