Dudek

Esri has recognized Mapping and Surveying Practice Director Steven Hochart as a 2025 AEC GIS Hero! 🌟 GIS Heroes are 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐄𝐂 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 who inspire others to reimagine how GIS can help them work better.  Steve leads Dudek’s mapping and surveying team with a forward-thinking approach, seeking innovative solutions to improve team collaboration and project delivery.   Notably, he spearheaded the team’s development of an 𝐄𝐬𝐫𝐢-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 for CAD and GIS integration, which streamlines project management and provides clients and project teams with real-time access to survey data. Steve credits Dudek’s entire Mapping and Surveying Team for their dedication to supporting clients with innovative new solutions to GIS and land surveying projects.  His leadership helps Dudek continue to push the boundaries of how GIS can be used to solve complex challenges, improve collaboration, and deliver meaningful results for clients. Congratulations, Steve!

Employee ownership fosters accountability, long-term thinking, and a deeper commitment to our work, each other, and clients. As a 100% employee-owned firm, the spirit of ownership is a driving force behind how we work. It shapes our culture, guides our decisions, and aligns us around shared success. Fire Protection Planner Austin Ott said it well: “We all have a stake in the outcome. We own our results and we celebrate the wins together. That’s the power of employee ownership—it turns a job into something we’re all building.” In celebration of #EmployeeOwnershipMonth, we asked a few of more employee-owners to reflect on what ownership means to them and how they bring that mindset to their work each day. ➡️ Swipe through to hear from some of our proud employee-owners, including Henry Eckold, Daniel Hoffman, Susan Jennings, Austin Ott, Peter Trotta, Kate Palmer, and Markus Lang. #EOMonth

Habitat conservation plans (HCP) can be a critical strategy for reducing wildfire risk and safeguarding ecosystems and communities in fire-prone, densely forested landscapes. At the National HCP Coalition Annual Meeting, Michael Henry will share how fuels management strategies are being integrated with species habitat modeling in an innovative approach to land stewardship and HCP implementation. Connect with Michael to learn more! 

⚡ We're #hiring for new mid- and senior-level roles in Compliance, Mapping and Surveying, Biology, Fire Protection, and Environment, Health, and Safety! ➡️ Explore open positions and apply to join Dudek in doing work that matters, helping clients improve and protect the built and natural environment. https://bit.ly/4nKP4oG 📨 Subscribe to our Talent Community newsletter to receive updates when there are new open positions that match your interests: https://bit.ly/3zenZ98 #environmentalcareers #biology #surveying #urbanforestry #safety

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫.💧 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 98% 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞. But just a decade ago, California faced a future without reliable access to this vital resource. Thanks to the development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), communities across the state are taking steps to support sustainable groundwater use. These plans facilitate: - 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, helping aquifers remain viable for future generations - 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, enabling communities to better withstand droughts and benefit from wet years - 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, ensuring access to clean water for all, including underserved communities and Tribes - 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, empowering communities with accurate insights to manage water responsibly and transparently “𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 10 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘚𝘗𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦.” — Jill Weinberger, PhD, Principal Hydrogeologist Learn more about innovative community-driven water solutions: https://bit.ly/4lFZLrt #Groundwater #SGMA #DroughtResilience

Shifting regulations, shrinking budgets, and urgent social needs call for speed and foresight with project delivery. On‑call contracts help agencies and developers quickly mobilize their consultants to provide 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, enabling 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬. 🗨️ Project Manager Alex Hardy said: “𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴.” ➡️ Swipe to hear from COO Eric Wilson, Senior Engineering PM Russ Bergholz, and Principal Restoration Ecologist Michael Sweesy to see how on-call contracts help agencies and developers maximize value. Then, 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐧-𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 here: https://bit.ly/3VO6y7l

Thinking about taking the AICP exam? Preparation is key. 🔑 We have 7 smart strategies to help you prep with confidence and pass with purpose. These tips are designed to help planners work smarter, not harder, on their path to certification. Whether you're just starting or deep into prep, we’ll help you stay focused and reduce stress before the big day. Get our tips for AICP test prep success: https://bit.ly/3AkSlCl

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐣𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭. California has approved the 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 to support preservation of the tree while still enabling development. Senior Biologist Megan Enright said: “𝘛𝘩𝘦 2025 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢. 𝘉𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.” 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧? 🌄 Expanded Habitat Protections: More areas across the Mojave and Western deserts are now protected. 🚧 Stricter Rules for Development: New regulations for projects near Joshua trees help safeguard critical habitat. 🔄 Flexible Permit Options: Developers can choose between a WJTCA permit or a traditional CESA Incidental Take Permit, depending on project needs. 🏛️ Streamlined Permitting: Cities and counties can now issue certain permits, making the process faster and more locally responsive. 💰 Enhanced Funding: Increased in-lieu fees and broader eligibility for mitigation banking support ongoing conservation. 💵 Standardized Mitigation Fees: A single, predictable fee replaces complex case-by-case requirements. 🤝 Community Engagement: Developers must consult with local tribes and conservation groups before starting projects. Learn more about the impacts of the plan, including tips for navigating changes: https://bit.ly/4pT5H2W #Conservation #Permitting

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬; 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠! The Monterey Fire Department, together with the City of Monterey, City of Pacific Grove, and City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, developed a 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 (𝐂𝐖𝐏𝐏) to proactively reduce wildfire risks and strengthen community resilience. With a plan area covering 8,089 acres, home to nearly 47,000 residents, the CWPP addresses the challenges of older neighborhoods and overlapping jurisdictions. 𝐂𝐖𝐏𝐏 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 🔥 Identifies wildfire risks and prioritizes mitigation strategies 🧭 Aligns local priorities across three cities into one unified plan 🛠️ Integrates tools used by CalFire and Pebble Beach Community Services District to enhance preparedness 📈 Boosts grant eligibility for wildfire prevention projects 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 about how this proactive, collaborative planning effort is helping these communities adapt to evolving wildfire threats: https://bit.ly/3IILpbB #wildfireplanning #resilience #CWPP

California’s SB 1425 and AB 1889 aim to create more inclusive, resilient, and ecologically connected communities, but the bills have big implications for general plan preparation. Are you ready? Dive deeper into these new requirements and learn how to ensure General Plan updates are compliant: How SB 1425 and AB 1889 Affect General Plan Updates | Dudek Blog 📅𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 SB 1425: Cities and counties must update their Open Space Element by January 1, 2026 AB 1889: Conservation Elements must be updated as part of the next General Plan revision after January 1, 2028 🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 SB 1425: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 🔹𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Prioritize open space improvements in underserved communities 🔹𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Align open space planning with safety strategies for heat, wildfire, flooding, and sea-level rise 🔹𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Identify opportunities to restore and connect natural ecosystems AB 1889: 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 🔹𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Analyze how development affects species movement and habitat connectivity 🔹𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: Identify and analyze connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscapes. 🔹𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Incorporate guidelines, standards, and the best available science. #EnvironmentalPlanning #ClimateResilience #WildlifeConnectivity