Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)

Nic Frederick and Laura Thorne
  • 4.9 (30)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

EPR is Connecting Environmental Professionals through Conversation! Our show is brought to you by the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and follows environmental professionals at all levels of their career in a variety of industries to bring you a nuanced and informed discussion on what it’s like to work in the environmental arena. Hear us talk through failures, struggles, and successes of the typical environmental professional. We will also highlight news, updates, and fun facts from the scientific community. With over 80 episodes and counting, we are excited to provide this podcast as a way to reach environmental professionals, students, and educators who have one thing in common: we spend our time working to protect the environment.

  1. Environmental Permitting Reform, NEPA Assignment, and the Future of Environmental Policy with Eric Beightel

    2D AGO

    Environmental Permitting Reform, NEPA Assignment, and the Future of Environmental Policy with Eric Beightel

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Eric Beightel, Federal Strategy Director at Environmental Science Associates about Environmental Permitting Reform, NEPA Assignment, and the Future of Environmental Policy.  Read his full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes:  0:19 - Right Whale Facts! 7:18 - Interview with Eric Beightel starts 18:38- The bureaucracy and challenges of environmental permitting 36:55 - The benefits and futures of NEPA Assignment for states 45:12 - #FieldNotes Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Eric Beightel at www.linkedin.com/in/ericbeightel Guest Bio: As Federal Strategy Director, Eric serves as an advisor to ESA’s clients on the full range of regulatory challenges, helping navigate the ever-evolving changes to federal policies, processes, and funding requirements. A seasoned practitioner with a career spanning 25 years in federal, state, and private sector positions, Eric Beightel is a nationally recognized expert on environmental policy, NEPA, and the federal permitting process. Throughout his career, he has continually played a leading role in driving the national effort to streamline the environmental permitting process for major infrastructure projects. Before joining ESA, Eric was the Presidentially appointed Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) where he was responsible for overseeing a portfolio of more than $75 billion in large-scale infrastructure projects, supporting federal agencies and project sponsors through expedited federal environmental review and permitting that advanced dozens of critical projects to completion, realizing their economic and environmental benefits for the nation. Eric previously served under prior federal administrations as a Senior Environmental Policy Advisor at the Department of Transportation and as a subject matter expert to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition to his public sector positions, he also has held national infrastructure and environmental policy and strategy roles with national and global consulting firms, bringing hands-on experience with project implementation and delivery for complex infrastructure projects. Eric Beightel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Public Policy degree from George Mason University. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    53 min
  2. The Endangerments Clause, Updates to ESA, and the Future of WOTUS with Fred Wagner

    MAR 6

    The Endangerments Clause, Updates to ESA, and the Future of WOTUS with Fred Wagner

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Fred Wager, Principal Environmental Regulatory Advisor with Jacobs about The Endangerments Clause, Updates to ESA, and the Future of WOTUS.   Read his full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes:  0:29 - Cute animal facts! 1:28 - Navigating travel chaos 10:39 - Interview with Fred Wagner starts 16:15 - Unpacking the Endangerment Clause and Major Questions Doctrine  27:47 - The future of WOTUS and endangered species act interpretations 37:44 - Examining Section 106 and historic preservation challenges 40:53 - Optimism, regulatory resilience, and concluding thoughts Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019 Guest Bio: Fred Wagner focuses on environmental and natural resources issues concerning major infrastructure, including surface transportation, energy, mining, and commercial project development. Fred advises clients on environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act or equivalent state statutes. He also helps secure permits and approvals from regulators under a variety of federal programs, including Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. Fred provides strategic counseling regarding implementation of the full spectrum of federal environmental programs, as well as U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) surface transportation grant management and safety regulations.  Prior to joining Jacobs, Fred represented a wide variety of developers, public entities, and businesses in environmental, land use, and natural resources litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits to government enforcement actions and Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges. Most recently, Fred was counsel of record in the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition NEPA case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    53 min
  3. Wetland Restoration, Agricultural Water Quality, and Chesapeake Bay Conservation with Amy Jacobs

    FEB 27

    Wetland Restoration, Agricultural Water Quality, and Chesapeake Bay Conservation with Amy Jacobs

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Amy Jacobs, The Nature Conservancy, Chesapeake Bay Director, about Wetland Restoration, Agricultural Water Quality, and Chesapeake Bay Conservation.  Read her full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes: 1:40 - Our favorite Airbnb experiences 6:10 - Interview with Amy Jacobs Starts! 12:39 - Jacobs Conservation Efforts 20:02 - Approaches to the Watershed 26:32 - Jacobs paddle boarding hobby Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Amy Jacobs at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-jacobs-a945041a7/ Guest Bio: Amy brings over 30 years of experience in conservation, dedicating her career to making a significant impact in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding landscapes. She began her journey with The Nature Conservancy, assessing the condition of wetlands in the Nanticoke Watershed. Amy then took a position with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, where she built a Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Program. In 2012, she returned to The Nature Conservancy for the mission and to advance restoration in the Chesapeake Bay.  Amy has a proven track record of leading large-scale conservation programs, securing funding, and fostering impactful partnerships. From working to restore over 3,500 acres of floodplains along the Pocomoke River to working with private agribusiness to establish the MidAtlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association that has advanced over 150,000 acres of improved farmland management in the Chesapeake region, she is passionate about driving impact on the ground. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and wildlife from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in Environmental Forest Biology from the State University of New York and Syracuse University. In her free time Amy enjoys traveling with her family, standup paddleboarding, yoga, raising funds for local food pantries, and being a groupie to her husband’s band. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller   Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    30 min
  4. Indigenous Land Stewardship, Conservation Reform, and Land Return with Lee Clauss

    FEB 20

    Indigenous Land Stewardship, Conservation Reform, and Land Return with Lee Clauss

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Lee Clauss, Southern California Project Manager with The Trust for Public Land and Principal Consultant at LSC Consulting, specializing in Indigenous land stewardship, sovereignty, and cultural resource management. Read her full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes:  1:31 - Nic's New Job! 7:13 - Interview with Lee Clauss Starts 22:37 - What needs to Change? 33:03 - What is the Process of Giving Land Back? 40:36- #Fieldnotes with Lee! Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Lee Clauss at Lee Clauss | LinkedIn  Guest Bio: Lee Clauss currently serves as a Project Manager on the Trust for Public Land’s California Land Protection team.  She is an applied anthropologist/archaeologist and advocate for Native American communities' sovereignty. She has 25 years of experience in historic preservation and environmental law, regulatory compliance and public policy analysis. Her background includes Indigenous lands and cultural stewardship, curation, and community-based planning and research. Clauss regularly provides training on land return pathways, repatriation, Indigenous science, Tribal consultation, environmental justice, and data sovereignty.  Prior to her time at TPL, Lee worked for and with multiple Tribal governments in Arizona, North Carolina, and California. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players. Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    54 min
  5. Climate Anxiety, Resilience, and Community Support with Sarah Newman

    FEB 13

    Climate Anxiety, Resilience, and Community Support with Sarah Newman

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Sarah Newman, Founder and Executive Director of the Climate Mental Health Network about Climate Anxiety, Resilience, and Community Support.   Read her full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes:  1:30 - Environmental Challenges  8:15 - Interview with Sarah Newman Starts 12:30 - How do we help 25:19 - Connecting to the Climate movement  30:16 - Living on a Sailboat! Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Sarah Newman at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarnew/ Guest Bio:  Sarah Newman is the founder and executive director of Climate Mental Health Network, addressing the mental health consequences of climate change. The organization is the largest in this emerging sector, reaching young people, parents and educators with research-informed programs and resources. In 2025 she was named a Grist 50 Fixer. She previously worked in the media impact sector and at nonprofits as an outreach director and community organizer. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    35 min
  6. EPR Minisode 19: Environmental Forecasts

    FEB 6

    EPR Minisode 19: Environmental Forecasts

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  We have a new minisode for you today! This is taking place instead of our regularly scheduled episode on Friday this week. Thank you so much for listening! Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    19 min
  7. Protecting the High Seas, Teaching the Next Generation of Leaders, and Growing Up Where Conservation is Everyday Life with Jeremy Raguain

    JAN 30

    Protecting the High Seas, Teaching the Next Generation of Leaders, and Growing Up Where Conservation is Everyday Life with Jeremy Raguain

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Jeremy Raguain, Seychellois conservationist, Italy-AOSIS Fellowship Director, and owner of Out of the Shell Solutions Seychelles about Protecting the High Seas, Teaching the Next Generation of Leaders, and Growing Up Where Conservation is Everyday Life.  Read his full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes:  1:26 - Island Living 6:02 - Interview with Jeremy Raguain begins 13:55 - Italy-AOSIS Fellowship 26:13 - What makes a good fellow 30:41 - #Fieldnotes with Jeremy! Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.  This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Jeremy Raguain at linkedin.com/in/jeremy-raguain-a0b8b1bb Guest Bio: Jeremy Raguain is a Seychellois conservationist working with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) as the Director of the Italy-AOSIS Fellowship.  In addition to being an alumnus of this fellowship (2022) he is also an alumnus of Columbia University's Masters of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (2024), which builds on a Bachelor of Social Science in International Relations (Honours) and Environmental Geographical Sciences from the University of Cape Town. Before rejoining AOSIS, Jeremy worked as a Senior Programme Officer for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at its Eastern and Southern African Regional Office, supporting 11 African states in ratifying and implementing the BBNJ Agreement, a subject matter on which he publishes peer-reviewed research.  Jeremy has served as the Climate Change and Ocean Advisor for the Seychelles Permanent Mission to the UN, coordinated projects and communications, as well as contributed to Seychelles' national environmental policy through several positions at the Seychelles Islands Foundation and is the Owner of Out of the Shell Solutions Seychelles, a consultancy providing services related to environmental policy, communications and project Management. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    38 min
  8. Making Conservation Tools Accessible, Using Data Responsibility in Conservation, and a New Chapter for Conservation Leadership with Sunny Fleming

    JAN 23

    Making Conservation Tools Accessible, Using Data Responsibility in Conservation, and a New Chapter for Conservation Leadership with Sunny Fleming

    Share your Field Stories! Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!  On today’s episode, we talk with Sunny Fleming, Esri's Director of Conservation about Making Conservation Tools Accessible, Using Data Responsibility in Conservation, and a New Chapter for Conservation Leadership.  Read her full bio below. Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form  Showtimes: 1:50 - What changed in the course of our careers? 10:29 - Interview with Sunny begins 19:03 - 1st experiences with mapping tools 35:28 - What are you hopeful about in the conservation space? 42:55 - Fly fishing with Sunny! Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.   This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org. Connect with Sunny Fleming at https://www.linkedin.com/in/littlemissesri/ Guest Bio: Sunny Fleming serves as the Director of Conservation Solutions at Esri. Her career has been shaped by a consistent theme of applying GIS to solve real‑world challenges across conservation, environmental regulation, and parks and recreation management. From monitoring species and natural resources in the field to supporting agencies in policy development, asset management, and strategy, GIS has been central to her work at every stage. She has a passion for uniting these interconnected disciplines and advancing their role in conservation efforts around the world, and she is committed to building a global community of GIS practitioners who collaborate, innovate, and support conservation through shared expertise and geospatial insight. Music Credits Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller Support the show Thanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

    47 min
See All (244)

4.9
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

EPR is Connecting Environmental Professionals through Conversation! Our show is brought to you by the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and follows environmental professionals at all levels of their career in a variety of industries to bring you a nuanced and informed discussion on what it’s like to work in the environmental arena. Hear us talk through failures, struggles, and successes of the typical environmental professional. We will also highlight news, updates, and fun facts from the scientific community. With over 80 episodes and counting, we are excited to provide this podcast as a way to reach environmental professionals, students, and educators who have one thing in common: we spend our time working to protect the environment.

Information

  • Creator
    Nic Frederick and Laura Thorne
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    244
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)
  • Show Website
    Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)

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