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People working on environmental projects take specialized trainings to ensure we stay in compliance with regulatory requirements. The Environmental Services Office (ESO) offers over a dozen eLearning and instructor-led courses ranging from training in Cultural Resources to Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control.

Specific trainings are required for some environmental specialists working on transportation projects. We also offer trainings to educate individuals and teams on how to meet environmental requirements. Visit our training page to learn more about requirements, programs, and training dates, including:

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff can register for most instructor-led classes and eLearning courses through the Learning Management System (LMS). Other participants can contact Environmental Training and Compliance Reporting Specialist, Molly Sullivan, molly.sullivan@wsdot.wa.gov, for more information regarding training provided by ESO instructors.

Environmental training resources by topic

Review our training opportunities by topic below.

Poisonous plants – WSDOT staff doing fieldwork can learn how to identify poisonous plants by searching for the course title, “Poisonous and harmful plants of Washington State” in LMS. Anyone can access the training on the Poisonous and harmful plants of Washington State e-learning training webpage. To access the training on the webpage, you will have to have Adobe Flash enabled on your computer.

Construction site erosion and sediment control training – WSDOT trains staff on internal policies and procedures for complying with the NPDES Construction Stormwater General Permit. The class is geared specifically to those who design or implement a temporary erosion and sediment control (TESC) plan, collect or report discharge samples, or ensure compliance during design or in the field. 

Cultural resources training – Cultural resources training promotes awareness, preservation, and stewardship of Washington’s cultural resources. The Cultural Resources program provides customized training for transportation professionals (including engineering, planning, contracting, maintenance, biologists and other disciplines). Participants learn to address cultural resource management issues on transportation projects and gain hands-on experience in the field. Training focuses on state and federal regulations and compliance procedures, the National Register of Historic Places, and alternative perspectives on values and significance. 

Environmental Justice training 

• Introductory course - WSDOT staff can access through LMS by searching for the course title, “WSDOT ENV: Environmental Justice Inclusion Training”. The course provides an overview of EJ principles and includes an introduction by Secretary Millar.
• Environmental Justice, Title VI, and English Proficiency webinar for staff doing NEPA Categorical Exclusion evaluations. This training describes the basics, evaluation process, and making determinations.

Fish & wildlife training – See the Biological Assessment (BA) author qualifications and training webpage to learn how to qualify to write BAs for WSDOT. 

Hazardous materials and spill prevention training – We provide online training for WSDOT staff who review Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plans. WSDOT staff can access the course through LMS by searching for the course title, “WSDOT ENV: Spill Plan Reviewer Training (OLT).” 

Permitting compliance training – Trainings are available on multiple permitting compliance related topics including:

• Corps and ecology permitting programs
• Obtaining permits Preparing complete permit applications
• Construction site erosion and sediment control
• Construction compliance

Contact Environmental Training and Compliance Reporting Specialist, Molly Sullivan, molly.sullivan@wsdot.wa.gov, for information on when these trainings are available and how to register.

Wetlands  – Trainings related to wetlands include:     

• Wetlands ecology and monitoring techniques internship – This internship program provides hands-on field and laboratory experience collecting and analyzing environmental data gathered from WSDOT wetland mitigation sites. Find more information on the WSDOT internship offered through the Evergreen State College, and how to apply.
• Introductory wetland training – Introductory training is available to project inspectors tasked with overseeing compliance on project sites. WSDOT staff can access an introductory course through LMS by searching for the course title, “WSDOT ENV: Environmental Overview - Compliance for Construction (OLT)”.
• Field training  – Wetland field training is available to WSDOT staff upon request. Contact the Wetland Monitoring manager for more information.

NEPA - View the Local Programs NEPA Courses YouTube videos and reference our Region cross reference (docx 23 kb) guide for differences between the local and regional processes.

Additional environmental training resources

Organizations and other WSDOT offices also provide environmental training. The list below provides links to these environmental training resources.

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) NEPA Overview as Applied to Transportation Projects – These short videos provide an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act as it applies to FHWA projects. These videos target local agencies, but are relevant for the general NEPA process at WSDOT.
• Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) Training – DES serves several state agencies, providing training on a variety of topics including computer, management and soft skills.
• Washington State Department of Ecology – The Shorelands & Environmental Assistance program offers training and resources on shoreline protection, conservation and the State Environmental Policy Act.
• Coastal Training Program – These courses provide science-based training to professionals making shoreline management decisions.
• National Highway Institute (NHI) – NHI offers a variety of courses, materials and seminars for the transportation community. Examples of training topics include Asset Management, Hydraulics, and Design and Traffic Operations.
• Associated General Contractors (AGC) Education Foundation – AGC offers courses for people working in project construction, such as Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Construction.
• Local Technical Assistance Program – These courses, coordinated through the WSDOT Local Programs Office, focus primarily on a local government audience.