Brian Bernstein, AICP, ISA-CA

Director of Environmental Planning

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Brian Bernstein, AICP has 30 years of experience providing environmental assessment, documentation, permitting and monitoring services for various infrastructure projects throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. He has served as a lead environmental compliance manager for major transportation and utility projects. He has managed the development of numerous NEPA and planning documents including policy manuals, EAs, EISs, Section 4(f) evaluations, and various technical reports. His technical expertise also includes conducting environmental inventories and impact assessments, permitting, land planning, community assessment and planning, public involvement, indirect and cumulative effects analysis, water resources planning including TMDLs, conducting ecological and biological assessments, non-tidal and tidal wetland studies and delineations, wetland, stream and forest restoration/mitigation design, post construction monitoring, construction, and permitting. Brian’s area of expertise include:

  • NEPA documentation
  • Environmental inventories and assessment
  • permitting and mitigation design
  • Federal, state and local agency coordination
  • Environmental construction monitoring
  • Public outreach program development

“The challenges we are currently facing living in an ever-changing world affect us all in so many ways, including our natural and social environments. We need more people with a variety of technical backgrounds working together in business, government, and NGO’s, as well as individual citizens to develop sustainable and resilient solutions to the challenges affecting our natural resources and human communities.”

Tell us about your most exciting or rewarding project at Straughan.

Since onboarding in October 2020, I have already worked on several exciting projects including a large transportation related EIS and GIS planning study for a federal client.

Share with us a fun story about the outdoors.

I went free diving for abalone in the Pacific Ocean off Point Loma in San Diego. I dove along the kelp forest to the bottom to find abalone shells, and it required me to hold my breath longer than I ever thought I could.

Favorite quote:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead