WRA
WRA is an employee-owned environmental consultancy providing planning, engineering, and scientific services for habitat restoration, regulatory permitting, and ecological compliance projects, serving government agencies, developers, and conservation organizations across California and 30+ states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersSan Rafael, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WRA does
WRA, Inc., doing business as WRA Environmental Consultants, is an employee-owned environmental consultancy headquartered in San Rafael, California, founded approximately 40 years ago in the wake of the federal Clean Water Act. The firm operates with roughly 100 team members across four California offices and a distributed workforce in five western states, delivering projects in more than 30 states. Its service portfolio is structured around four lifecycle phases—Planning, Design & Approvals, Construction, and Post-Construction—and spans Baseline Assessments, Biological Studies, CEQA/NEPA compliance, Conservation Entitlements, GIS & Spatial Services, Habitat Restoration Design, Public Access Planning and Design, Regulatory Permitting, Resiliency & Adaptation, Construction Support, Environmental Compliance Monitoring, Mitigation Bank Management, and Monitoring & Reporting, plus specialized Eelgrass Services.
The underlying approach is a science-based, integrated consulting model combining planners, engineers, and biologists to navigate complex regulatory frameworks (CEQA, NEPA, federal and state Endangered Species Acts, Clean Water Act) and deliver ecological restoration, habitat mitigation, conservation banking, and public-access projects. Notable engagements include the Upper York Creek dam removal and steelhead habitat restoration (~$6M), the Galindo Creek Restoration (1,000 linear feet of creek habitat, 150 native trees), the Corte Madera tidal marsh restoration, the Oak Knoll mixed-use redevelopment (183 acres, 5,000+ native trees and shrubs), and the launch of the Skyline Conservation Bank in San Diego.
WRA generates revenue through project-based professional services fees billed to a diversified client base of federal, state, and local government agencies (e.g., City of Concord, City of St. Helena, Golden Gate Bridge Transportation District), private developers (e.g., SunCal), engineering partners (e.g., EKI Environment & Water), and non-profit organizations (e.g., The Watershed Project, Walnut Creek Watershed Council). Pricing is custom and quote-based with multi-year engagements, no public revenue disclosure, and no external venture or private equity ownership; approximately one-third of employees hold equity stakes. The firm is led by President & CEO Geoff Smick and markets primarily through direct enterprise engagement, content marketing (Field Notes blog, Vimeo storymaps), social channels, and industry conference participation.
WRA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WRA
- Legal name
- WRA, Inc.
- Website
- https://wra-ca.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- WRA is an employee-owned environmental consultancy providing planning, engineering, and scientific services for habitat restoration, regulatory permitting, and ecological compliance projects, serving government agencies, developers, and conservation organizations across California and 30+ states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WRA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Rafael
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
WRA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Environmental Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for environmental planning, regulatory permitting, biological studies, habitat restoration design, construction support, and post-construction monitoring. Revenue generated through project-based consulting fees for government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private developers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting services with custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
WRA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WRA is an environmental consulting firm that provides professional services across the full project lifecycle — planning, design and approvals, construction support, and post-construction monitoring — for projects at the intersection of human development and natural environments. Its offerings include baseline assessments, biological studies, CEQA/NEPA environmental review, regulatory permitting, conservation entitlements, habitat restoration design, GIS and spatial services, mitigation bank management, resiliency planning, public access design, and specialized eelgrass services.
Product overview
WRA is an environmental consulting firm providing a comprehensive suite of professional services for projects at the intersection of human development and natural environments. The company offers services organized across four phases: Planning (including Baseline Assessments, Environmental Markets, Project Delivery Strategies, Public Access Planning, and Resiliency Assessments & Planning); Design & Approvals (including Biological Studies, CEQA & NEPA, Conservation Entitlements, GIS & Spatial Services, Habitat Restoration Design, Public Access Design, Regulatory Permitting, and Restoration & Adaptation); Construction (including Construction Support and Environmental Compliance Monitoring); and Post-Construction (including Mitigation Bank Management and Monitoring & Reporting). WRA also offers specialized Eelgrass Services for marine coastal projects. These services are provided to public agencies, non-profit organizations, and private entities across markets including Agriculture, Community Resilience, Development, Ecological Restoration, Government, Mitigation & Conservation, Parks & Open Space, Transportation, and Water.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Baseline Assessments
- Biological Studies
- CEQA & NEPA Environmental Review
- Conservation Entitlements
- GIS & Spatial Services
- Habitat Restoration Design
- Public Access Design
- Public Access Planning
- Regulatory Permitting
- Environmental Markets Advisory
- Resiliency Assessments & Planning
- Project Delivery Strategies
- Resiliency & Adaptation
- Construction Support
- Environmental Compliance Monitoring
- Mitigation Bank Management
- Monitoring & Reporting
- Eelgrass Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Galindo Creek project provided 1,000 linear feet of creek habitat improvements and 150 new native trees
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WRA
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WRA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WRA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Watershed ProjectcoreWRA partners with The Watershed Project to advance urban greening and community connection through collaborative restoration and education initiatives.
- Walnut Creek Watershed CouncilcoreWRA worked with the Walnut Creek Watershed Council to identify the Galindo Creek restoration project that could offer off-site mitigation for impacts related to redevelopment projects. The council helped identify restoration priorities for the creek corridor.
- City of ConcordcorePartner on Galindo Creek Restoration Project located in Newhall Community Park. The city collaborated on the multi-benefit project including habitat restoration and public amenities.
- Millsap, Degnan & AssociatesminorContractor for the Galindo Creek Restoration Project responsible for construction implementation.
- SunCalcoreDeveloper partner for the 183-acre Oak Knoll Mixed-Use Community Development project involving creek restoration and habitat mitigation.
- ESAminorEnvironmental consulting partner on Oak Knoll project contributing to Supplemental Environmental Impact Report under CEQA.
- EKI Environment & Water, Inc.coreLead engineer that hired WRA for Upper York Creek Dam removal and ecosystem restoration. WRA completed engineering, hydraulic and habitat restoration design as well as all permitting.
- City of St. HelenacoreProject owner and partner for Upper York Creek Ecosystem Restoration - partnership to remove century-old dam and restore steelhead habitat.
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)coreRegulatory agency consulted on Upper York Creek project to ensure actions would not negatively affect steelhead populations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WRA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ESA (Environmental Science Associates): Bay Area-headquartered environmental consulting firm offering CEQA/NEPA, biological resources, habitat restoration, and GIS services to California public agencies and developers. Directly comparable peer due to overlapping California client base, identical service mix, and shared competitive pool for restoration and permitting work.
- Ascent Environmental: California-focused environmental consulting firm specializing in CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological resources, and planning services for public and private clients. Highly comparable to WRA in core services (environmental planning, permitting, biological studies) and target market (California government and developer clients).
- LSA Associates: California-based environmental and transportation planning consultancy providing CEQA/NEPA, biological assessments, and permitting services to municipalities and private developers. Overlaps with WRA in California permitting and ecological restoration scope, competing for similar public-sector RFPs.
- EKI Environment & Water: California-based environmental engineering and water resources firm providing permitting, design, and construction services for municipal and water district clients. Identified in WRA's own partnerships data; competes for similar watershed restoration and dam removal engagements (e.g., Upper York Creek).
Broad incumbents
- Tetra Tech: Global environmental and engineering consulting leader with deep water, habitat restoration, and environmental compliance practices across the U.S. Competes for larger restoration and infrastructure contracts that WRA may pursue or partner on, and offers scaled alternatives for enterprise clients.
- ICF International: Major global consultancy with substantial environment and infrastructure practice covering NEPA/CEQA, climate adaptation, and resilience services. Overlaps with WRA on government climate adaptation and resiliency planning engagements, often competing for federal/state procurement.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with large environment practice covering permitting, ecological restoration, and resilience. Competes with WRA on large multi-disciplinary RFPs and serves many of the same transportation and water agency clients in California.
- Stantec: International engineering and environmental services firm with strong U.S. presence in environmental permitting, restoration, and water resources. Overlaps with WRA on habitat restoration design, biological studies, and regulatory permitting for major public-sector clients.
- WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure: Large professional services firm with significant environmental practice covering CEQA/NEPA, ecological restoration, and permitting in California and nationwide. Competes for substantial public-sector environment contracts and frequently participates in joint ventures with smaller California specialists.
Emerging players
- Burleson Consulting (a Terracon Company): Biological/environmental consulting practice operating in the western U.S. (acquired by Terracon), focusing on wildlife surveys and biological resource services comparable to WRA's Biological Studies offering. Identified in WRA's team background data; competes for the same wildlife biologist talent pool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WRA social profiles
Digital presenceWRA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WRA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
WRA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WRA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WRA
What does WRA do?
WRA is an environmental consulting firm that provides professional services across the full project lifecycle — planning, design and approvals, construction support, and post-construction monitoring — for projects at the intersection of human development and natural environments. Its offerings include baseline assessments, biological studies, CEQA/NEPA environmental review, regulatory permitting, conservation entitlements, habitat restoration design, GIS and spatial services, mitigation bank management, resiliency planning, public access design, and specialized eelgrass services.
Is WRA a public or private company?
WRA is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was WRA founded?
WRA was founded in 1985. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WRA based?
WRA is headquartered in San Rafael, United States, in the North America region.
How does WRA make money?
One revenue line is on record: environmental Consulting Services.
Who are WRA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ESA (Environmental Science Associates), Ascent Environmental, LSA Associates and EKI Environment & Water. Broad incumbents are Tetra Tech, ICF International, AECOM, Stantec and WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure. Burleson Consulting (a Terracon Company) is listed as an emerging player.
Does WRA have an API?
No public API is recorded for WRA.