Willard “Bill” McCartney was born in Toledo, Ohio in July 1940. He grew up with his mother and her parents in the farm fields, woodlands, and streams of Northwest Ohio.
He graduated from Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio in 1958.
He earned a Bachelor of Education degree in history, government, and comprehensive science (biology, chemistry, and physics) from the University of Toledo in 1963, earned a master’s degree in biology in 1969 and a Ph. D degree in biology in 1972 from Boiling Green University in Ohio.
His master’s thesis was on the “Differentiation of Local Rodent Populations Using Serum Protein Analysis.”
His Ph.D dissertation was on “A Comparative Study of the Social Behavior, Organization, and Development of Two Species of Genus Rattus (R. exulans, a Polynesian rat, and R. rattus, a black rat).”
Early in life his grandfather taught him the rhythms of the natural world, and his mother instilled a spirit of civic action in him.
His grandfather was a natural hunter-gatherer who knew the land, plants, and animals.
At every chance he got, his grandfather shared his ecology knowledge and experience with Bill.
Community Action
His mother was deeply involved in local township governance and knew very well how local government worked-or “at least how it was supposed to work.”
Bill learned from his mom to always be tough minded, direct, and pushing for action, particularly when dealing with government officials.
Bill credits his introduction to civic action to his first-hand experience in trying to correct a neighborhood speeding problem on a residential street that served as shortcut between two major roads.
A young friend of Bill’s was hit by a car and killed on that street while riding his bicycle. Shortly after his friend’s funeral, a group of his buddies were sitting around his house, quiet and heart-broken.
His mom walked into the room and asked what they were doing and Bill told her that they were upset about the loss of Jimmy.
Quickly she said, “Don’t just sit there being sad-do something such as get a stop sign.”
When Bill asked how, she said, “talk to an attorney and start a petition”.
Bill talked to a local attorney, drafted a petition, got neighbor’s signatures, sent it to the local officials, and showed up at a local official’s meeting.
Unfortunately, the local officials were not persuaded by the petition and denied the installation of a stop sign.
Although Bill didn’t appeal that denial, he learned from this experience and others that even when “the system” says no, there is always a way to push back and you need to work within the system’s own rules.
He says when he hears “the gobbledygook”, he doesn’t get easily discouraged, and he starts looking for a “work around.”
Resilience
While in grad school, from 1965 to 1972, Bill served as research scientist for the Atomic Energy Commission.
There he researched the effects of long-term, chronic nuclear radiation on mammal populations in nuclear bomb testing zones at Eniwetok Atoll and the Marshall Islands.
During this work he learned how resilient natural systems really are. Thirty (30) atomic and one (1) hydrogen device were tested (exploded) on this small atoll.
Although the blast radiation and heat waves incinerated the vegetation, humus, and sea birds, a short ten (10) years after the last test, shrubs, trees, nesting sea bird colonies, hermit crabs, and other reef life were found in abundance.
Along with this research work on mammal populations for the Atomic Energy Commission, Bill worked with his graduate school advisor to research rat resistance to the commonly used rat poison, Warfarin, used in cities across the U.S.
He was also part of the consultant team to survey the City of Boston in advance of the “Big Dig” interstate highway project and to develop a pre-emptive rat control program before construction.
Environmental Science Education
From 1973 to 1986, Bill served as Director and Associate Professor of Environmental Science at California State College in California, Pennsylvania.
In that capacity, he developed a new comprehensive environmental science major for the college.
Also, as part of an environmental science course and a communication course there, he co-produced a local television program on a proposed project by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to widen a section of Interstate 70 from Washington, Pennsylvania to New Stanton.
The program focused on the NEPA [federal National Environmental Policy Act impact statement] process, public involvement in the process and alternative development.
He credits his involvement with the Interstate 70 project television program and subsequent service on several local and regional organizations in the Mid Monongahela Valley involved in the Mon Valley expressway proposal with developing his interest in transportation project development and the NEPA process.
For example, as chair of the New Stanton Borough Council in Westmoreland County, he served on the steering committee of the Amos Hutchinson Bypass Project proposed and ultimately constructed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
Environmental Impacts, Solutions
From 1986 to 1988, he established and operated an ecological and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) consulting practice from the Pittsburgh area. He provided consulting services to a variety of public and private sector clients.
His services included:
-- Testing of ultrasonic rodent control devices
-- Field testing of new rodenticide products
-- A survey of the efficiency of urban rat control projects in Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh as part of the national “War on Poverty’
-- NEPA analysis and documentation, categorical exclusion evaluations, for ten (10) bridge replacement projects for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
From 1988 to 1990, Bill served as a senior environmental scientist for Skelly and Loy Consultants. His work for Skelly and Loy included:
-- Serving as the natural resource manager for the Pittsburgh International Airport Parkway Expressway Project from the Parkway West to the new Pittsburgh International Airport Mid-Field Terminal.
In that position, he proposed and developed a comprehensive natural resource mitigation plan as a component of the Environmental Impact Statement.
A major component of the plan was the creation of a single, large, multifunctioning wetland system off the airport property.
This plan was widely accepted and ultimately permitted by the state and federal regulatory agencies and was instrumental in obtaining the NEPA approval from the Federal Highway Administration.
Following construction of the wetland complex, the land was deeded to the Beaver County Conservation District to become an environmental center.
As part of the transition, Bill and his team developed a wetland education curriculum for elementary and high school students.
Today, the center provides environmental education to approximately 2000 students per year.
-- Conducting the NEPA environmental analysis and agency coordination and preparing the documentation for numerous Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and Pennsylvania Department Transportation highway and bridge improvement projects.
-- Overseeing the NEPA environmental analysis and agency coordination for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Mon Fayette Transportation Project from Morgantown, West Virginia to Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
Senior Scientist
From 1990 to 2012 Bill served as a senior environmental scientist and an Environmental Project Manager and Technical Manager for the development of all National Environmental Policy Act and related compliance documents for major transportation improvement projects throughout the U.S. for Michael Baker, Jr. Engineering, now Michael Baker International.
In this role, he provided government agencies, primarily state departments of transportation, with strategic guidance and technical assistance in conducting environmental studies, preparing environmental and permitting documents, conducting public involvement programs, and coordinating with the resource and regulatory agencies.
Also, he guided the work of national staff with specialties and high levels of expertise in a wide range of subject areas such as air quality; visual quality; water resources; endangered species; traffic noise; waste management; agriculture; socioeconomics; cultural resources; Section 4(f) properties; and environmental justice.
For example, over decades, Bill successfully guided environmental analysis, documentation, and permitting work for the over 100 mile-long, four-lane highway location known as the West Virginia Appalachian Highway Corridor H.
This required collaboratively developing sound approaches in concert with the responsible state and federal agencies for: delineating wetlands, assessing, avoiding, minimizing, mitigating impacts; assessing, avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating fish and wildlife habitat impacts; preparing and regulatory permit applications; identifying, determining, and mitigating the effects on cultural resources.
Pioneering Methods
He pioneered the use of GIS [geographic information system] mapping and accompanying databases to identify important environmental features before engineering alternatives were developed.
Also, he promoted the use of a tiered environmental impact statement approach to systematically and economically narrow the range of engineering alternatives before doing costly and detailed engineering and environmental analyses and documentation for alternatives that don’t meet the purpose and need, minimize and avoid impacts, and meet the project goals.
Over many years Bill honed and applied his skills at facilitating the development of economically viable, context-sensitive, and environmentally responsible transportation solutions.
This necessitated having an intimate knowledge of the intent and the requirements of the environmental and transportation laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
Bill knew he had to know and understand them as well or better than the regulatory agency personnel and his state and federal highway agency clients.
Bill built an environmental consulting practice based on knowledge, experience, credibility and trust.
He rarely shied away from challenging the observations, comments, and recommendations that didn’t make good sense.
He takes great pride in his writing and verbal communication skills and effectively uses them to present the best case for challenging professional calls.
He always strives to understand the “Why” behind the rules and interpretations of them.
He strongly believes that governance systems should work to protect human communities and ecosystems and there is no room for bureaucratic games.
Sharing His Knowledge
Throughout his professional career, Bill generously served as a volunteer on many boards and authorities including--
-- National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB)Environmental Analysis Committee-Member. Chair-Publications Subcommittee, National Cooperative Highway Research Program-Panel Member on Several Panels including “Improving the Quality of Environmental Documents”
-- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence-Technical Expert-Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation
-- Mon Valley Pennsylvania Council of Governments-Board of Directors
-- Mid Monongahela Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority-Sectary/ Treasurer
-- Rostraver Township Pennsylvania Zoning Hearing Board-Secretary
-- New Stanton Borough Pennsylvania Planning Commission-Chair
-- Westmoreland County Pennsylvania Association of Retarded Citizens Board of Directors-Chair
-- Dormont Borough Pennsylvania Planning Commission-Member
-- Dormont Borough Pennsylvania Councilmember and President
-- Dormont Borough Pennsylvania Bird Committee-Member
As president of Dormont Borough Pennsylvania Council, he was instrumental in the development of the Borough’s Stormwater Authority.
Since the authority was formed, most of the stormwater-related flooding issues in several neighborhoods have been satisfactorily addressed.
The Borough’s successful efforts in creating and operating the authority received the PA Governor’s Award for Excellence in Local Government.
Specifically, the Borough was recognized for its development of a collaborative partnership between residents and borough council to communicate, demonstrate, and address stormwater management issues.
Can’t Do It Alone
Bill credits several individuals from state transportation agencies, the Federal Highway Administration, the state and federal regulatory agencies, and Phil Shucet, his boss at Michael Baker, for their encouragement, cooperation, and guidance throughout his career as an environmental professional.
His hobbies include voluntarily serving on boards, commissions, councils, and research committees; fishing; bird watching; and reading histories with focus on the colonial and Revolutionary War periods in Pennsylvania.
Bill is married and has 2 daughters and 3 stepchildren.
His wife Ann is an accomplished local artist and art teacher.
She is also an ardent conservationist and has morphed their backyard into a pollinator garden which was recently certified by the Western Pennsylvania Audubon Society as a Backyard Habitat.
Bill has traveled extensively both for work and pleasure to most of the U.S. states, the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, Ireland, and Costa Rica.
Visit the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage website to see more profiles of conservation leaders, find educator resources for teaching Pennsylvania’s conservation history, video documentaries and much more.
Add Your Story
If you have stories of diversity in conservation or want us to highlight a certain conservationist or naturalist in or from Pennsylvania with unique perspectives, email intern@paparksandforests.org.
[Posted: January 2, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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