WRA

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Watershed ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026WRA partners with The Watershed Project to advance urban greening and community connection through collaborative restoration and education initiatives.
• Walnut Creek Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRA 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 ConcordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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 & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for the Galindo Creek Restoration Project responsible for construction implementation.
• SunCalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for the 183-acre Oak Knoll Mixed-Use Community Development project involving creek restoration and habitat mitigation.
• ESAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnvironmental consulting partner on Oak Knoll project contributing to Supplemental Environmental Impact Report under CEQA.
• EKI Environment & Water, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead 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. HelenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject owner and partner for Upper York Creek Ecosystem Restoration - partnership to remove century-old dam and restore steelhead habitat.
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory 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

Direct 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

• YouTubevimeo.com/wrainc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wra
• Instagraminstagram.com/wra_inc
• Xx.com/WRA_Inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WRA