With over 35 years of experience, Curtis is a recognized expert in CEQA and NEPA and a specialist in planning related to climate change, natural resources management, and outdoor recreation/trails. Trained in wildlife science and natural resources planning, his projects are very diverse, including urban or rural and public or private projects. Curtis has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 1984. He is very knowledgeable of Western landscapes and ecosystems, including agricultural, wetland, vernal pool, valley, riverine, Delta, coastal, Coast Range, foothill, desert, and Sierra/Lake Tahoe settings. Project specialties include Climate Action Plans, water resources, conservation planning, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, hazardous materials, solid waste, flood control, community planning, regional and state parks, bicycle and hiking trails, rail transit, highways, and large-scale developments. In the community, Curtis serves on the Advisory Council of the Assistance League of Sacramento, a chapter of the national League dedicated to effect positive change locally, and the Board of BitGive Foundation, which aims to leverage the power of the Bitcoin community to improve public health and the environment world-wide.
Curtis's experience includes:
- Led preparation of 1,000 CEQA, NEPA, and other regulatory compliance documents (e.g., for Section 404, ESA, and CESA).
- Personally led 13 CEQA documents that were successfully upheld during litigation.
- Directed CEQA documents for the California Air Resources Board’s AB 32 implementing regulations, including Cap-and-Trade, Scoping Plan Alternatives Analysis, and Advanced Clean Car Program.
- Co-chaired the Enhanced CEQA Action Team (ECAT) of the American Planning Association California Chapter (APACA) and Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP).
- Led the CEQA and TRPA EIR/EIS for the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, prepared in tandem with the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan Update EIS.
- Directed the Climate Action Plan for the City of Sacramento (2012 APACA award winner for Innovation in Green Planning) and served as a key participant in several other Climate Action Plans, including Mountain View, Albany, Piedmont, and Yolo County.
- Led 12 State Park General Plans, three CDFW Wildlife Area Land Management Plans, a statewide habitat conservation plan, and EIR for a statewide process to evaluate State Park road and trail changes in use.
- Directed ecosystem restoration planning and design projects, including Upper Truckee River in Lake Tahoe, North Sacramento streams, and Prichard Lake at Sacramento International Airport.
- Led environmental studies on renewable energy generation projects in Northern California and the deserts of Southern California.
- Led over 30 transportation environmental documents, such as Santa Clara Valley’s Guadalupe Corridor and Tasman Corridor Light-Rail Transit Projects, SR 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project (Tahoe City), and U.S. Highway 101/Hillsdale Avenue Interchange Improvements (San Mateo)
- Regularly instructed CEQA and NEPA practice topics for UC Davis Extension, the Attorney General’s Office and Local Government Commission’s statewide climate change workshops, AEP’s Advanced CEQA Workshops, and Continuing Legal Education’s Annual CEQA Conference.
When he’s not working to help his clients or support Ascent staff, you may find Curtis conjuring up ideas for next year’s Halloween costume. Past costumes have included Gum on the Bottom of a Shoe, the Prime (Greenwich) Meridian, a Bowling Strike, and Joe the Plumber. He hopes the First Annual Capitol Mall Halloween Parade held by Ascent’s Sacramento employees in 2012 leads to major crowd control issues in the future. (Please join us next year: Capitol Mall and 4th Street, Sacramento, 1:00 pm, Halloween Day!)