By Rich Casale
The Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) program was initially proposed nearly 30 years ago, in 1977, by the California Central Coast Section of the Soil Conservation Society of America (SCSA, now the Soil and Water Conservation Society, or SWCS). The actual idea of CPESC was born during a discussion between Rich Casale (CPESC #3) of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); Jim Barrett (CPESC #2), also with NRCS but working on detail with the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments; and Ward Hastings (CPESC) of the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (SCCRCD), all of whom were members of SCSA at the time.
Serious soil erosion and related sediment damage was occurring on numerous subdivision developments in Santa Cruz County, CA, back in the mid-1970s. Building and development plans did not adequately address erosion and sediment issues, nor was there any local planning or regulatory control, with the exception of a couple of paragraphs on erosion control in the California Uniform Building Code. At the time, NRCS and SCCRCD were meeting with county planners, developers, and others on a regular basis, trying to educate them on the need for erosion and sediment control measures on construction sites. It was at one of these early meetings with a Santa Cruz County government official, following an erosion issue complaint, that the need for a program such as CPESC became crystal clear. When NRCS Conservationists Rich Casale and Jim Barrett pointed out that there was an absence of adequate onsite treatment measures to control soil erosion and offsite sediment-related damages, the official responded, “Temporary erosion control is a waste of time and the developer’s money, and as the county official, I determined that they were not needed.” He was also quoted as saying, “Why worry about erosion? It’s natural and will take care of itself.”
The Central California Coast Section of SCSA (now SWCS), working with Monterey Bay area RCDs, prepared a formal resolution including a model program and presented it to the California Chapter of SCSA on June 27, 1978. The resolution was originally proposed as a state certification program that would lead to a state licensing process. It was later decided that the legalities involved in establishing and administering such a program at the state level was far beyond the capabilities of the California SCSA Chapter. The resolution was then revised and proposed as a certification process and presented to the SCSA national leaders. At the national level of SCSA, a special ad hoc committee was set up to study the concept. The decision was made by SCSA at the national level to set up an agreement with the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils (ARCPACS) to administer what officially became the CPESC program in late 1981 with SCSA as sponsor. The first person to be certified was the 1981 national president of the SCSA, followed by Jim Barrett and Rich Casale.
Since the initial announcement of the CPESC program, many changes and improvements have been made. In 1984, the CPESC Promotions Committee was initiated and chaired by John W. Peterson. By 1985, CPESC get-togethers were hosted at the annual SWCS national meetings and became a regular part of the national meeting each year thereafter. The Promotions Committee also started the “BroadCastings” newsletter, of which John Peterson remained editor for many years. I believe it was in 1991 when the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) became an official cosponsor of the CPESC program at its annual conference in Reno, NV. The rest is current history.
Today, CPESC Inc. has over 3,500 active registrants. They hold quarterly board meetings and participate in multiple industry events every year. There are CPESCs in countries all over the world. Our industry and this professional registration is continually poised for future growth. For more information regarding the long-term goals of CPESC Inc., visit the organization’s Web site at www.cpesc.org. Overall, this industry has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Thank you to the forward thinkers that developed this necessary professional registration to be flexible enough to handle the industry as it stands today. Imagine what this professional registration, this industry, and your profession might look like 25 years from today.
Rich Casale, CPESC #3, is with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Capitola, CA. EC - January/February 2007 |
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