WETLANDS/WILDIFE ECOLOGIST
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST
Sixteen years of ecological field work for consulting firms, government
agencies, universities and non-profit groups conducting field surveys,
compliance oversight and disaster response operations.
Industrial Areas of Experience
. Commercial wind energy
. Interstate pipelines and other linear
development
. Oil exploration
. Forestry
. Commercial fisheries/marine dredging
. Oil spills and hurricane response
TECHNICAL
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Construction Compliance Monitoring
. Extensive experience monitoring construction on major energy projects for
permit compliance.
. Knowledge of typical permit rules, constraints and construction methods
of compliance.
. Experience monitoring coastal avifauna for dredging and other near-shore
heavy equipment operations.
. Experience building positive relationships with enforcement officers,
site managers and project owners.
1. Construction monitoring for listed wildlife in south FL, Gulfstream
Pipeline 2004
2. Environmental advisement on SW Border Fence Construction Project, CA
2007
3. Monitoring pipeline construction in north LA, 2007
4. Environmental Compliance Coordinator, Pinnacle Wind Farm construction,
WV 2011
5. Environmental Monitor, natural gas pipeline construction, northern NY
2012, 2013
Wetlands and Streams
. Extensive experience delineating WOTUS in WV, VT, NY, FL, GA, LA, SC,
NC, AL, TX, WI, IN, OH, OK.
. 40 hours of training by an established educational institute in
wetland delineation (Ralph Tiner's IWEER).
. Extensive experience in monitoring the recovery of streams
and wetlands following disturbance.
. Several years experience conducting jurisdictional stream
determinations: assessing aquatic habitat quality using quantitative
methods based on conditions of substrates, banks, macroinvertebrates
and other characteristics.
3 Over 600 miles of linear corridor on 27 different projects walked for
wetland/stream work since 2000.
. Experience defending wetland jurisdictionality/boundaries in
the field to regulatory agency officers.
Avifauna
. General knowledge of bird species, behavior, and habitats.
. Experience micro-siting, setting up, and operating mobile radar avian
observation stations for migratory surveys related to wind farm
siting.
. Conducted raptor nest assessment on cell phone towers.
. Experience working with Anabat units.
. Southwestern raptor identification training from the U. S. Forest
Service (USFS).
. Trained/experienced in USFS methods to survey for Mexican spotted
owls.
. Trained/experienced in capturing, handling and banding red-cockaded
woodpeckers.
. Extensive large-tract red-cockaded woodpecker surveys performed from
helicopters and ground transects.
. Played leading role on 32,000-acre survey in south Florida, planning
and conducting searches for protected nesting wading birds. Surveys
included helicopter searches plus ground surveys by ATV and pedestrian
transects.
Botanical
. General knowledge of dominant plant species in many communities and
regions.
. Expertise in hydrophytic species.
. Knowledge of plant anatomy and dichotomous keys for identifying
unknown species.
. Experience with several vegetative plot sampling methodologies on
several botanical projects.
. Knowledge of Natural Heritage Inventory methodologies for evaluating
native community integrity.
. Botanical work performed mainly in the Southeast and Florida, but also
north to Wisconsin and Vermont, and west to the Dakotas, Wyoming and
New Mexico.
Other Wildlife
. Numerous suitable habitat surveys for threatened and endangered
species since 2000 in several regions.
. Collected data on VT black bear habitat usage: beech stand mapping,
tree marking, nests, etc.
. Conducted suitable habitat surveys for Indiana bats as part of linear
survey corridor project in IN and OH.
. Extensive experience surveying for gopher tortoises in Florida,
Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama.
. Trained/experienced in gopher tortoise excavation, handling, biometric
data collection, and mitigation.
. Limited experience in other herpetological capture/survey methods.
. Experience electro-shock surveying aquatic fauna.
Environmental Disaster Response
. Deployed by EPA to Kalamazoo River oil spill, August, 2010 to map extents
of oiling in floodplains.
. Deployed by EPA to LA to locate and coordinate recovery of HAZMATs in
marsh following Katrina/Rita.
. Deployed by NPS to eastern TX to fight wildfires as a Federal firefighter
August 1998.
Nautical/Water Craft
. Deck Hand/pilot on 35' power troller fishing vessel, Alaska fisheries.
. Deck Hand on 48' long-line halibut fishing vessel, Alaska fisheries.
. Air boat work for oil spill and hurricane response mobilizations.
. Coastal cruising and day sailing experience, small craft trailering and
operation, sea kayaking.
. Strong swimmer, usually not a puker.
Reporting, Management and Business Development
. 12 years of free-lance work, marketing my own services to firms and
agencies.
. Experience bidding on and winning US Forest Service botanical survey
project.
. Experience serving as Environmental Coordinator for a wind farm
construction project. Responsible for oversight of environmental
compliance. Coordinate daily with project leads regarding compliance.
Evaluate erosion controls and other constraints. Meet with
regulatory officers in the field to inspect compliance measures.
. Wrote reports for EPA documenting Hurricanes Katrina/Rita "HAZMAT"
debris removal from LA wetlands.
. Wrote protocols/created data sheets/ maps for wildlife survey efforts
on 32,000-acre survey site in Florida.
. Managed more than 15 wetland delineation and protected species
projects since 2002.
. Authored and prepared numerous environmental reports for submission to
Federal/State agencies.
. Co-wrote report on native prairie communities in North Dakota for
the Parks and Recreation Department.
. Acted as crew leader, managed field operations for trail crews
numbering up to 10 subordinates.
. All daily fieldwork activities documented in logbooks from 2000 to
present.
Other Skills/Training/Professional Activities
. Service on Board of Academic Advisors, Winthrop University Department of
Environmental Studies.
. Current 24-hour HAZMAT/HAZWOPER training (Hazardous Waste
Materials/Operations).
. Current OSHA 10-hour training.
. Current First Aid/CPR training.
. Two seasons of work in Pacific commercial fisheries on small vessels
and dockside.
. Recurrent work from helicopters.
. Dog handling /training, veterinary technician for three years prior to
consulting career.
. Wildlife, landscape and botanical photography.
. Extensive sub-meter and handheld GPS operation, some GIS data processing.
. Formal training and extensive experience in map/compass orienteering.
. Extensive ATV, 4x4 operation off-road (clean driving record).
. Wilderness First Aid training.
. Federal wildland fire suppression training and experience; prescribed
burn training and experience.
. USFS Wildfire Powersaw Training.
. Forestry metrics experience.
. Experience using civil survey equipment and methods.
Employers Since 1996
. Self-employed Ecological Consultant Aug. 03 -
present
. Geomarine, Inc. (Wildlife Biologist/Botanist) Mar. 03
- Jun. 03
. Birkitt Environmental, Inc. (Wetland/Wildlife Biologist)
Nov. 02
. North Dakota State Parks and Recreation Department (Field Biologist)
Jul. 2002 - Oct. 02
. Colorado State Univ.{Center for the Eco. Mngmnt. of Military
Lands}(Botanist) Jul. 02
. Typha Ecological Field Services (Self-employed Biologist)
Oct. 01 - Oct. 02
. ENSR, International {GA, FL, and CO offices} (Biologist)
Jul. 99 - Oct. 01
. South Carolina State Park Service (Trails Education Specialist)
Dec. 98 - Jun. 99
. Palmetto Trails Association (Trail Crew Chief) Oct. 98
- Dec. 98
. National Park Service, Congaree Swamp National Park (Trail Crew,
Firefighter) May 1996 - Nov. 1998
Education
. B.A., Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 1995 (Philosophy/Religion,
Sociology)
. 40-hour Wetland Delineation Training, Institute for Wetland and
Environmental Education and Research (IWEER).
WORK EXPERIENCE RANGE MAP
Single Project Experience
Moderate Experience
Extensive Experience