NC Association of Environmental Professionals (NCAEP) upcoming events

NC SAM 2026 (15 Sep 2026)

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT

North Carolina Stream Assessment Method (NC SAM) and Training Course

September 15-18, 2026

Class Location:

Class taught at NCDOT's Century Center, Bldg A, 1000 Birch Ridge Dr., Raleigh, NC 27610

Registration Fee:
$880 for NCAEP members or $905 for non-NCAEP members

Taught by:
Danielle Mir, Greg Price, Jennifer Burdette, and Nikki Duprey

A team of instructors including Danielle Mir (NC Department of Transportation), Greg Price (Swamp School), Jennifer Burdette (Natural Resources Consultants), and Nikki Duprey (Sage Environmental) will conduct a 4-day course sponsored by the NC Association of Environmental Professionals (NC AEP) on the latest version (Version 2.1) of the North Carolina Stream Assessment Method (NC SAM) for determining the condition of streams and other non-wetland waterbodies (such as ditches) during the period of September 15-18, 2026, in and near Raleigh, NC. This lecture and field course will focus on the method, which is the standard method formally adopted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, in their Public Notice dated April 21, 2015. The instructors were trained by former instructors who were part of a multi-agency team of state and federal agencies responsible for the development of the method over several years and who had previously taught this course using the same curriculum. The course will be taught at NCDOT’s Century Center, Building A, 1000 Birch Ridge Dr., Raleigh, NC 27610, (Technical Services Conference Room), with field sites in the Raleigh area. The fee for the course is $880 for members of the NCAEP and $905 for non-members and includes lecture and field instruction, a copy of the most current NC SAM User Manual, and field drinks/snacks, as well as lunches for two days.

Please visit https://ncaep.wildapricot.org/event-6744052 for more information and to register. Liability waivers must be signed upon your arrival to class.

Registration: Class enrollment is set at a minimum of 23 registrants and a maximum of 30 registrants. All checks will be held until we are certain that the minimum number of students is achieved for the class. Registration fees must be received by NCAEP no later than September 1, 2026. Please contact treasurer@ncaep.org if you need assistance with payments or have any changes to your registration.

A detailed class description can be found here: NCSAM September 2026

Lunch & Learn 4(f) (23 Sep 2026)

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

4(f) LUNCH & LEARN WITH DAVID GRACHEN

Sponsored by VHB

Join us at NCAEP's 4(f) Lunch & Learn for an informative presentation by David Grachen on the fundamentals of 4(f) compliance. Compliance with Section 4(f) of the 1966 USDOT Act is required when a proposed transportation project uses land from a publicly owned park, recreation area, or wildlife and waterfowl refuge or a historic site. This lunch and learn will provide attendees with an overview of the requirements of the Section 4(f) regulations included in 23 CFR § 774 and enhance attendees understanding of approaches for determining applicability, assessing use, and evaluating Section 4(f) compliance options.

David Grachen is a Senior Environmental Manager with Edwards-Pitman (EP) in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to joining EP in May 2021, Mr. Grachen was an Environmental Specialist with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for over 34 years. While at FHWA, he provided technical assistance to FHWA Division Offices and State DOTs to facilitate the resolution of complex environmental issues on transportation projects throughout the country. From 2005 to 2021, he served as FHWA's national subject matter expert on Section 4(f) and developed and delivered environmental training courses in every one of the 50 States. Since joining EP, he has continued to develop and deliver environmental training courses on NEPA, Section 106, and Section 4(f), and has recently provided training to state DOTs in Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.

Presentation at ~ 11:00 am

Lunch at noon

Lunch will be provided by our generous sponsor VHB.

What: 4(f) Lunch & Learn

When: September 23, 2026, 11am - 1pm

Where: NCDOT Auditorium, 1 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, 27601

Registration will close on September 16th.

Piedmont Plants 2026 (13 Oct 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Course: Natural Communities of the Piedmont: A Full Day Field Trip

Dates: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $85 non-member; $60 NCAEP member

Enrollment Cap: 15

Program Description: Spend a day exploring the diverse natural plant communities of the North Carolina Piedmont at Camp Agape, an Environmental Education Center located on 392 acres along the Cape Fear River in Harnett County, 1369 Tyler Dewar Lane, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526. Participants will meet at Camp Agape and, through guided field exploration courtesy of Greg Price (The Swamp School), visit six floodplain communities and four upland communities while learning to recognize their defining characteristics and understand their classification using Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina - 4th Approximation (2024). This program is open to anyone interested in native plants, ecology, or the natural landscapes of North Carolina.

Accessibility: This field trip is conducted outdoors and involves walking on natural trails with uneven terrain, including roots, rocks, and occasional changes in elevation. Participants should be comfortable walking on unpaved surfaces for extended periods.

What to Bring: Please come prepared for a full day outdoors. We recommend sturdy hiking shoes or boots, weather-appropriate clothing, sunscreen, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, a packed lunch, and any snacks you may want throughout the day.

Instructor: Greg Price, PWS, The Swamp School. With over three decades of environmental consulting experience in North Carolina, Greg Price has established himself as an expert in the field. His career spans two decades with key state departments, including the NC Department of Transportation, the Division of Water Quality, and the Division of Environmental Management. Additionally, he spent a decade as a private environmental consultant. Mr. Price’s extensive expertise includes preparing Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401 Water Quality permit applications, producing and reviewing various environmental documents, and conducting detailed natural resources investigations. His work also involved ambient water quality and stormwater monitoring, as well as stream biological assessments involving benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification. Beyond his consulting work, Greg has dedicated 20 years to academia as a part-time college instructor, teaching courses in General Biology, Environmental Science, Botany, Natural Resources Assessment, and Ecology.

Registration: Class enrollment is set at a maximum of 15 registrants. Payment can be made to the NC Association of Environmental Professionals (NCAEP) by check or credit card at https://www.ncaep.org/event-6781317. All checks will be held until we are certain that the minimum number of students is achieved for the class. Registration fees must be received by NCAEP no later than October 6, 2026. Registrants cancelling their registration two (2) weeks or more prior to the event will receive a refund of the registration fee, less a 3% administrative fee. Registrants cancelling between two (2) and one (1) week(s) prior to the event will receive a refund less a 5% administrative fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations less than seven (7) days prior to the event. Registrants may transfer their registration to another attendee with the same membership status (e.g., regular member, government employee member, non-member) at any time. Only one transfer per registration is permitted. Registrations after October 1 will be charged an additional $10.