Environmental program and contacts

Environmental Listserv

Want to stay current on WisDOT’s environmental policy and procedure updates? Sign up for the environmental listserv below for items such as: new guidance materials, policy changes, training announcements and other important program information.

Environmental Staff

WisDOT environmental resource professionals are available throughout the department, including Region Environmental Coordinators, Storm Water and Erosion Control Engineers, and central office staff in the Environmental Services Section and Environmental Process and Documentation Section.

Region Environmental Coordinators/Stormwater & Erosion Control Engineers

Region Environmental Coordinators (RECs) and Storm Water and Erosion Control Engineers (SWECEs) in the regional offices and Bureau of Aeronautics (BOA) provide environmentally focused support directly to project development teams. The RECs, SWECEs and BOA environmental staff are the first point of contact for project specific environmental questions.

For questions regarding project-specific environmental topics, see:

Region Environmental Coordinators, SWECE and Mega/Major Coordinators Map

Central Office environmental staff

Central office environmental staff are responsible for environmental program oversight, policy development and training, including the development of WisDOT administrative code, policy and guidance to comply with new and revised environmental laws, regulations and legislation.

For a directory of the central office environmental contacts, see:

Central Office Environmental Contacts

Typically, central office environmental staff also assist in coordination on proposed projects that involve numerous partners. Those partners include, but are certainly not limited to: Federal Highways Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Tribal governments and communities, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, legislators, and local units of government from around the state.

The central office environmental program is divided into two groups:

  • the Environmental Service Section
  • the Environmental Process and Documentation Section

The Environmental Services Section team is responsible for the following environmental areas:

  1. Air Quality
  2. Environmental Justice and Equity
  3. Erosion Control and Drainage
  4. Habitat and Wildlife
  5. Hazardous Materials and Asbestos
  6. Threatened and Endangered Species
  7. Stormwater Management
  8. Wetlands and Waters

The Environmental Process and Documentation Section (EPDS) is split further into two groups – the National and Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (NEPA/WEPA) Liaisons to Regions and Bureaus, and the Cultural Resource Team.

The EPDS NEPA/WEPA liaisons are responsible for the following environmental areas:

  1. NEPA/WEPA Environmental Documentation and Compliance
  2. Community and Residential Considerations
  3. Indirect and Cumulative Impacts
  4. Public Involvement
  5. Section 4(f) and 6(f) of the U.S. DOT Act of 1966
  6. Traffic Noise
  7. Visual Impacts

The Cultural Resource Team is responsible for the following cultural resource areas:

  1. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
  2. Wisconsin Cultural Resource Processes and Procedures
  3. Wisconsin Burial Law and Requests to Disturb
  4. Tribal Coordination
  5. Screening List

Together, the central office environmental staff collaborate to provide environmental expertise and regulatory process guidance to WisDOT staff, consultants and contractors, and also serve as liaisons to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) environmental program.

See the Environmental Areas and Cultural Resources pages for further information and discussion.

Environmental Templates and Resources

Guidance, forms, templates, and checklists help project teams effectively work, develop, and complete the environmental documentation process. These resources can be found on the Forms and Tools page.