Environmental guidance

Discipline guidance

Find guidance on these environmental discipline pages to support your project documentation and delivery. Find resources on each of the following pages in the:

• ‘Scoping’ tab - to help identify the scope of environmental work needed for your project.
• ‘Preliminary design’ tab - to help analyze how proposed projects would impact resources in the area and look for ways to avoid and minimize impacts.
• ‘Final design’ tab - to help finalize permit applications and modify permits and approvals.
• ‘Tools, templates, & links’ tab - as a library of all resources available in the other tabs.
• ‘Contacts’ tab - to help connect you with the right subject matter expert.

Environmental policy and training

The Environmental Services Office complies with RCW 47.85.030 Environmental review and oversight or Federal and State laws and regulations. In addition to WSDOT’s Agency Policy P 1018 (PDF 107KB), the Environmental Services Office supports continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and updating Policies, Procedures, and Workforce Development (PPWD), and by ensuring that environmental policies are incorporated into the Environmental Manual. 

Workforce development ensures that everyone understands what the environmental policies are and how to implement them by providing trainings in-person, virtually through webinars and through self-paced trainings which are provided in the learning center.  Find information about workforce development opportunities on the Environmental training webpage.

Environmental permitting

A summary of common environmental permits WSDOT receives can be found in the Environmental Permit Summary Table.  For maintenance projects or minor construction activities, see No Permit Required to determine if permits would be necessary.  For additional information, see the appropriate Discipline guidance above or contact the Multi-Agency Permit Program.

Find an environmental expert

Our environmental experts can be found by selecting an environmental discipline from the list above and selecting the “contacts” tab.       

Environmental Services Office Subject Matter Experts can be found in our Environmental Subject Matter Experts Contacts (PDF 98KB).

The Environmental Services Office Director is Ahmer Nizam. 

Find an Environmental Manager in your WSDOT region or modal office in our Environmental Managers contact list (PDF 123KB).

Non-compliance events

• Design - Project Delivery Memo #24-01 (PDF 1.14MB)
• Construction - Construction Manual Chapter 1(SS 1-07.5)
• Maintenance - Maintenance ECAP (PDF 283KB)

Commitment Tracking System (CTS)

Use the Commitment Tracking System to manage environmental commitments. Find how-to instructions in the CTS help menu. Find related policies in our Environmental Manual Chapters 490, 590, and 600. Contact Brian Podobnik, Brian.Podobnik@wsdot.wa.gov for help accessing and using CTS.

Chronic Environmental Deficiencies (CEDs)

View the CED webpage to learn more about the program. If your project is a CED, please contact Jenni Dykstra and see the Environmental Manual Chapter 300 Project scoping and programming (PDF 329KB).