Minnesota Association of Environmental Professionals upcoming events

Cutting-Edge Technologies Transforming Environmental Practice: AI, IoT, Geospatial Technology, and Digital Twins (30 Sep 2026)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

60-Minute Zoom Webinar hosted by NAEP

About

The rapid convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Internet of Things sensor networks, remote-sensing technologies, and geospatial analytics is dramatically changing the environmental sector. These emerging tools are equipping organizations with the capability to collect, analyze, and act upon environmental data at unprecedented levels of precision, speed, and insight-thereby enabling a shift from reactive monitoring toward proactive environmental stewardship.AI and ML are leading this transformation through the most advanced capabilities for pattern recognition, predictive modeling, and anomaly detection in large datasets. These tools underpin real-time environmental risk assessment, climate modeling, and optimization of natural resources. LLMs, as the newest evolution in AI, even further facilitate accessibility and communication by interpreting complex environmental data, automating technical documentation, and providing conversational interaction with geospatial and regulatory databases. Such democratization of data intelligence speeds up decision-making and reduces barriers between technical experts, policy makers, and the public.

Meanwhile, IoT devices and remote sensing platforms-including drones and satellites-are scaling up the coverage and frequency of environmental data acquisition. IoT sensors monitor air and water quality, soil conditions, and emissions on a continuous basis, while drones and satellites provide high-resolution imagery for large-scale environmental assessment, habitat mapping, and disaster response. Linked to AI analytics, these technologies form a near-real-time feedback system to track environmental change and guide mitigation strategies.

Geospatial Technologies and Digital Twins form the heart of this data ecosystem, represented by intelligent, 3D representations of physical environments that integrate spatial data, AI analytics, and real-time IoT inputs. Digital twins thus allow environmental professionals to simulate and visualize complex scenarios involving flood risk, urban heat islands, or infrastructure resilience. By connecting predictive analytics to spatial context, they make environmental management adaptive and evidence-based. Taken together, these technologies are driving a new paradigm of intelligent, data-driven environmental management wherein continuous sensing, spatial analytics, and AI reasoning come together to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and decision-making at every scale, from ecosystems to cities.

Note: This will be a joint panel discussion activity of the Geospatial and Technology in Environmental Planning Working Groups of NAEP

NAEP Members: Free
Chapter Members & Non-Members: $50

2025 NEPA Case Law Review (15 Oct 2026)

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

90-minute Zoom webinar hosted by NAEP

About

The panel is based on a paper that reviews substantive National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) cases issued by United States Courts of Appeals in 2025. The implications of the decisions and relevance to NEPA practitioners will be explained. This session will summarize the more detailed paper prepared for this session. The paper briefly explains, with an emphasis on the substantive NEPA findings, each opinion issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The paper identifies statistics regarding the NEPA appellate opinions, such as twelve-year record of NEPA cases, organized by circuit, and by year. The paper also identifies the agencies involved in each case and presents statistics relevant to the agencies; the paper further identifies the prevailing ratio of federal agencies, including by agency and by document type (categorical exclusion, environmental assessment, environmental impact statement). The paper analyzes the trends in the court opinions involving NEPA for 2025, with an emphasis on substantive NEPA practice, and by grouping of the cases. Finally, each court opinion is paraphrased and organized in a manner easy to read for practitioners to find the court's ruling. Appellate opinions are grouped and analyzed by agency. Past trends include challenges to purpose and need, alternatives considered, public comment, scientific impact assessment methodologies, GHG emissions and climate change impact assessment, incomplete or unavailable information, determination of significance, segmentation, duty to supplement, connected actions, federal actions, cumulative impact assessment, mitigation, monitoring and adaptive management. Suggestions for improving the implementation of the NEPA process and to meeting current challenges are offered, looking ahead to the future with renewed emphasis on one of the world's oldest and most forward-looking environmental laws.

NAEP Members: Free
Chapter Members & Non-Members: $50

Learn more and register: https://www.naep.org/webinars

Unlock the Future of Environmental Review and Permitting: Introducing PermitAI (19 Oct 2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT

A Lunchtime webinar on using AI to speed up environmental review and permitting.

Are you ready to streamline your environmental review and permitting workflows and harness the power of artificial intelligence? Join the MN, IL, and Rocky Mountain Chapters of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) for a joint lunchtime webinar exploring the cutting-edge capabilities of PermitAI.

Date: October 19, 2026
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM CST/11:30 AM-12:30 PM MST
Location: MS Teams

Why Attend?

Environmental review and permitting is growing increasingly complex, but AI-driven tools are changing the landscape. In this dynamic, one-hour session, the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will demonstrate how their PermitAI tools can help environmental professionals accelerate review timelines, support data-driven decision making, and regulatory compliance.

What You'll Learn:

An insider look at PermitAI’s core features and user interface.
Real-world applications and case studies for environmental professionals.
Best practices for effectively integrating AI tools into your current workflows
Live Q&A with PNNL speakers.

Registration:

This is a free event for members of the MN, IL, and Rocky Mountain Chapters of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). MNAEP members can login on our website using the email associated with your membership to register. Not a member? Join today! Non-members may register for this webinar for $25. Payment may be made via PayPal (MinnesotaAEP@gmail.com), Venmo (@Minnesota-AEP185), or via check (please email minnesotaaep@gmail.com for mailing address).

The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend. Certificates of attendance can be provided for those seeking continuing education credits such as Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) or other credentialed professions.

NEPA Essentials Workshop (21 Oct 2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT

The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) has designed the 8-hour NEPA Essentials workshop for new and emerging environmental professionals engaged in the preparation of Categorical Exclusions and Environmental Assessments to fulfill federal Lead Agencies responsibilities pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, referred to as NEPA. This course is designed to help you understand the basic requirements and how to fulfill the spirit and legislative intent of NEPA. You will learn what NEPA is, when the NEPA requirements apply to projects, the roles and responsibilities of the federal Lead Agency and Cooperating Agencies and project sponsors within the context of NEPA, about the three different NEPA classes of action, how to determine when each class of action applies, and the different environmental review, documentation, and public involvement requirements, focusing on Categorical Exclusions and Environmental Assessment. The workshop will use a Case Study to illustrate best practices for effective analysis and writing for the required purpose and need statement, consideration of alternatives, characterization of the affected environment, and evaluation of environmental effects. NAEP welcomes you to connect with other environmental professionals by engaging in this learning opportunity.

This workshop will cover National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) basics, including policies, procedures, and environmental documents necessary for successful compliance. It is primarily designed for new and mid-level NEPA practitioners and will inform agency staff, consultants, regulators, applicants, and other interested professionals about best NEPA practices. NEPA is a far-reaching law that applies to virtually all U.S. federal agencies and most activities that affect the environment. Many state, local, and private undertakings must be evaluated pursuant to NEPA if they receive federal funding, require federal permits, or would take place on federal land. The key to successfully implementing NEPA is attaining a working knowledge of the regulations, legal interpretations, and typical federal agency practices. This workshop will cover all of these aspects of NEPA. Workshop topics include:

NEPA’s legal and regulatory framework
Determining whether NEPA applies to a proposed action
Key steps in the NEPA environmental review process
Determining which type of NEPA document to prepare
Scoping for NEPA analyses
Successful integration of NEPA with other environmental laws
Direct, indirect, and cumulative impact analysis
Determining the significance of impacts
Developing and evaluating a reasonable range of alternatives
Writing adequate and feasible mitigation measures
Legal adequacy of NEPA documents and NEPA case law

Learn more and register at: https://naep.memberclicks.net/nepa-workshops

NEPA Advanced Workshop (22 Oct 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT

The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) has designed the 8-hour Advanced NEPA workshop for emerging and experienced environmental professionals engaged in the preparation of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements to fulfill federal Lead Agencies' responsibilities pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This course is designed to help you understand the requirements and how to fulfill the spirit and legislative intent of NEPA. The Advanced NEPA Workshop is intended to provide participants with practical tools regarding the preparation and review of environmental documents.

The workshop will start with a summary of recent changes to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, and other related procedural updates related to consideration of Waters of the United States, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice and Best Practices for achieving Agency timelines for preparation of environmental impact statements and environmental assessments. The introductory panel will be followed by subject matter expert detailed presentations on the Clean Water Act, climate change, environmental justice, the Endangered Species Act, and Section 106 Consultations pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act. NAEP welcomes you to connect with other environmental professionals by engaging in this learning opportunity.

Learn more and register at: https://naep.memberclicks.net/nepa-workshops