Scout Newsletter - December 2025

December 17, 2025

The NEPA One-Year Environmental Assessment (EA) Timeline: What’s Actually Changing and When Does the Clock Start/Stop

Callie Hansen, NEPA Project Manager, PMP & Kari McCollum, NEPA Project Manager

Many federal agencies have already been targeting one-year EAs for years. At Scout, this has long been our standard. What has truly shifted under the updated Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidance wasn’t the timeline itself, but the renewed push for streamlining and speed across agencies (White House Guidance).

The new NEPA framework reinforces the expectation of a one-year EA, but one of the sources of uncertainty is when the clock starts, when it stops, and what “one year” truly means in practice.

2025 SAME Small Business Conference (SBC) Phoenix Review

Melanie Hernandez, Phil Rosenberg, Jane Penny, Ray Arguello, Roxanne Beasley and Ryan Pingree at 2025 SAME SBC Phoenix Conference.

Scout spent the week in Phoenix, AZ at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Federal Small Business Conference (SBC), the largest gathering of federal agencies, A/E/C firms, and DoD partners. We were proud to showcase the capabilities we deliver to federal programs as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in front of the conference’s 5,000 plus attendees:

• Environmental planning and NEPA

• Engineering

• Aquatic Sciences Services

Scout featured these services across federal programs to more than 5,000 attendees at this event. Our team was well-represented by Ryan Pingree, Jason Strayer, Melanie Hernandez, Roxanne Beasley, Phil Rosenberg, and board members, Jane Penny and Ray Arguello. We were also glad to have cybersecurity expert Jason Halloran of Affinitas Technologies on-site following Scout’s recent achievement of CMMC Level 2 certification.

Thank you to everyone who met with us throughout the week, to the event organizers and volunteers who make SBC such a strong event each year!

Project Highlight: Kaua’i Biological Surveys

Island Helicopters has exclusive access to the landing zone at the falls from the landowner.

Scout Senior Scientist John Ford and Biologist Maya LeGrande of LeGrande Biological Surveys, both based on Oahu, recently prepared a triennial biological resources assessment of Island Helicopters tour operations at the Manawaiopuna “Jurassic” Falls on Kaua‘i to comply with local regulatory agency requirements. Their study confirmed that no invasive species or pollutants have been introduced to the area surrounding the falls over the past three years as a result of helicopter tour operations. Ongoing mitigation measures employed by the client have been effective for native species protection.

Today Scouts John Ford or Kevin Butterbaugh will attend the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Honolulu Post Holiday Pau Hana at Pier 38 in Honolulu. Maj. Bennett Stuppy, Deputy Branch Chief for Military Construction (MILCON) Design and Construction and featured speaker for the event will speak on future MILCON and Host Nation funded programs. His talk will include details on Republic of Korea Funded Construction (ROKFC) and how these initiatives help offset U.S. MILCON efforts. Mahalo to the SAME Honolulu Post, Maj. Stuppy, and all the participants who are sure to make this a celebratory event that fosters partnerships and delivers solutions!

Wreaths Across America Day 2025

Volunteers place holiday wreaths to recognize the sacrifices of service members at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

On December 13, 2025, Scout team members Becky Diaz and son, Kelly French and son, and Camille Sytko proudly participated in Wreaths Across America Day at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, California. Together, they placed holiday wreaths at the headstones of fallen service members and their immediate family members to honor lives of service and sacrifice.

Kelly French's son (left) and Becky Diaz and son (right), place wreaths to honor the lives of service members buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

The morning was a powerful and heartfelt tribute, reinforcing a shared commitment to remembrance and gratitude to our service members. A particularly meaningful moment came with a visit to the final resting place of Camille’s grandparents, William and Phyllis Maloney. As a corporal in the First Marine Division in WWII, William served at the infamous battle of Guadalcanal and as post-December 7th support at Pearl Harbor.

Wreaths Across America began in 1992 with a single trailer carrying 5,000 wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. It has grown into Wreaths Across America, a nationwide movement spanning more than 4,200 participating locations and supported by over 3 million volunteers, of which nearly one-third are children. Together, these volunteers carry forward a yearlong mission

Appreciation sets the tone as Camille places a wreath.

to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. For more information about the Wreaths Across America organization, please check out their website.

Happy Holidays From Scout!

This holiday season, we want to extend our warmest wishes to our clients, partners, and fellow Scouts. 2025 was marked by significant contract wins, achieved through exceptional hard work and perseverance, even amid uncertainty. Our Scouts also demonstrated what truly defines us by giving back to their communities through generous volunteer service. None of this success would be possible without the dedication of our team or the trust and collaboration of our partners, for which we are deeply grateful. As we look ahead to 2026, Scout is confident that these shared values will continue to guide us in building an even stronger future together.

Becky Diaz, GIS Analyst, Planner – Mapping Success at Scout

Becky joined Scout in 2023 and has steadily grown her GIS expertise in her role as a GIS Analyst and Environmental Planner. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Becky has a strong background in teaching and translation, having worked with children and adults and provided document and meeting translation services. She earned GIS and Environmental Studies Certificates from Palomar College and a Spanish-English Translation Certificate from University of California San Diego Extension. Through formal coursework and volunteer mapping projects, Becky has honed her GIS skills, applying them to environmental planning initiatives for organizations such as the San Diego State University Field Stations Program and the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation.

At Scout, Becky has contributed to a wide range of NEPA/CEQA projects, from creating detailed site maps and predictive models to facilitating public meetings and providing technical editing for project submittals. Her project experience spans national and local initiatives, including Environmental Impact Statements for Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, Facility Condition Assessments for Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Centers, and Environmental Assessments for Naval and Army installations. Becky’s work combines GIS expertise, environmental planning, and bilingual communication to support complex projects, translating public notices, developing field maps, and contributing as a resource author to ensure high-quality, actionable environmental documentation.

When Becky isn’t providing high GIS quality data for clients, she uses her skills for other projects like enhancing Scout headquarters. The world map now on display at Scout’s Encinitas, California office reflects both her GIS expertise and creative approach to visual communication.

Becky smiles in front of the new map installation at Scout headquarters.

Scout is Hiring

FACILITIES INSPECTOR

Scout is seeking Facility Condition Assessors/Inspectors. The work will likely require up to 70% of your time traveling to military installations to perform facility condition assessments across the nation for up to two weeks at a time, with breaks between trips. Candidates must have ~5 years’ experience in conducting facility condition assessments or equivalent formal trade school education/experience in plumbing, roofing, mechanical systems, exteriors, roofing, fire protection, and/or electrical systems. Familiarity with BUILDER software is desired, but not required, should candidates be willing and able to learn how to use the BUILDER software. A PE is also not required.

This is an hourly position with the potential to become full-time, depending on the candidate's wishes and Scout’s needs. Candidates can be located anywhere in the nation and can work out of their home. Scout offers competitive benefits and is an equal opportunity employer. Apply today via https://scoutenv.com/careers