Bob Brown, AICP, SHN’s Planning Principal, and Maia Singer and Lauren Dusek of Stillwater Sciences, will present “CEQA, Dam Removal, and Restoration of the Klamath River” at the Association of Environmental Professionals State Conference, in April 2022.  There are four PacifiCorp hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, in Northern California and Southern Oregon.  Their removal will be the most significant dam removal and river restoration effort ever attempted in the United States.  The project will restore native anadromous fish access to potentially hundreds of miles of mainstem river and tributary habitat, and will restore riparian habitat along approximately 18 miles of river and tributary confluences that are currently inundated by reservoirs.  In the long term, dam removal will also improve water quality, reduce the incidence of disease among salmonids, and support commercial fisheries and tribal communities that depend on Klamath Basin fisheries as an important cultural resource.  

SHN is pleased to announce to announce that Charles “Chuck” Steffensmeier, PE, has joined SHN as our Oregon South Coast Regional Principal.  Chuck is an experienced leader and manager in civil engineering design, project management, and construction, with special focus on railroad bridge hydrology and hydraulics, and structural design.  His experience spans railroad design and construction, maintenance, structures design, inspection and construction, water resources, permitting, and project management.  Chuck’s most recent position was as Chief Engineer of port facilities, for the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay.  He was responsible for construction contracts and contractor performance for railroad and marina projects.  He was also the bridge engineer for the Coos Bay Rail Line.  Chuck continues as the Bridge Inspector for the Coos Bay Railroad, which entails annual bridge inspection and special inspections for the rail line. 

Gwen Erickson, PG (with stormwater credentials as a Trainer of Record for QSD/CGP and QISP/IGP) will be leading a webinar on the Fundamentals of Erosion and Sedimentation, for staff of the City of Eureka's engineering and public works department.  She will cover the types and causes of erosion, erosion source controls, how to select appropriate Best Management Practices, and the content and designs needed for Erosion and Sediment Control Plans.  Gwen is providing this webinar via Zoom due to COVID-19 protocols, but has provided similar trainings in person to other city government departments and agencies.  The City of Eureka's interactive webinar will be held on January 20, 2022.  If you are interested in having Gwen assist your staff in stormwater compliance, please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SHN is pleased to announce that two experienced engineers have joined us.  They are Richard Culp, PE and Casey Christensen, PE.  Richard’s most recent work was with the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), where he designed public utility infrastructure and managed construction.  He provided technical assistance to, and was the lead trainer for, water and wastewater operators.  Richard also was the General Manager of a rural, coastal special purpose district for over 10 years.  Casey comes to SHN from another consulting firm, where he provided structural design for private homes, K-12 campuses, and commercial developments.  Other recent hires include Natalie Mclaughlin (grants administration), Maya Rose (GIS, UAV), Alyssa Troia (geology), Brynn Huzzen (biology), Howie Hill (survey), Justin Delgado (planning), Renee Brown (admin), Amanda Gonzales and Leif Wanta (materials testing) and Tamara Emard, Jonathan Blout, Jared Goebel, Peter Dunn, and Kyle Reese (engineering).

Part-time and full-time civil engineering opportunities!  We are looking for mid- and senior level engineers for work in our North Coast and Mendocino regions.  Why engineering at SHN's Eureka, Willits, or Fort Bragg offices?

• Live, work, and play in the most beautiful places on Earth, offering river, ocean, trail, and many other outdoor sports and activities.  Humboldt and Mendocino Counties also offer vibrant music and arts communities, and award-winning schools.
• With over 40 years in business and community service, SHN offers an entree into our close-knit communities.
• Work flexibility; we are looking for part-time and full-time staff.
• Our small firm offers shareholder opportunities, a family-friendly and supportive team culture, and benefits for part-time employment.

To learn more about SHN and these positions, click here. 

Thanks to all of our clients, subcontractors, and teaming partners, who have been working hard along side SHN during this pandemic.  We appreciate your continuing trust in our work and your willingness to adapt with us as we find safer ways to perform fieldwork, travel to sites, and collaborate on designs and plans.

Because SHN is deemed an essential business, we closed our offices to the public but we continued working and now approximately half of our staff are working primarily from home.  If you have had any delays in reaching us, do not hesitate to call our personal cell phones and of course, we always check email frequently.  SHN will soon be submitting our re-opening plans to the agencies that have jurisdiction over our seven offices.

As we move forward, you can count on SHN to make it through these tough economic times ahead.  Many of our staff worked through the 2008-09 recession, and while it was far from pleasant, we know what we have to do so that SHN can continue providing the engineering, geosciences, surveying, planning and environmental services that you rely on. 

Thank you again for your support of SHN!