Meet your MAC members
Robert Pickett

December 2010  

I am Robert Pickett, your Vice President elect for 2011.  Professionally, I work for the Virginia Department of Transportation in Fredericksburg, Virginia as a District Environmental Manager. 

My interest in the environment began in high school where I was active in vocational agriculture and the Future Farmers of America.  I received several awards at the chapter and regional level for my work on reforestation and other natural resource projects. 

After college and a four year stint as a paralegal assistant I was able to get back to my true love and began work as an Environmental Specialist in 1978.  I saw water quality protection as our biggest issue with two dominant focal areas, erosion control and wetlands protection/permitting.  I began considerable self study and attended as many short courses and workshops to learn about these emerging growth fields.  The opportunity to implement my knowledge came quickly with projects to widen I-95 along the 50 mile length through the Fredericksburg District along with multiple projects to improve primary roads to four lanes.  It was a period of technology improvements with silt fencing replacing straw bales, excelsior mats replacing jute, and a whole wave of new geotextile products.  I was involved with multiple test site installations and new product trials.  I also began designing and supervising the construction of project specific wetland compensation sites. 

I received my CPESC in 1989, completed several graduate courses in Environmental Management, and in 1990 I became the VDOT District Environmental Manager.  Water quality protection remained a focal area.  New regulations brought storm water management into the mix of compliance initiatives.  As VDOT struggled with design standards I worked with both internal and agency partners to conceptualize several innovative BMP type storm water management techniques.  Many of these ideas came from attendance at IECA and MAC-IECA Conference workshops.  Continuous learning remains high among my self initiatives and among the goals I encourage for my staff. 

My VDOT District boasts the first official VDOT Wetland Mitigation Bank.  This took us from sites that were an average of three to five acres to larger sites of over twenty acres with areas of preservation and stream restoration integrated into the plan.  Compliance monitoring of these sites, retrofits for erosion problems, and invasive species control have been particularly challenging at times. 

Cultural resource and endangered species implications have added a huge impact to project development.  As the jurisdictional thresholds for water quality permits continue to decrease to smaller impacts the next decade will be challenging.  Meeting storm water mandates will drive much innovation as well as cost additions to projects.  The development community both public and private will have high demand for environmental professionals that can navigate these complexities.  

My avocations integrate well with my vocation as I enjoy canoeing, kayaking, hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, and photography.  A good day is any one in which the sun is shining and I can be outdoors in it.