District 6 Environmental Planning
The Central Region Environmental Division serves the environmental needs of the California Central Valley and Central Coast. It consists of a multi-disciplinary team of over 168 individuals with specialties in a wide range of areas such as, archaeological resources, architectural history, biology, air, noise and water quality, hazardous materials testing, paleontology and graphic design. The Division administers Caltran's responsibilities under federal and state law in response to the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in 1969, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in 1973. In response to the passage of a host of environmentally related laws and regulations and heightened public support for the environment, these responsibilities have grown to become a substantive and inseparable part of Caltrans' planning, development, construction, operation and maintenance efforts.
"We continue to smooth the path for all of Caltrans in the work we do with resource agencies. The communication and cooperation we are developing with agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are benefiting not only the Central Region, but every part of this state as well."
Mission and Goals Statement
The Central Region Environmental Division is a critical functional unit, which must have a clear vision to be successful. Our primary vision, which we share with all of the District Offices, is to ensure the timely delivery of environmentally sound projects.
Central Region Environmental is responsible for state highway projects in 20 counties in the Central Valley, which are engaged in planning, design, supervision and management of California's key transportation infrastructure.
The Central Region counties are broken down by District as follows:
- District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
- District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
- District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Contact Information:
Harpreet Binning - (Acting) Division Chief, Central Region Environmental - (559) 573-5864
Jennifer Farrell - Branch Chief - (559) 903-0490
- Environmental Support Services Branch, Budget, Supplies, Training, Student Assistant Program
District - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Philip Vallejo - Office Chief - Division Management North - District 10 - (559) 470-7910
John Thomas - Branch Chief - (559) 408-4496
- Large and Minor Projects
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
David Ewing - Branch Chief - (559) 832-0038
- Document Support Services, Graphic Design Services, Public Meetings and Public Hearings
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Jeanne Binning - Senior Specialist - (559) 383-5204
- Cultural Resource Services
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Aubrie Morlet - Branch Chief - (559) 908-2042
- Southern San Joaquin Valley Cultural Resource Branch
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Scott Guidi - Branch Chief (Acting) - (209) 990-5719
- Large and Minor Projects
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Jaycee Azevedo - Branch Chief - (209) 941-1919
- Large and Minor Projects
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Ben Broyles - Branch Chief - (209) 942-6157
- Cultural Resources
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Javier Almaguer - (Acting) Office Chief - Division Management Biology - Districts 5, 6 and 10 - (559) 287-9320
Morgan Robertson - Branch Chief - (805) 542-4684
- Biology
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Karen Holmes
- Branch Chief
- (805) 542-4794
- Permitting and Mitigation
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Dena Gonzalez - Branch Chief - (559) 978-6865
- Biology
District 6
- Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin,
Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Javier Almaguer - Branch Chief - (559) 287-9320
- Biology
District 6
- Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10
- Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus,
and Tuolumne Counties
David Johnson - Branch Chief - (559) 341-0737
- Biology
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
Jim Henke, Jr - Branch Chief - (209) 932-2337
- Biology
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Jennifer Moonjian - Senior Specialist - (805) 542-4763
- Mitigation Specialist
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Kari Dansika - Southern San Joaquin Valley Mitigation Specialist and AB1282 Environmental Project Manager - (559) 383-5329
- Mitigation Specialist
Kristen Merriman - Senior Mitigation Specialist - (559) 341-0943
District 10 - Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Jennifer Taylor - Office Chief - Division Management South - District 6 - (559) 287-9844
Haesun (Sonny) Lim - Branch Chief - (559) 970-2348
- Environmental Workload & Contracts Management Branch, Task Management, Data Management
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Richard Putler - Branch Chief - (559) 304-6599
- Large and Minor Projects
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
Trais Norris - Branch Chief - (209) 601-3521
- Large and Minor Projects
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
Juergen Vespermann - Branch Chief - (559) 970-2348
- Large and Minor Projects
District 6 - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
Michael Leongson - Branch Chief - (559) 970-2272
- Hazardous Waste and Paleontology
District 6
- Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10
- Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus,
and Tuolumne Counties
Ken Romero - Branch Chief - (559) 593-5891
- Environmental Engineering, Air Quality, Noise Studies
District 5
- Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz
Counties
District 6
- Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10
- Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and
Tuolumne Counties
Mazin Al Ali - Branch Chief - (559) 908-6061
- NPDES/Stormwater Manager
District 5 -
Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz
Counties
District 6
- Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties
District 10
- Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus,
and Tuolumne Counties
John Luchetta - Office Chief - Division Management Coast - District 5 - (805) 549-3175
Matt Fowler - Branch Chief - (805) 542-4603
- Large and Minor Projects
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Lara Bertaina - Branch Chief - (805) 542-4610
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Jason Wilkinson - Branch Chief - (805) 542-4663
- Large and Minor Projects
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Krista Kiaha - Branch Chief - (805) 549-3669
- Cultural Resources
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Karl Mikel - Branch Chief - (805) 542-4735
- Paleontology, Water Quality, and Hazardous Waste
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Mitch Dallas - Senior Specialist - (805) 542-4662
- Coastal Commission Specialist
District 5 - Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties
Ed Schefter - Specialist - (805) 549-3653
- GIS
All Counties in Central Region - District 5, District 6, and District 10
Environmental Planners
Environmental Planners are part of an interdisciplinary team, who integrate social, economic, and environmental elements of systems and project planning into statewide and interregional facilities planning and development. They develop, evaluate, and mitigate a wide variety of environmental planning and project activities.
The Environmental Planner takes an active role in transportation systems planning and project development. A major responsibility of the Environmental Planner includes the preparation of an environmental analysis of proposed projects and design alternatives, as well as identifying environmental impacts of transportation systems and corridors. Their critical responsibility is to work with the project design engineer to avoid, minimize, or mitigate project impacts. A Planner must prepare and process environmental documents for transportation systems projects in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws regulations and policies. The Environmental Planner must also review the environmental documents of local, state and federal agencies and prepare inventories and analyses of existing and future environmental conditions.
Typically, the Environmental Planner will:
- Prepare and process environmental documents mandated by federal and state laws and regulations and, as a team member must assess the consequences to the environment of transportation alternatives and formulate environmental mitigation measures for these alternatives.
- Perform research within area of expertise, monitor and evaluate research findings performed by out-service personnel and contract consultants.
- Participate as a departmental representative on environmental issues at public or private meetings and/or hearings and legislative hearing.
NEPA Delegation
What are NEPA and CEQA?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) defines procedures for environmental review and impact analysis of projects that need approval by federal agencies. The purpose of NEPA is to ensure that environmental factors are weighted equally when compared to other factors in the decision making process. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does the same for projects that need approval by state or local agencies. Both laws require that the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project be assessed, quantified, disclosed, minimized, eliminated and/or mitigated whenever possible.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies pursuant to 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulation) 1500, to consider potential environmental effects of their programs by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
NEPA's purpose is to:
- Declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and the environment
- Promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man
- Enrich the understanding of ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation
- Establish a Council on Environmental Quality
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code (PCR) Section 21000, requires local and state governments to consider the potential environmental effects of a project before a decision whether to approve a project or not.
CEQA's purpose is to:
- Disclose the potential impacts of a project to government decision makers and the public about the potential significant environmental effects of proposed activities
- Suggest methods to minimize those impacts to the environment
- Identify alternatives to the project
- Enhance Public Participation