WRA, Inc.

WRA, Inc. is an employee-owned environmental consultancy headquartered in San Rafael, California. Founded in 1981 as Wetlands Research Associates by Mike Josselyn and Jim Bucholz, the firm began by applying academic wetland research from San Francisco State University to help private and public clients navigate regulatory permitting and restoration requirements under the federal Clean Water Act. Over four decades, WRA has grown into an interdisciplinary practice of planners, engineers, and scientists working at the intersection of human development and natural systems. The company offers a broad suite of services organized around the project lifecycle: planning (baseline assessments, environmental markets, public access planning, resiliency assessments), design and approvals (biological studies, CEQA and NEPA compliance, conservation entitlements, GIS and spatial services, habitat restoration design, regulatory permitting), construction (construction support, environmental compliance monitoring), and post-construction (mitigation bank management, monitoring and reporting). WRA serves clients in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, with a focus on projects involving wetlands, endangered species, and habitat restoration. WRA is employee-owned, with roughly one-third of its team members holding ownership stakes. The firm operates four offices in California and maintains a distributed workforce across five Western states, with over 100 employees. Its leadership includes CEO and President Geoff Smick, who joined WRA in 2005 as a botanist and rose through project management and company governance. The company is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors that includes both staff and external members. WRA positions itself around the tagline "Make a positive lasting impression™" and a vision of cultivating a sustainable future where people and the environment thrive. The firm emphasizes science-based, data-led solutions and has built a culture focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and work-life balance. Its history includes landmark court cases, technical publications on wetland restoration, and participation in professional conferences and panels.

WRA, Inc. was founded in 1981 as Wetlands Research Associates by Mike Josselyn and Jim Bucholz. The two founders sought to apply their academic wetland research at San Francisco State University to provide regulatory permitting and restoration services to private and public entities working in wetland environments, in support of Clean Water Act compliance. During the 1980s, as environmental policy and restoration science evolved, WRA represented clients in landmark court cases, wrote technical papers and books on wetland restoration, and participated on panels at conferences and seminars. In the 1990s, the firm expanded its capabilities by adding wildlife biologists to address endangered species issues, an ecological-focused landscape design practice to support habitat restoration, and GIS experts. It also became an S-Corp, employee-owned company. In the 2000s, the company changed its name to WRA, Inc. to encompass the interdisciplinary nature of its work. It expanded its geographic reach to southern California to better serve existing and future clients in the region, and added or expanded mitigation banking, environmental planning, restoration engineering, compliance monitoring, and drone service lines. By the 2020s, WRA had rebranded to align with its company vision, operated four offices in California, and was growing its distributed workforce in five western states. The firm more than doubled its number of employees in six years to over 100, with one-third of team members being owners. As of the early 2020s, WRA is an employee-owned consultancy with over 100 team members working from four California offices and a distributed workforce throughout the West. It is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors comprising WRA staff and external members, and led by CEO & President Geoff Smick, who joined the company in 2005.

• 2020

  Rebranded to align with company vision; operates four offices in California and a distributed workforce in five western states; over 100 employees, one-third are owners.

• 2010

  Geoff Smick began serving on WRA's Board of Directors.

• 2005

  Geoff Smick joined WRA as a botanist.

• 2000

  Changed name to WRA, Inc.; expanded to southern California; added mitigation banking, environmental planning, restoration engineering, compliance monitoring, and drone services.

• 1990

  Added wildlife biologists, ecological landscape design, and GIS experts; became an S-Corp, employee-owned company.

• 1981

  Founded as Wetlands Research Associates by Mike Josselyn and Jim Bucholz.

Science-based, employee-owned environmental consultancy focused on net positive outcomes where people and nature intersect.

• Baseline Assessments

  Environmental baseline studies to inform planning and regulatory compliance.

• Environmental Markets

  Services related to mitigation banking and environmental credit markets.

• Project Delivery Strategies

  Strategic planning to avoid lost time and money in project delivery.

• Public Access Planning

  Planning for public access to natural areas.

• Resiliency Assessments & Planning

  Assessments and planning for climate resiliency.

• Biological Studies

  Studies of flora and fauna for environmental review.

• CEQA & NEPA Compliance

  Compliance with California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

• Conservation Entitlements

  Entitlement services for conservation projects.

• GIS & Spatial Services

  Geographic information systems and spatial analysis.

• Habitat Restoration Design

  Design of habitat restoration projects.

• Public Access Design

  Design of public access infrastructure.

• Regulatory Permitting

  Permitting support for environmental regulations.

• Restoration & Adaptation

  Ecological restoration and climate adaptation services.

• Construction Support

  Environmental oversight during construction.

• Environmental Compliance Monitoring

  Monitoring to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

• Mitigation Bank Management

  Management of mitigation banks for wetland and habitat credits.

• Monitoring & Reporting

  Post-construction monitoring and reporting.

1. 1Home - WRA Environmental Consultantswra-ca.com
2. 2History - WRA Environmental Consultantswra-ca.com
3. 3About Us - WRA Environmental Consultantswra-ca.com
4. 4Leadership - WRA Environmental Consultantswra-ca.com
5. 5WRA, Inc (United States) - Wikidatawikidata.org