NAWM

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the  March 19, 2025, NAWM Members’ Webinar: Invasive Plant Management at Restoration Sites

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Members' webinar: Invasive Plant Management at Rstoration Sites on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 3:00-4:30 pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose "NAWM Member Free Certificate" in the box below.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the questions.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit it to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation.

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the March 4, 2025 Hot Topics Webinar: Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part II

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Hot Topics webinar: “Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part II” on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 3:00-4:30pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose one of the options from the box below. (NAWM Member or Non-Member). To receive a free certificate, you must be a current member on the date the webinar is held.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the quiz.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit the certificate to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. 

National Wetland Condition Assessment: Federal and State Perspectives on the 3rd Collaborative Survey of Wetlands in the U.S.

Held Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Greg Serenbetz, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Presentation PDF]
• Joanna Lemly, Colorado Natural Heritage Program [Presentation PDF]
• Mike Bourdaghs, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency [Presentation PDF]

ABSTRACT

• Less than half of wetland area was rated good, based on an analysis of plant communities.
• Nonnative plants are a widespread concern.
• Physical alterations to wetlands are the most widespread stressors measured.
• Nutrient levels are elevated for some wetlands.
• Microcystins, a type of cyanobacteria toxin, were present, but at very low levels, posing minimal recreational human health concerns. 

Gregg Serenbetz is an Environmental Protection Specialist in U.S. EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds in Washington, DC. He began his career at EPA working on smart growth and coastal wetland initiatives before shifting to his current focus on wetland monitoring and assessment programs. He has been the project lead for the National Wetland Condition Assessment for the past 10 years.

Joanna Lemly is a wetland ecologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University where she leads CNHP’s work on wetland mapping, monitoring, and assessment. Joanna has worked with partners at the federal, state, and local levels to assess the condition of wetlands using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including EPA's National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)'s Riparian & Wetland Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (R&W AIM) program.

Michael Bourdaghs is an environmental research scientist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency where he has led wetland monitoring program development and implementation for the past twenty plus years.

Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part II

Held Tuesday, March 4, 2025 - 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation PDF]

MODERATOR

• Sara Johnson, Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA)

PRESENTERS [Presentation - PDF]

• Greg DeYoung, Westervelt Ecological Services
• Matt Gause, Westervelt Ecological Services
• Merrill Chester Gregg, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation
• Steven Martin, Mitigation Specialist, PWS
• Eric Olsen, Gunster 
• Stephanie Tom Coupe, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

BIOS

Sara Johnson is the Executive Director of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA). She is an attorney with a background in and passion for solutions to public environmental challenges that blend conservation and economic goals. Through her role with ERBA she advocates for policies that support environmental markets, including opportunities for mitigation, and convenes mitigation providers and agency partners. Prior to her position with ERBA, Johnson worked in the environmental compliance office of Patuxent River Naval Air Station on the Chesapeake Bay and as a law clerk with the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, D.C. Johnson holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Richmond and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia, where she served as the Articles Development Editor of the Virginia Environmental Law Journal. She is licensed to practice law in Virginia and California.

Steven Martin has 35 years of experience with compensatory mitigation, mitigation policy, and evaluation of mitigation projects. He has assisted non-profits and the private sector. He co-authored EPA’s mitigation bank and In-Lieu Fee Program review workbooks and checklists. He collaborated with ERBA and EPIC on quantitative and qualitative analyses of mitigation bank approvals. He is working with 2 ILF programs, the Coastal Virginia Conservancy and the Florida Keys Restoration Fund. He retired from the Corps’ Institute for Water Resources (IWR) as a mitigation specialist. He helped implement and administer RIBITS, taught compensatory mitigation policy and practices and helped developed guides to improve compensatory mitigation.  

Stephanie Tom Coupe is Senior Director of NFWF’s IDEA department, which receives and administers funds designated for the benefit of specific natural resources that arise from legal and regulatory proceedings. Prior to joining NFWF, Stephanie was a deputy director for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where she also served as a lawyer within the Office of General Counsel and graduated from the fish and game warden academy. Stephanie also worked in the Washington, DC Office of the California Governor on natural resources issues. Stephanie received her B.A. from the University of California at Davis and her J.D. from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law.

Greg DeYoung is a co-founder of Westervelt Ecological Services. Greg has four decades of experience in planning, environmental review, wetland mitigation, and endangered species conservation. His background includes the permitting of mitigation and conservation banks and large-scale mitigation projects in the West, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southeast. He is Vice President Emeritus, Westervelt Ecological Services, and also currently serves as Past President of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA). Greg has been a director for three non-profit conservation organizations: The Nevada County Land Trust, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, and the Whitney Oaks Wetland Conservancy. Mr. DeYoung holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).  

Merrill Gregg is the Director of Investments and Special Projects at Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation based in Dallas where she has worked for the past nine years. In this role, Merrill focuses on land protection, developing innovative conservation finance models, and leads oversight of the Foundation’s investment portfolio and mitigation bank endowments. Merrill also consults private foundations on conservation initiatives and is an active volunteer with park-focused organizations. Merrill serves on the board of Streams & Valleys and is an advisor for Good Natured, Mayor Mattie Parker’s effort to expand greenspace in Fort Worth, one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Merrill previously served on the board and finance committee of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, a joint Canada-U.S. nonprofit organization that works to protect one of the last intact mountain ecosystems left on Earth. Before her career in the nonprofit sector, Merrill worked in the investment banking industry in New York City and Hong Kong. She holds an AB in History and American Studies from Princeton University.  

Matt Gause is the Director of Operations for Westervelt Ecological Services and oversees land stewardship and ecological resource management on over 20,000 acres of conserved mitigation land across more than a dozen states in the US. Mr Gause is a restoration ecologist and botanist and has over thirty years of direct experience with habitat restoration, conservation, and long-term land stewardship of conserved lands. Prior to his current position Mr. Gause served as the Director of Land Stewardship and Ecological Resources for Westervelt.

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers; Presenters: Sara Johnson, Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA) and Matt Gause, Westervelt Ecological Services

Part 2: Presenters: • Greg DeYoung, Westervelt Ecological Services; Steven Martin, Mitigation Specialist, PWS; and Eric Olsen, Gunster

Part 2: Presenters: • Greg DeYoung, Westervelt Ecological Services; Steven Martin, Mitigation Specialist, PWS; and Eric Olsen, Gunster

Part 3: Presenters: Merrill Gregg, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Stephanie Tom Coupe, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Part 3: Presenters: Merrill Gregg, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Stephanie Tom Coupe, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Part 3>Part 4: Best Practices Round-Up: Presenters: Greg DeYoung, Westervelt Ecological Services and Stephanie Tom Coupe, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Part 4: Best Practices Round-Up

Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part I

Held Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation PDF]
• Sara Johnson, Ecological Restoration Business Association

PRESENTERS  [Presentation PDF]

• Michelle Mattson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Ken Powell, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Matt Gause, Westervelt

ABSTRACTS

Michell Mattson
The presentation provided an overview of the requirements of the Corps’ and EPA 2008 Mitigation Rule and USFWS 2003 Conservation Bank Guidelines as they relate to aspects of long-term management (LTM) planning; the Why, What, When and Who of LTM of compensatory mitigation sites, including the importance of LTM planning to sustain target ecosystem functions and services and the potential risks of not adequately providing LTM.

Ken Powell
Ken described key aspects of long-term management and monitoring associated with wetland banks in Minnesota under the state’s Wetland Conservation Act including the state’s long-term stewardship fund. 

Matt Gause
In part I of the LTM webinar Mr. Gause discussed the contents of a Long-term Management Plan and best practices for arranging for long-term stewardship at a mitigation site. In Part II Mr. Gause will be describing a method that can be used to estimate and arrive at an initial funding amount for the long-term stewardship fund (Endowment).     

BIOS

Michelle Lee Mattson is an ecologist with over 25 years of professional experience in ecosystem restoration, site assessment, and regulatory compliance as a consultant and Corps' regulator. Michelle is a compensatory mitigation subject matter expert (SME) for the Corps’ Institute for Water Resources (IWR) Regulatory Team supporting national and regional training courses. She has spent her career in the field working with restoration teams to design, install and monitor restoration projects and programs including developing mitigation banks and in-lieu fee programs. Michelle is also part of the Sustainable Rivers Program (SRP) tram, a partnership between the Corps and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to provide funding to Corps’ Districts to evaluate, test, and implement operational changes at existing infrastructure to improve environmental responses. 

Ken Powell supervises Minnesota’s primary wetland regulatory program, the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act. Ken is a professional wetland scientist and certified wildlife biologist with 30 years of experience working with wetlands in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.  

Matt Gause is the Director of Operations for Westervelt Ecological Services and oversees land stewardship and ecological resource management on over 20,000 acres of conserved mitigation land across more than a dozen states in the US. Mr. Gause is a restoration ecologist and botanist and has over thirty years of direct experience with habitat restoration, conservation, and long-term land stewardship of conserved lands. Prior to his current position Mr. Gause served as the Director of Land Stewardship and Ecological Resources for Westervelt. 

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers; Presenter: Michelle Mattson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Part 2: Presenters: Ken Powell, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and Matt Gause, Westervelt

Part 2: Presenters: Ken Powell, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and Matt Gause, Westervelt

Part 3: Moderator: Sara Johnson, Ecological Restoration Business Association

Part 3: Moderator: Sara Johnson, Ecological Restoration Business Association

View Past Hot Topics Webinars

PDF List of Past Hot Topics Webinar Recordings Here

View Upcoming Hot Topics Webinars

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the February 11, 2025, NAWM Hot Topics Webinar: Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part I

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Hot Topics webinar: “Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part I” on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, from 3:00-4:30pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose one of the options from the box below. (NAWM Member or Non-Member). To receive a free certificate, you must be a current member on the date the webinar is held.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the quiz.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit the certificate to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. 

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the January 22, 2025, NAWM Members’ Webinar: Ecology and Conservation of the Nation's Spring Ecosystems

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Members' webinar: Ecology and Conservation of the Nation's Spring Ecosystems on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose "NAWM Member Free Certificate" in the box below.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the questions.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit it to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation.

Tribal water quality and water resource staff are invited to join us and learn how to enhance your program’s capability to implement Clean Water Act (CWA) programs. The training will address CWA programs including Section 106, Section 319, Section 303(d), water quality standards, and wetlands and will be useful to Tribes who work on these programs or are interested in pursuing Treatment in a similar manner as a State (TAS) status for one or more programs. The training workshop will be targeted to Tribes who conduct water quality monitoring, issue water quality certifications, and address water quality issues, nonpoint source pollution, and impaired waters/TMDLs. Tribal staff from across the country are invited, although there will be a focus on examples and applications for Tribes in the Pacific Northwest.

The Pacific Northwest Tribal Clean Water Act Training is being organized by the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota GeoSpatial Services (SMUMN GSS), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

Training Workshop Dates and Location
When: November 17-20, 2025
Where: Tulalip, WA
Venue: Tulalip Resort Casino
       10200 Quil Ceda Blvd.
       Tulalip, WA 98271 

Save the Date Flyer

Agenda
This training is for tribal water quality and water resource staff, with a particular focus on examples and applications for Tribes in the Pacific Northwest. We want to develop a training that best meets your needs and priorities. In addition, we will be looking for tribal presenters to share their experiences and perspectives. If you are interested in presenting at the training workshop or providing input on training priorities and focus areas, please contact Portia Osborne, NAWM Assistant Director, at portia@nawm.org or (207) 892-3399.

Draft agenda outline is provided below. The full agenda will be posted when available.

Registration
The training workshop is open to Tribal water quality and water resource staff. There is no cost to attend the training. Registration is expected to late April 2025. 

Important Notice: Please note that due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding federal funding, the training could be canceled at any time. NAWM will notify registrants and update this page as soon as possible should any changes to the training plans be necessary due to a lack of funding.

Accommodations
A block of hotel rooms is available at the Tulalip Resort at a rate of $149/night for training workshop attendees for the nights of Sunday (11/16/25) through Wednesday (11/19/25). Hotel room reservations may be made by calling 866-716-7162 and providing the group name "NAWM CWA Training." Reservations must be made by October 16, 2025.

For More Information
If you have questions or would like to be included on the mailing list for the training, please reach out to Portia Osborne, NAWM Assistant Director, at portia@nawm.org or (207) 892-3399

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the August 28, 2024, NAWM Members’ Webinar: Innovative Approaches to Funding Living Shoreline Projects

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Members' webinar: Innovative Approaches to Funding Living Shoreline Projects on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 from 3:00-4:30 pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose "NAWM Member Free Certificate" in the box below.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the questions.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit it to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation.

How to Receive a Certificate of Attendance for the August 21, 2024, NAWM Beaver-related Restoration Webinar: Beaver Restoration and Management on Tribal Land

Using the ClassMarker online system, NAWM will ask you to certify that you attended the entire live NAWM Beaver-related Restoration webinar: “Beaver Restoration and Management on Tribal Land” on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, from 3:00-4:30pm Eastern.

Please do the following:

• Choose one of the options from the box below. (NAWM Member or Non-Member). To receive a free certificate, you must be a current member on the date the webinar is held.
• Once you are in ClassMarker, click on Start and enter your email address and create a password.
• Do not click on Log in and Resume. The Resume button is there in case you misplace this specific certificate and need to retrieve it again. It won’t work for future webinar certificates.
• You will need to create a new password for each webinar certificate you wish to obtain.
• Then follow the prompts and enter your name as you wish it to appear on your certificate and answer the 2 questions about membership and attending the live webinar.

Answering “yes” to the question about your attendance will automatically qualify you to receive a certificate for your attendance. Answering “no” will result in no certificate being issued.

You will be prompted to download your Certificate of Attendance from ClassMarker after you complete the quiz.

Once you download your certificate, you can then submit the certificate to the accrediting organization of your choice to potentially receive continuing education units/credits. 

All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. 

Beaver Restoration and Management on Tribal Land

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. EDT 

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation - PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Skip Lisle, Beaver Deceivers International [Presentation - PDF]
• Allison Warner, The Tulalip Tribes [Presentation - PDF]

BIOS

Skip Lisle is a Wildlife and Beaver Biologist, inventor, and entrepreneur who received a BS in Geography from Plymouth State (NH) and a MS in Wildlife Management from UMaine. His broad specialty is the history of beaver-created wetlands, their significance from a landscape perspective, and improving wildlife habitats. He began his professional Wildlife career working for the Penobscot Indian Nation in Maine inventing numerous beaver co-existence devices. These unique products, which are the sole intellectual property of the Penobscot Nation, allowed them to likely become the first large landowners (ca. 330,000 acres) in the world to beaver-proof all their roads (334 miles). Skip started his own business, Beaver Deceivers, LLC, in 2001, to continue advancing beaver coexistence devices.  

Allison Warner has served as the Wetland Program Coordinator, at Quil Ceda Village, in Tulalip, WA since 2008. A wetland and wildland ecologist, she maps, rates, and delineates wetlands, plans restoration and mitigation projects, as well as implements and maintains those projects. Allison assists Quil Ceda Village with strategic planning, federal and tribal permitting; and she developed the first tribal In-Lieu Fee program in the US for the Tulalip Tribes, which was signed by the Army Corps, EPA and Tulalip Tribes in 2013. Allison graduated from University of California Berkeley in 1993, with a Masters in Wildland Ecology from the UCB Forestry Department. She began her career in flood restoration and logging road decommissioning; conducting watershed analysis and ecological assessments for the US Forest Service in Washington State. Allison served on diversity committee for the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and also for Snohomish County, WA when employed there as a wetland biologist. Allison is non-tribal but has been a life-long supporter of tribal sovereignty.

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers;
Presenter: Skip Lisle, Beaver Deceivers International

Part 2: Presenter: Allison Warner, The Tulalip Tribes

Part 2: Presenter: Allison Warner, The Tulalip Tribes
Questions & Answers

Beaver Restoration by Federal Agencies

Held Wednesday, June 5, 2024 - 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. ET

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation - PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Brian Bangs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Presentation - PDF]
• Ashley Hom, U.S. Forest Service [Presentation - PDF]
• Ethan Ellsworth, Bureau of Land Management [Presentation - PDF]

BIOS

Ashley Hom is a Tribal and Indigenous Integrator with the U.S. Forest Service. She bridges Indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship and ensures tribal perspectives are integrated into national partnerships while facilitating connections between federal agencies and tribal nations. Ashley recently aided in establishing the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) to empower Indigenous youth and preserve traditional knowledge. Before her current role, Ashley spent over a decade as a Forest Service hydrologist, implementing large-scale restoration projects like the beaver-based efforts in Colorado’s Trail Creek. With this background in ecological restoration and scientific expertise combined with deep respect for Indigenous wisdom, her mission is to create an inclusive, holistic approach to land stewardship that honors the interconnectedness of all life and amplifies the invaluable insights of Indigenous communities.   

Ethan Ellsworth is the Program Lead for BLM Idaho's Aquatic Resources and Threatened and Endangered Species Programs. Stream restoration is a major focus of Ethan's job, and working with partners to reintroduce beaver to degraded watersheds is particularly rewarding. Ethan grew up in Wisconsin where he spent as much time as possible on the water. He has a B.S. in Biology Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a M.S. in Raptor Biology from Boise State, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Resources from University of Idaho.


 

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers;
Presenter: Brian Bangs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Part 2: Presenter: Ashley Hom, U.S. Forest Service

Part 2: Part 2: Presenter: Ashley Hom, U.S. Forest Service

Part 2: Presenter: Ethan Ellsworth, Bureau of Land Management Questions & Answers

Part 3: Presenter; Ethan Ellsworth, Bureau of Land Management
Questions & Answers

Navigating the Permitting and Regulatory Environment of Beaver-Related Projects: A Panel Discussion

Held Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT 

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers [Presentation - PDF]

PANELISTS:

• Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute
• Alexa Whipple, Methow Beaver Project
• Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute
• Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute

BIOS

Adam Burnett serves as the executive director of the Beaver Institute after a career of building and running non-profits in the performing arts and environmental conservation. He received his BA from the University of Kansas in Theatre and spent a dozen years as the co-founder and artistic director of Buran Theatre. Stewarding intentional communities, reaching consensus, and manifesting opportunities for plurality are traits he relies upon in leading Beaver Institute. 

Alexa Whipple is a restoration ecologist, a collaborator, and the Project Director for the Methow Beaver Project. She works for sustainability in all practices and effective, process-based solutions to challenging environmental conditions. She has called the Methow and Okanogan River watersheds of WA State home for the last 23 years but has worked across the western US studying songbirds, carnivores, plant communities, agricultural practices that sustain habitat and wildlife, and post-wildfire recovery of western riverscapes. Alexa completed her BS in Wildlife Biology at Virginia Tech and MS in Restoration Ecology at Eastern Washington University where she focused on beaver ecology and beaver mediated restoration of legacy degraded and wildfire impacted streams across western NA.

Rob Walton currently serves as the co-chair of the Beaver Institute’s Policy/ Legal National Working Group. He is retired from NOAA’s fisheries service where he focused on salmon recovery. Rob continues to work on the recovery of ESA-listed salmon species through restoration and protection of habitat- especially beaver modified habitat. 



 
Mike Callahan began his beaver management work in 1998, started his Massachusetts-based business Beaver Solutions LLC in 2000 and has personally resolved over 2,000 beaver-related flooding problems using innovative water control devices. To share his vast experience and train others across North America and beyond he founded the nonprofit Beaver Institute in 2017 and developed its BeaverCorps Program that trains and certifies Beaver Wetland Professionals.

Mike shared his wealth of knowledge on various beaver management techniques, some examples of effective permitting processes, as well as examples of the often confusing, conflicting and counter-productive permitting processes that he and others across North America encounter on a regular basis.

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers

Part 1: Introduction: Ian Grosfelt, National Association of Wetland Managers; Panelists: Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute; Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute; Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute; and Alexa Whipple, Methow Beaver Project;

Part 2: Panelists: Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute; Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute; and Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute

Part 2: Panelists: Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute; Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute; and Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute

Part 2: Panelists: Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute; Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute; and Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute; and Alexa Whipple, Methow Beaver Project Questions & Answers

Part 3: Panelists: Mike Callahan, The Beaver Institute; Rob Walton, The Beaver Institute; and Adam Burnett, The Beaver Institute; and Alexa Whipple, Methow Beaver Project
Questions & Answers

See the NAWM-BLM Beaver-Related Restoration Training Series