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Agencies Awarded
Gary Ruggerone, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) |
Gary Ruggerone has demonstrated environmental leadership over the course of his 30-year tenure at Caltrans, where he oversees the Environmental Stewardship Branch and leads the Emergency Response Team for Environmental Planning in Caltrans – District 5. Gary's ability to foster cross-agency cooperation and to transmit information from field crews to upper management allows him to efficiently integrate ecological principles into his many transportation projects, a few of which stand out as true advances in environmental planning. In the Elkhorn Slough Early Mitigation Pilot Project, he was instrumental in initiating a watershed approach for an early mitigation process that can be implemented years in advance. He also conceived of and executed two Programmatic Agreements between the Federal Highway Administration and the Ventura Office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the California red-legged frog and Smith's blue butterfly, which saved time and money for Caltrans and USFWS staff. This award recognizes Gary's distinguished career as an innovative team and environmental leader. Project Contributors:
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