Barbara Boland
Parsons received the Honor Award for Outstanding Environmental Planning Project for its West Pond Environmental Assessment from the American Planning Association (APA), Federal Planning Division.
Parsons completed the Environmental Assessment under contract with the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, for Gateway National Recreation Area, Jamaica Bay Unit, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge located in Brooklyn and Queens, NY. This award recognizes the highest standards of quality among all submissions received by the APA, Federal Planning Division.
“Parsons’ collaboration with the National Park Service resulted in numerous ecosystem and visitor use benefits while solving multiple engineering and community challenges in this dynamic environment at Gateway National Recreation Area,†stated Carey Smith, President of Parsons Group and a 2017 Wash100 Award recipient.
The developments will improve defenses at West Pond and make it more resilient against future storms, sea level rise, and other environmental changes.
AÂ team of planners, engineers, scientists, and resource managers from Parsons worked with the National Park Service to address the breach of West Pond and loop trail caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Over 450 stakeholders were engaged, and Parsons held numerous workshops with community groups and resource specialists during project planning. They addressed ecosystem recovery, restoration, and management concerns. The plan includes phased implementation solutions that allow for improved conditions and ecological resilience as ecosystems recover, as well as the application of adaptive management measures over time.
