Kai Environmental Consulting Services

What Kai Environmental Consulting Services does

Kai Environmental Consulting Services, LLC is an Alaska-based woman-owned small business founded in 2008 by Cathy A. Needham that delivers environmental consulting services to tribal governments, rural Alaskan communities, and federal agencies operating in the state. The firm is headquartered at 9000 Glacier Highway, Suite 302 in Juneau, Alaska, and is privately held with sole founder ownership. The owner's Tsimshian heritage and prior environmental roles at the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida and the Organized Village of Kasaan are central to the firm's positioning in the tribal-set-aside and WOSB procurement market. Service delivery is relationship-based and consultative rather than productized, and the firm does not maintain public pricing.

The firm's service portfolio covers eight interconnected practice areas: Fisheries & Wildlife assessment (fish studies, wildlife surveys, habitat surveys); Water Quality Monitoring (QAPP development, monitoring implementation, EPA-aligned data validation); Contaminant Sampling (water, sediment, soil, and tissue analysis); NEPA Services with sub-services in Wetland Delineations, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, and Biological Assessments; Resource Management Planning & Assessments (watershed management, IRMPs); Solid Waste Management; Training and Technical Assistance; and Program Capacity Building (federal grants management training, strategic planning). Work is performed using established federal scientific methodologies — EPA guidance, ASTM Phase I ESA standards, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1987 wetland delineation methods with the Alaska Supplemental, U.S. Forest Service Management Indicator Species and tier I/II methods, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game protocols — rather than proprietary technology platforms.

Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements delivered directly to clients, primarily under contract with federal agencies (Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, Housing and Urban Development, and Indian Health Services via the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium) and tribal/rural government entities. The firm has no disclosed distribution channels, resellers, software products, APIs, mobile apps, or technology-based scaling mechanisms. The differentiator is owner-led cultural competency, Alaska-specific regulatory expertise, and trusted tribal community relationships rather than scale, technology, or productization.

Name

Kai Environmental Consulting Services

Legal name

Kai Environmental Consulting Services, LLC

Website

https://kaienvironmental.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kai Environmental Consulting Services is an Alaska-based woman-owned environmental consultancy founded in 2008 that delivers fisheries, wildlife, wetland, NEPA, water quality, and capacity-building services to tribal governments, rural Alaskan communities, and federal agencies throughout Alaska.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Compliance & Permitting (BPAHAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting
• NEPA compliance services
• Wetland delineation
• Water quality monitoring
• Tribal environmental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Juneau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements providing environmental assessment, fisheries assessment, wildlife assessment, wetland delineations, watershed assessment, NEPA services, grant management, and capacity building to tribal, rural, and government clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Kai Environmental Consulting Services is an Alaska-based environmental consulting firm that provides scientific and regulatory services to Tribal and rural communities across the state. Its offerings span fisheries and wildlife work, water quality monitoring, contaminant sampling, NEPA compliance, wetland delineations, Phase I ESAs, biological assessments, resource management planning, solid waste management, training, and program capacity building for federal agencies, tribal governments, and rural Alaskan communities.

Product overview

Kai Environmental Consulting Services offers a unified portfolio of environmental consulting services focused on serving Tribal and rural communities in Alaska. The company operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform with modules. Services span eight core areas: Fisheries & Wildlife (fish studies, wildlife surveys, habitat surveys); Water Quality Monitoring (QAPP development, monitoring implementation, data validation); Contaminant Sampling (water, sediment, soil, tissue analysis); NEPA Services with sub-services for Wetland Delineations, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, and Biological Assessments; Resource Management Planning & Assessments (watershed management, IRMPs); Solid Waste Management; Training and Technical Assistance; and Program Capacity Building (grants management, organizational development). These services are offered as interconnected consulting engagements rather than distinct product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fisheries & Wildlife Services Environmental consulting services related to fisheries and wildlife assessment, evaluation, and management, delivered to tribal and rural community clients in Alaska.
• Water Quality Monitoring Field-based water quality monitoring services for tribal, rural, and federal clients in Alaska.
• Contaminant Sampling Environmental sampling services for contaminants, supporting site assessments and regulatory documentation in Alaska.
• NEPA Services Preparation of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation and environmental review support for federal, tribal, and rural clients in Alaska.
• Wetland Delineations Field delineation of wetlands to support environmental permitting, NEPA review, and resource management for clients in Alaska.
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) Phase I Environmental Site Assessments evaluating historical and current land use for potential contamination, typically performed for real estate, infrastructure, or regulatory purposes.
• Biological Assessments Biological assessments of flora, fauna, and habitats to support regulatory review and environmental planning in Alaska.
• Resource Management Planning Planning services for natural resource management, supporting tribal and rural community stewardship of land, water, and biological resources.
• Solid Waste Management Consulting services for solid waste management in tribal and rural Alaskan communities, addressing environmental health and compliance.
• Training Training services for tribal and rural environmental program staff, delivered to support workforce capability and program operations.
• Program Capacity Building Capacity-building services to help tribal and rural organizations establish and operate environmental and natural-resource programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 12 years of experience conducting wetland delineations in all regions of Alaska
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICF International: Federal-facing environmental and energy consulting firm with strong NEPA and regulatory compliance practice. Competes for the same federal agency NEPA documentation contracts as Kai, particularly with FHWA, BIA, and HUD.
• Kleinfelder: Environmental engineering and consulting firm providing site assessment, NEPA support, wetland services, and water quality work to public and private clients. Closely aligned technical services with similar federal/state agency customer profile.
• HDR: Engineering and environmental consulting firm with established Alaska operations serving federal transportation and infrastructure clients. Comparable service mix in NEPA documentation, environmental assessment, and biological evaluations with similar federal customer overlap.
• Tetra Tech: Pure-play environmental consulting firm with significant Alaska presence and federal NEPA delivery capability. Most directly comparable in service portfolio (wetland delineation, biological assessments, NEPA, water quality) but at materially larger scale, serving as the closest analog in service mix and customer base.
• SLR Consulting: Environmental and advisory consulting firm providing environmental impact assessment, permitting, and ecological services. Comparable service portfolio in NEPA-adjacent environmental consulting and similar mid-size competitor profile.

Regional players

• DOWL: Alaska-headquartered engineering and environmental firm providing planning, permitting, NEPA documentation, and water resources services across the state. Closest Alaska-rooted regional competitor with similar state and federal customer mix.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: International environmental, engineering, and infrastructure consulting firm with environmental practice spanning NEPA, wetlands, biological assessments, and water quality. Overlaps with Kai's core services but operates at significantly larger scale across diverse end markets.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with major environmental consulting practice (formerly Golder Associates) covering environmental assessment, permitting, and ecological services. Operates at enterprise scale well beyond Kai but competes for federal environmental contracts.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure and environmental consulting firm with established Alaska operations and major federal agency contracts. Competes for the same federal NEPA and environmental assessment work as Kai but as part of a much broader services portfolio.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global sustainability and environmental consulting firm providing environmental impact assessment, permitting, and ecological services. Operates broadly across industries and geographies rather than specializing in Kai's Alaska tribal/federal niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kai-environmental-consulting-services-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kai Environmental Consulting Services