The SDAEP Awards Committee is excited to announce the 2025 Awards and Scholarship Banquet will be held in person on Wednesday, October 15th 2025 from 5-9pm. This year’s banquet will be held at Del Mar Social located at 3444 Tripp Ct Ste A2, San Diego, CA 92121.
Individuals, firms, or agencies can submit nominations for themselves or for others for projects located in San Diego or Imperial counties. Individuals and firms are limited to one nomination per category. The AEP Awards Jury will not be accepting self-nominations in the Outstanding Contribution to the Environmental Profession category. The AEP Awards Jury will review the nominations and announce up to three finalists for consideration to receive each award, except the Outstanding Contribution to the Environmental Profession award, in which only one recipient will be selected. All winners will be kept confidential until announced at the event. Finalists that are not selected as the winner may receive a Meritorious Award and be recognized for their achievement. AEP reserves the right to decline to give out an award in any category if a sufficient quantity or quality of submittals is not received. Final details regarding awards presentation and format will be provided to the finalists no later than two weeks prior to the awards event. The winners will be announced at the awards event.
Send nominations to: Avneet Sidhu, Awards Committee Member at avneet@gridlegal.com .
Please direct any questions, concerns, or other inquiries regarding this process to Avneet Sidhu at avneet@gridlegal.com.
Outstanding Contribution to the Environmental Profession:
This award is given to an AEP member for unique, lifetime achievements and contributions in the environmental profession. The award can recognize lifetime achievements of excellence in the environmental profession and individual accomplishments in a specific environmental field or on an issue or topic. A letter of nomination explaining the individual's contribution to both the environmental field and AEP shall be submitted for consideration of this award. The San Diego Chapter Board will decide the recipient of this award.
Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document – EIR or EIS
This award is given to the agency and/or firm that published an outstanding environmental analysis or assessment document in 2024 or 2025 including an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and joint CEQA/NEPA document involving an EIR and/or EIS. Supplemental, Subsequent, and Program versions of such documents may be considered appropriate for this award category. Projects shall be located within
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding Environmental Document – MND or EA:
This award is given to the agency and/or firm that published an outstanding environmental analysis or assessment document in 2024 or 2025 including a Negative Declarations (NDs), Mitigated Negative Declarations (MNDs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), and joint CEQA/NEPA documents involving an ND, MND and/or EA. Projects shall be located within
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding Planning Document- Plan, Policy, or Ordinance:
This award is given to an agency and/or firm that published an outstanding planning document that addresses environmental issues or gives special consideration to the environment in 2024 or 2025. Sample documents include but are not limited to General Plans, Development Plans, Resource Management Plans, Ordinances, Policies, etc. Projects shall be located within
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding Technical Report:
This award is given to an agency and/or firm that published an outstanding technical report, or utilized a unique technical approach in 2023 or 2024. Submitted reports may focus on the following issues, but are not limited to, Agriculture, Air Quality, Biology, Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Cultural Resources, Geology, Drainage and Hydrology, Hazardous Materials (PEA or Phase I
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding Public Involvement Award:
This award is given to an agency and/or firm that displayed outstanding achievement in community outreach and engagement over the past three years (2022-2025) in San Diego or Imperial counties. This award recognizes the firm or agency that effectively engaged the public in the environmental planning process and created a greater awareness of the role of the public in the process. Emphasis is placed on the success of the outreach and the level of public participation during the process.
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding CEQA Streamlining:
This award is given to an agency and/or firm that utilized a unique technical approach in 2024 or 2025 to streamline a project. Submitted reports may focus on the following streamlining provisions, but are not limited to, Exemptions, Ministerial Exemptions, Program EIR Tiering, Specific Plan Tiering, and Addendums. The project must be approved with streamlined review to be considered for this award. Projects shall be located within San Diego or Imperial counties.
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Outstanding Innovation in Resilient or Sustainable Planning and Design:
This award is given to an agency and/or firm that published an outstanding document related to multidisciplinary innovation in green planning and design in 2024 or 2025. Appropriate documents for consideration in this award category may include, but are not limited to: Climate Action Plans, Climate Adaptation Plans, Sustainability Plans, Resiliency Plans, alternative energy programs, Resource Management Plans, environmentally-related Implementation Plans, Significance Thresholds Guidelines, and other non-impact analysis/assessment studies and reports. This award is for documents that have made an effort to create and implement sustainable planning and to improve the natural environment through green planning and design. This category does not include CEQA/NEPA documents or technical reports. Projects shall be located within
The nomination form for this category can be found HERE.
Environmental Photography Contest:
Continuing our tradition in photographic excellence, the Awards Banquet will again include an environmental photography contest. Photos must have been taken in 2024 or 2025. Submit photos by the submission deadline, and they will be displayed anonymously during the cocktail hour at the Awards Banquet, where banquet attendees will vote on the photography. The winner's photograph will be featured in the next SDAEP Newsletter and on the SDAEP Website, highlighting the photographer and their employer. For the environmental photography contest, firms can submit multiple photographs as long as no two photograph submissions are from the same individual. Submissions shall be from current AEP members.
AEP Student Scholarships ($2,000 each)
Elisabeth Rotschedl
Yarina Conde
Diversity in the Environmental Profession Scholarship ($1,000 each)
Abigail Costello
Mia Isabella Serna Lozano
Michelle Ramirez
Linscott Law & Greenspan Engineers
LSA
CR Associates
Fehr and Peers
Placeworks
Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document: ND, MND, or EA
Kensho Residential IS/MND - City of Visa with support from Tideline Partners and Harris and Associates
Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document: EIS/EIR
Port Master Plan Update - Ascent Environmental
Outstanding Technical Report
Tijuana River Valley Invasive Species Removal and Restoration Biological Technical Report - County of San Diego and Helix Environmental Planning
Outstanding Public Involvement
Port Master Plan Update and the Pepper Park Improvement Plan Project - Port of San Diego
Outstanding Innovation in Resilient or Sustainable Planning and Design
Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan - County of San Diego Department of General Services
Outstanding Planning Document - Plan, Policy, or Ordinance
Port Master Plan Update - Port of San Diego with support from Nexus Planning & Research, Ascent Environmental, Civitas, Intersecting Metrics and Chen Ryan Associates
Outstanding CEQA Streamlining
Market Street Affordable Housing Project - County of San Diego with support from Helix Environmental Planning
Outstanding Contribution to the Environmental Profession
Terri Fenner
