Practical NEPA is a hands-on, two-day rebuild of NWETC's foundational NEPA course — built around guided practice instead of lecture, with real work product due from every attendee.

You'll cover where NEPA actually stands today, not in a textbook world where CEQ's old regulations are still in force. The NEPA statute hasn't changed, but CEQ's implementing regulations are gone — struck down in 2024, formally rescinded in 2025–2026, with CEQ now issuing only non-binding guidance. Individual agencies are writing their own procedures in that vacuum, and a 2025 Supreme Court decision narrowed how closely courts scrutinize agency NEPA work. We cover what that actually means for you, day to day, in the field — and how to work within your own agency's process and culture, since every agency (and every recipient of federal funds, not just federal agencies themselves) runs its own version of NEPA.

You'll also see real examples of NEPA documents — both strong and weak — and help build the evaluation rubrics used to judge them, rather than being handed one. Working in small groups, you'll apply those rubrics to your own guided writing practice — a purpose and need statement, an alternatives section, a cumulative impacts analysis, or similar excerpt — with today's best tools woven into the process throughout, for understanding the material and for writing it.

This course is built to work as a solid refresher for experienced NEPA professionals and as an accessible on-ramp for people just starting out — a wider range of learners than most single NEPA course can serve well.

DID YOU KNOW — NEPA is still the most litigated environmental statute in the country, and the rules governing how it's reviewed have shifted more in the past two years than in the two decades before that. This course keeps you current, and leaves you with documents — and habits — that hold up regardless of which handbook your agency uses this year.

This is an ONLINE course accessible anytime from any computer with high-speed internet. You can pause and restart at your own pace. After registering, you will be manually entered into our learning management system within 2 business days and will receive an email from NWETC and Google Classroom with access instructions.

Recertification Eligibility: You must complete recertification training within 6 months after your current CESCL card expiration date. If your card expired more than 6 months ago, you must take the full 2-day live CESCL-101 course.

This online recertification is valid for both Washington (CESCL) and Oregon (1200-C). Students who complete the course will receive a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) card within 10 days. The card is valid for three years and serves as proof of recertification.

CESCL certification is required in Washington and Oregon for personnel responsible for construction stormwater inspections and sampling at construction sites. The course covers the essentials of being a certified lead and includes information on how new regulations impact CESCL job functions. Upon completion, students will know how to confidently comply with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements for stormwater management.

This CESCL certification course meets the training and certification requirements of the General Permit and BMP C160 Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) in Washington State Department of Ecology's stormwater management manuals for Eastern and Western Washington. The Construction Stormwater General Permit requires that site inspections be conducted by a CESCL.

This course provides a 3-year Construction Stormwater Certification valid in both Washington (CESCL) and Oregon (1200C).

CESCL certification is required by the Washington State Department of Ecology Construction Stormwater General Permit for personnel responsible for monitoring stormwater at construction sites disturbing one or more acres of land.

NWETC's 2-day CESCL course is a dynamic interaction between traditional classroom lecture and hands-on field exercises. Day 1 and the first part of Day 2 cover regulations, water quality impacts, reporting requirements, and erosion/sediment control techniques. On the afternoon of Day 2, students visit a field site to practice installing erosion control BMPs.

Upon completion, attendees will have met the requirements of BMP C160 certification and will receive a CESCL card valid for three years.

Intended Audience: Contractors, agencies and municipalities, engineers, consultants, and anyone seeking CESCL certification with the Washington Department of Ecology.

Prompt and Context Engineering for Professionals

This course builds upon our AI foundations to help you move from basic prompting to strategic AI collaboration. You will learn to stop "ordering" and start "briefing" your AI tools like highly skilled consultants who just need the right background to excel.

The Core Transformation: Expertise to AI-Readable Context

The primary focus of this workshop is the translation of your domain expertise into a structured, digital form that grounds AI reasoning. You won't just learn to write better prompts; you will learn to build a Context Library—a reusable set of "fixed" information that keeps your AI tools accurate, on-brand, and aligned with complex regulatory requirements.

What You Will Achieve

• Speak in a language AI understands: Through prompt engineering, you will learn how to give instructions for tasks to get better results from your AI tools.

• Build your reusable library: Begin crafting your own personal and organizational context packages, including your professional persona and project-specific knowledge.

• Introduce tools to streamline your AI experience: Discover tools that help you spend less time prompting with better output. 

By the end of this course, you will leave with the foundational documents of your own Context Library, ready to be deployed across various AI tools to ensure your outputs are consistent and professionally tailored to your specific needs. 

CEQ’s regulations implementing NEPA were declared invalid by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals because CEQ has never had statutory authority to promulgate regulations.  A recent Executive Order issued on Day One requires CEQ to rescind their NEPA-implementing regulations, and instead to issue guidelines to agencies on implementing NEPA.  These are the largest and most transformative actions to change the NEPA practice since NEPA was enacted over 50 years ago.

 All of this is explained in detail in Basic NEPA.  NEPA practitioners will learn about these changes and will get tools to effectively deal with them.  If you have attended Basic NEPA before, it’s now time for an update. 

 Basic NEPA training materials are grounded on the NEPA statute and the Administrative Procedure Act, which have not changed, plus NEPA case law – which also has not changed.  For any Federal proposal for action, either we will write a “detailed statement” as required by NEPA, or we will write reasons not to.  All possible reasons not to are detailed.  Alternatives in a “detailed statement” are still governed by the statement of need for action.  A model for how to write that need statement is detailed.  A cumulative impacts analysis is still necessary because of the Administrative Procedure Act.  A model for how to conduct that analysis is detailed. 

 A substantial handout with graphic models, updated case lists that support the models, and sample documents is included in this course.  All training materials are based on statutes and NEPA case law, fully applicable even without CEQ’s regulations.  Attendees may wish to keep the course material as a reference in the workplace. 

 DID YOU KNOW -- NEPA is the most litigated environmental statute in the United States, according to the CEQ.  Prepare to defend your agency decisions with defensible NEPA documents, according to the NEPA models in this course.  Future-proof your NEPA practice by staying on top of recent changes. 

 ** For an advanced, seminar-style discussion of NEPA issues, attend our one-day Advanced NEPA Workshop, immediately following this course. Completion of this course is excellent preparation for getting the most out of our Advanced NEPA** course.  There is a $50 discount when purchasing the 2 courses together.

This workshop is designed to serve both as a comprehensive introduction for those new to NEPA and a refresher for more experienced professionals. The course is beneficial for federal agency staff and decision-makers, attorneys, consultants, as well as members of environmental organizations, and interested citizens who are concerned about the environmental effects of federal actions. Those who have taken this course in years past will benefit from updated materials based on the newest judicial opinions. Even those who have worked with NEPA their entire careers will stand to learn more about the secrets to successful NEPA compliance. 

8-Hour HAZWOPER Refresher - Municipal & Public Works Applications

Designed specifically for municipal, county, and public works professionals, this live, in-person course meets all regulatory requirements for the 8-Hour HAZWOPER Refresher certification through a balanced combination of traditional classroom instruction and hands-on field application. Following a dynamic indoor review of essential regulations, chemical safety, and groundwater protection concepts, the one-day session transitions to outdoor exercises where attendees practice responding to common utility scenarios. Rather than relying solely on lecture, participants will engage in realistic field simulations—such as managing heavy equipment hydraulic blowouts, transformer oil spills, and decontamination lines—ensuring they leave with practical confidence in managing the actual hazards found in their daily operations.  Many practical issues will also be addressed across all areas of the refresher course.

This introductory course empowers environmental professionals to leverage the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence, AI, to enhance their work and drive sustainable outcomes. Moving beyond the hype, this course focuses on practical applications, demonstrating how AI can augment human capabilities rather than replace them.

Participants will gain a foundational understanding of AI concepts and explore real-world examples of how AI can augment their productivity and optimize their time management. Through hands-on exercises and case studies, you will learn to identify key opportunities for AI in your daily workflows, select appropriate AI tools for specific tasks, and master the art of writing effective prompts to get the most out of publicly available AI applications. This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to confidently navigate the evolving landscape of AI in environmental science, fostering innovation and efficiency in your professional endeavors.

In a world flooded with information and distractions, how can you make sure your message not only breaks through but leaves a lasting impact? Welcome to Persuasive Presentations Quick Start. Discover the art of crafting presentations that grab attention and resonate with your audience. It's time to make your message the one they remember.

Why Choose This Course?

Are you tired of struggling to make your message heard? In today's professional landscape, your ability to present with authenticity, confidence, and persuasion can define success. Learn essential skills to connect effectively with your audience even if there is mistrust, controversy, or anger. This course is ideal for busy environmental professionals, including risk managers, regulators, public involvement managers, project managers, technical experts, and planners.

What You'll Gain

With each presentation, you're not just conveying information; you're shaping your reputation. Ensure it's your message that charts the path forward. In this course, you'll gain the skills to,

• Influence and inspire action.
• Transform audience skepticism into trust and engagement.
• Overcome resistance and effectively respond to criticism.
• Handle questions with confidence.

Course Highlights

You will learn how to present yourself and your information in the best possible way to both deliver the facts and, at the same time, be persuasive, including,

• The reasonable objective to shoot for
• Three non-traditional audience analyses to address skepticism and resistance points
• Three models for planning persuasive remarks
• Three techniques for impromptu presenting when answering questions

Are you tired of crummy virtual meetings?

You can do something about it with this workshop from the author of the Amazon best-seller, Mastering Online Meetings.

Employers are looking for leaders who can get people to work together, even if working remotely. Good online meetings are not an accident. Good meetings happen because there is good leadership.

Attend this workshop and learn how to lead groups through the special challenges of online meetings by good planning, engaging participants, using the right tools, and keeping things on track to reach a firm decision.

Enroll in this course and receive a free copy of your instructor’s book, Mastering Online Meetings, 52 Tips to Engage Your Audience and Get the Best Out of Your Virtual Meetings.

“The book Mastering Online Meetings is greater than the sum of its parts, but each tip is complete and immediately useable on its own because of the author's excellent organizational and presentation skills.” - Arlen Harmoning

Why Choose This Course?

The most valuable resource in a meeting is time—the time available for the meeting and time the participants could spend on other work. This workshop helps you make the best use of that time.

Everyone is busy these days. Crazy schedules, emails, texts, chats, etc.—in short, an avalanche of interruptions. Consider this workshop an investment—one that will improve personal productivity and an opportunity to bolster your leadership credibility.

“This book is a concise, substance-packed, guide for effective online meetings.” - JohnM360

What You'll Gain

The worst replacement for a bad meeting is a bad online meeting. You will get easy-to-use tips you can apply right away; tips for,

• How to keep people focused and engaged,
• How to set up a meeting,
• What to do before, during, and after the meeting, and
• How to lead meetings toward firm decisions.

 “This easy read is a timely investment for anyone who is working and meeting online.” – GraniteStater

In today's complex professional world, effective leadership hinges on skillful conflict management. As diverse teams collaborate, conflicts naturally arise. Left unaddressed, these disputes can hinder progress by individuals, teams, and organizations. Conflict Resolution Quick Start equips you with essential skills to confidently navigate complex disputes and lead with excellence.

Why Choose This Course?

Facing workplace conflicts? Discover effective resolution strategies for challenges with colleagues, clients, or supervisors. This 4-hour course, a condensed version of our popular 2-day Conflict Resolution Skills for Environmental Professionals course, provides practical skills that you can apply the day after the course.

What You'll Gain

• Enhanced Reputation: Elevate your professional image by mastering conflict management.
• Stress Reduction: Confidently and proactively manage conflicts, reducing stress.
• Leadership Enhancement: Position yourself as a trusted problem solver who transforms conflict into cooperation.

Course Highlights

In this course, you'll learn how to:

• Diagnose Conflict Sources: Master the art of pinpointing the roots of conflicts and structuring crucial conversations.
• Roadmap Creation: Identify core dispute topics and convert them into a clear path to resolution.
• Uncover Motivations: Explore the psychology behind conflicts, revealing the underlying motivations behind people's words.
• Guide Decision-Making: Skillfully steer conversations toward actionable options and confident decisions.
• Craft ‘Durable’ Solutions: Develop long-lasting resolutions that foster ongoing cooperation.
• Communication Mastery: Acquire the six key communication skills necessary for successful conflict resolution.