Energy Renewal Partners, LLC

ERP is excited to welcome Project Manager, Gina Zarnstorff to our team. With a strong background in environmental project management and expertise in wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species surveys, and environmental site assessments; Gina brings a wealth of experience to our growing team. Gina’s experience in environmental permitting and regulatory compliance will be invaluable as we continue to lead energy development projects across the U.S. ? Gina holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from St. Bonaventure University and a Google Project Management Professional Certification. Welcome to the ERP family, Gina! ?

Wetland Regulatory Alert: USACE and USEPA Memorandum to the Field- Wetlands with a?Continuous Surface Connection The USACE and USEPA released a new memo on March 12, 2025, describing the current administration’s new interpretation of the “continuous surface connection” for adjacent wetlands. The two operative regulatory regimes defining Waters of the United States recognize “adjacent wetlands” as jurisdictional waters under the CWA. To be “adjacent”, a wetland must have a “continuous surface connection” to Waters of the United States. But what a “continuous surface connection” is has led to much debate and iterative, case-specific guidance.? This new memo rescinds previous guidance which included discrete features, like non-jurisdictional ditches and swales, as examples of a continuous surface connection for an adjacent wetland. Additionally, it adds language indicating the USACE and USEPA will require wetlands to abut Waters of the U.S. to be considered an adjacent wetland, and therefore jurisdictional under the CWA. If you have questions about how this guidance may impact your projects, please reach out to us. In addition, there will be opportunities to provide comment on notices in the federal register as the USACE and EPA seek to gather recommendations on the meaning of key terms in the Sackett Supreme Court Decision that could greatly affect water resources. Jennifer Loeffler

Last week the ERP team gathered in Austin to review our accomplishments in 2024 and set our strategic goals for 2025. It is a great opportunity for the team to connect and my favorite day of the year to have everyone in town. We also spent a few hours at Central Texas Food Bank volunteering before heading over to Meanwhile Brewing Company to hang out and test our hand at trivia. We are excited to grow the ERP team and look forward to providing exceptional service to help our clients and partners succeed in 2025!

Congratulations to the Linea Energy team!

The ERP team is growing and we are looking to add a key leadership position. The VP of Environmental Services will lead our strategic initiatives, enhance our market presence and foster the development of Senior Project Managers. This role combines technical expertise with business development, marketing acumen and a focus on effective communication and leadership development. If you are interested in this position, please find more details on our website. https://lnkd.in/dUjv_iyc

A big thank you to our ERP clients for participating in our annual "Tis the Season of Giving" campaign. Based on your responses, we have donated over $3,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Central Texas Food Bank, Texas Advocacy Project, Inc., and National Park Foundation. As we look back on 2024, we recognize the privilege it is to work with leaders in the energy industry and we are grateful to give back to organizations that our partners care about. If you did not have a chance to reply to our email, there is still time to let us know where you would like additional donations to go!

The USFWS has announced a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This highlights the urgent need to protect these ecologically important and culturally significant pollinators. Their populations have been declining between 80-95% over the past few decades due to a loss of breeding, migratory, and overwintering habitat, the effects of climate change, and exposure to insecticides. The proposal to list the monarch butterfly will include consideration for a 4(d) Rule to allow species specific protections for threatened species and flexibility to foster conservation efforts by organizations and industries. Thousands of acres of critical habitat is also planned for the proposed rule for listing, focusing on areas of coastal California that serve as essential overwintering habitat. The USFWS’ proposed rule will be published December 12, 2024, for public comment and input until March 12, 2025. Using those comments, a decision to list the monarch butterfly under the ESA will be made. To demonstrate their commitment to responsible development and business growth, renewable energy developers can align their projects with conservation goals to support the monarch butterfly. Energy Renewal Partners can guide our clients through reasonable and reliable frameworks to support the monarch butterfly while building energy projects. We hope you can take some time to enjoy photos from our team of scientists as they’ve identified majestic, graceful, and colorful monarch butterflies and their habitats in the wild. Their beauty and resilience are worth celebrating! Link: https://lnkd.in/ez2GaJ3G Jennifer Loeffler Monica Downer

As winter approaches, the ERP team is gearing up for cold-season fieldwork! Cooler temperatures can pose challenges for aquatic resource delineations, particularly in identifying wetland and upland plant communities. Snow cover can obscure critical features like ordinary high-water marks and wetland boundaries. To ensure accurate assessments, we recommend careful scheduling of delineations as winter sets in. It’s essential to evaluate local temperatures and ground conditions to determine if a delineation can proceed with a confirmatory spring season re-assessment. ? While frosty weather may pause some aquatic resource delineation work, other natural resource surveys can continue, including bat habitat assessments, protected species habitat evaluations, eagle use and nest surveys, and Phase I ESAs. ERP is looking forward to a winter field season with diverse landscapes and a variety of natural resource surveys!? ? Photo Credit:Hunter Neblett

Renewable energy developers take note! The USACE Galveston District issued a Special Public Notice on August 8 confirming they will be prioritizing the processing of new permits and that stand-alone determinations are their lowest priority. In the Special Public Notice, they emphasize that environmental consultants may be sufficient to respond to state or local requirements for delineations, further emphasizing the importance of partnering with highly experienced consultants whose quality work products you can rely on. ERP has extensive experience working on delineations within the Galveston District. Contact us to discuss how we can help with your project. ? https://lnkd.in/g--6SXY5

Last month, ERP’s team of environmental scientists slithered through wetland delineations for proposed solar projects in Arkansas and northeast Texas, shedding light on the serpentine side of their work! Thanks to Bailey Fournier, Hunter Neblett, and Lauren Wyles for sharing their field finds.??