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Richard M. Wisehart
2001 Technical Engineer of the Year

Richard M. Wisehart is the zone geotechnical engineer for four national forests and one management unit in the Vallejo, CA, Region 5 office. During his USDA Forest Service career, Richard has become a recognized expert in geotechnical engineering for slope stability analyses, ground water hydrology assessment, seismic foundation design, and airport pavement design. He is known for ferreting out and applying new techniques, materials, and cost-effective technologies that result in high-quality projects and for effectively sharing his knowledge with neighboring regions and the WO Technology and Development (T&D) Centers.

Richard received the 2001 Technical Engineer of the Year Award from Region 5. In 1999, he earned an extra effort cash award from the region for his willingness to use his Professional Engineer (P.E.) license to author and stamp 54 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plans for Region 5's national forests, rather than procuring these services from a private contractor. He saved an estimated $35,000 for the forests' hazardous materials program. In 1996, the regional engineer presented Richard with a Forest Award for his outstanding performance and lasting contribution to the hazardous materials program.

Recognition for Richard's contributions extends beyond Region 5. He received a letter of appreciation from the Director of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID, for his stint as Public Affairs Officer during the fires of 2000 and a certificate of appreciation from the regional engineer for his 2000 fire response in Region 1. In 1994, Richard earned another certificate of appreciation from three sponsors-the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), Fresno-Kings Ranger Unit, and the Sierra National Forest-for his geotechnical engineering efforts on the Fresno Airtanker Base design plans. Also in 1994, the former Soil Conservation Service (SCS), now the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), sent Richard a letter of appreciation for his participation in the Midwest Flood Emergency Watershed Protection Program in Illinois.

To improve the quality of design, construction, and operations for conducting USDA Forest Service projects, Richard has prepared a variety of presentations to technical specialists, civil engineers, and technicians at regional and national meetings. Topics cover geotechnical and materials engineering, including slope stability analyses, aggregate management, retaining structure design, geotextile use, and pavement design and management.

Richard leads by example. He uses his excellent communication skills to resolve issues and share information. As a strong advocate of professionalism within the USDA Forest Service, Richard promotes attendance at professional conferences and the pursuit of practical, technical training. He maintains an extensive technical library to stay attuned to the latest developments and actively shares this information with associates. He introduces new USDA Forest Service engineers to geotechnical engineering and mentors others by including them in his field investigations and design efforts. He has twice been selected for details as forest engineer, once for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and once for the Stanislaus National Forest.

His work in slope stabilization, investigation, design, and construction for more than 25 years has established Richard as an expert. He produced watershed slope stability assessment maps of two watersheds on the Klamath National Forest, and in 1973, addressed the 24th Highway Geology Symposium (HGS) in Sheridan, WY, on this subject well before watershed level analysis was recognized as the proper level of study. He performed subsequent studies in Region 5 and was asked to provide slope stability assessments for several watersheds in North Carolina. A citation in the May/June 1998 issue of the now-defunct California Geology magazine honored him for developing slope stability data for the former State of California Division of Mines and Geology, for the assessment of the landslide closure of Highway 50, the major route leading to the Lake Tahoe region.

Richard continues to encourage USDA Forest Service employees to pioneer in the use of new or different materials and technologies to achieve more cost-effective, high-quality projects. When magnesium chloride was first considered as a dust abatement material, he conducted tests to determine whether it would perform as intended and then developed proper application rates for different soil types. He circumvented the costly standard practice of importing commercial aggregate to protect roads during salvage timber sales after the extensive 1987 fires on the Stanislaus National Forest by locating, designing, and developing local pit-run sources as an alternative. Although these alternative sources would not meet USDA Forest Service specifications, he determined that they would serve the intended function for at least the duration of the sale and convinced management to proceed, with an estimated savings of more than $500,000.

Richard's innovative use of technology did not stop there. He introduced 20-foot and deeper cutoff trench drains to stabilize slopes; installed geocomposite drainage in retaining wall backfill; and installed less costly, but equally effective, backhoe test pits rather than conventional boring with the hollow-stem auger for foundation investigations.

Richard operated one of the first pavement deflection-testing machines used by the USDA Forest Service. With this device, he was able to evaluate pavement condition for determining the least expensive maintenance requirements for prolonging pavement life. When the Central Tire Inflation Program was under development, he was the onsite geotechnical contact with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its tests at the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg, MS. Richard selected a suitable forest test development site to assess the potential for reinforcing unstable soil masses during the Launched Soil Nail Project. During field tests of the Long-term Performance of Geocomposite Sheet Drains Project, he provided a site and monitored the performance of one of the drains being evaluated.

In 1994, when the Agency began developing new airtanker bases or modifying existing ones, Richard recognized the need to modify the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) pavement design methods for application to USDA Forest Service air traffic. He also provided the complete geotechnical work for other aspects of the base. As a result of this and subsequent design work on 12 bases in 5 western States valued at approximately $50 million, Richard has become the primary USDA Forest Service expert in this area.

Richard had the foresight to recognize the critical importance of developing skills and knowledge on effective handling of hazardous materials and hazardous waste for the USDA Forest Service and took it upon himself to master that knowledge. His expertise helps Region 5 keep abreast of current regulations and requirements.

With his blend of skills, education, and experience in geotechnical engineering and engineering geology, in tandem with his ability to anticipate and meet future needs of the USDA Forest Service, Richard's services are invaluable in assisting forest engineering, ecosystem, watershed, and resource projects in the following areas:

Geotechnical Project Investigation and Design for landslide and slope stabilization; retaining structures; subsurface investigations, including drilling and trenching; building and bridge foundations; seepage and subsurface drainage analysis; location and development of ground water sources; dam design and maintenance; and other projects.

Materials Management including locating, developing, and restoring quarry and borrow sources; establishing and maintaining materials source inventories; performing economic analyses for optimum use of available materials; developing California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) plans; and supervising operation of the now-defunct Materials Testing Laboratory.

Road Design that encompasses using, designing, sampling, and testing roadway materials; developing appropriate design and construction specifications; establishing surface and subsurface drainage requirements; determining structural section design for aggregate surfacing and pavements; formulating dust palliative and bituminous surface treatment selection and design; and performing surfacing standards economic analysis.

Watershed Restoration and Erosion Control for surface slope stabilization and erosion control measures, biotechnical slope protection, road obliteration or closure, check dam use and gully control, and adaptation of geotextiles and biotechnical stabilization measures. Richard was selected to perform watershed analysis and restoration in cooperation with the Guam Forester and his staff for the Cotal National Forest in Guam under Region 5's State and Private Forestry (S&PF) responsibilities. He presented his recommendations in a report to the former Guam Division of Forestry.

Project Environmental Analysis for projects for consultation on material source use, opportunities, and needs; roadway location, stabilization, and drainage needs; identification of geologic resources and hazards; and interdisciplinary team action.

Dams Operation and Maintenance that encompasses the inspection and recordkeeping of the Stanislaus National Forest's more than 25 dams, despite severe funding constraints, in consultation with Federal and State agencies. In FY 2001, he performed maintenance and safety inspections on 12 of 18 dams, which are located within wilderness areas that are under intense environmental scrutiny.

Hazardous Materials Program Management for the Stanislaus National Forest, with environmental engineering leadership, for conducting annual hazardous materials storage, use, and disposal inspections of forest facilities; providing right-to-know training for new employees; coordinating with the county environmental health department for hazardous spill incidents on the forest; and serving as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund on-scene coordinator for abandoned uranium mine remediation.

Firefighting responsibilities for providing engineering remedies to aid watershed rehabilitation following wildfires as part of a burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) team and for serving as a public information officer during fires, sometimes furnishing technical information to national and international media from the National Interagency Fire Center during fire assignments. Richard holds Information Officer Type 2 (IOF2) credentials.

Storm Damage Repair Program responsibilities for damage assessment and repair design for sites in the work zone. Richard also volunteered as a key member on a team of geotechnical engineers to a forest outside his zone that sustained over 1,000 damaged sites in one storm year.

Richard is no stranger to serving the community. He volunteers at the Tuolumne County Women's Crisis Center and provided pro bono engineering design work for a local community bridge deck replacement project. He has coached Little League baseball and soccer teams and volunteered with various scout groups.

No formal honors heralded Richard's most satisfying personal achievement. A hazardous natural rock crevice below the surface of the Stanislaus River had caused 25 drownings from 1961 to 1991. Richard devised a plan to fill the rock crevice with concrete through the use of labor provided by a California inmate crew. On the day before Christmas 1991, he received permission to supervise the work and arranged with the operator of McKays Point Reservoir upstream of the project to suspend releases for 24 hours. Since filling the crevice 11 years ago, not one drowning has occurred at the site.

Richard holds degrees from various branches of the University of California, including a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology, Master of Science degrees in Geology and in Geotechnical Engineering, and a Certificate in Site Assessment and Remediation. He continues to take courses and attend technical seminars and conferences. He is a licensed Registered Civil Engineer, Professional Engineer (P.E.), Registered Geologist (R.G.), and Certified Engineering Geologist (C.E.G.) in the State of California and retains a USDA Forest Service CERCLA On-Scene Coordinator Certificate. Richard is a past member of the Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) and a member of the University of California, Berkeley, Geotechnical Engineering Society. He is also an accredited California Community College Instructor.

Richard Wisehart's professionalism, attention to detail, and leadership in envisioning and developing workable solutions in the application of new technology and materials in the field of geotechnical engineering have earned the respect of his coworkers and peers within the USDA Forest Service, with other agencies, and throughout the private sector.

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