EI created a formal partnership with Sitka Technology Group in 2015 in order to help our collective clients develop more effective conservation and mitigation programs. Frequently, EI helps clients design innovative policies and programs, for which technology solutions are needed to streamline operations and effectively manage and publish data. After collaborating with Sitka on several projects, EI felt it was in the best interest of our clients to establish an official partnership to ensure they had easy access to best-in-class technology solutions to maximize the environmental return on investment of their private and public conservation dollars.
The partnership just concluded its first year, and we have delivered a combination of program design, policy analysis and technology development services to multiple clients. You can read more about our shared clients and services on Sitka’s new webpage dedicated to our partnership.
One example of our work together is the Lake Tahoe Information Exchange (LT Info) which connects people with information to improve decision making and sustain investments in the Lake Tahoe Basin. EI facilitated the development of the vision and strategy of LT Info with basin stakeholders and developed the performance measures used by the applications on LT Info. Sitka implemented that vision in the build out of the LT Info platform and individual applications, including the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) Project Tracker and Sustainability Dashboard, with support from EI.
Another example is the Performance Platform, a website development tool for conservation programs to quickly and cost-effectively create a web presence. EI defined the specifications of the Performance Platform, and Sitka developed the technology. During the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board meeting in May, the Lake Tahoe TMDL program manager (Robert Larson) told the Board that “The performance platform is all things Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). It is easy for us to manage content and report performance. It is the one stop shop for our program.”
In 2016, EI and Sitka will develop an online credit site assessment tool for the Nevada Conservation Credit System. This tool will enable landowners and mitigation bankers to quickly identify the credit potential of participating project sites without needing to dive in to the details of the science-based habitat quantification approach. This will reduce barriers to participate in the program and focus project proponents on taking effective action, instead of investing time understanding detailed methods and using technical software.
EI and Sitka are thrilled to work together with current and future clients to improve the effectiveness of conservation and mitigation programs!
If you are interested in learning more about our partnership, please contact Eoin Doherty.
