1 The Westervelt Company
Overview
2 Westervelt Ecological Services
Overview
3 Our Banks and Projects
Alabama
California
Florida
Mississippi
Nebraska
17 Roles & Qualifications
Business Leaders
Process Leaders
Rocky Mountain Region
Southeast Region
Western Region
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COMPANY OVERVIEW
One of America's premier land resource companies
and a leader in sustainable forest management and
conservation practices, The Westervelt Company
(TWC) was founded by Herbert Westervelt as
Prairie States Paper Corporation in 1884. The private organization owns nearly 500,000
acres across the nation.
A land resource organization, TWC is committed to
preserving land for future generations. Our business
pursuits meet or exceed environmental, legal, and
regulatory requirements, and robustly pursue new
practices that embody our sustainability mission.
Our timber-management practices include: streamside-
management zones to improve water quality, immediate
replanting to ensure a sustainable forest, continual forest
management, and wildlife enhancement with on-staff
biologists. Our forestry management has earned
certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
TWC plants millions of trees each year, harvests only in small compartments, and is the
only major industrial landowner to be recognized by the Alabama Forestry Commission
for pioneering forest management techniques, wildlife enrichment efforts, and
conservation practices.
Our manufacturing facilities maintain the highest emissions standards for air and water
quality.
We are committed to:
• Minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions from our business operations.
• Protecting and enhancing watershed quality on company owned, leased, or
managed lands and reducing our water usage where possible.
• Improving habitat quality wherever we operate.
• Managing our renewable resources in a sustainable and environmentally sound
manner.
• Improving the efficiency of our energy consumption.
• Seeking ways to use renewable energy sources.
• Working with our government and regulatory agencies, customers, suppliers, and
associates to mutually improve our environment.
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WESTERVELT ECOLOGICAL SERVICES
Established in 2006, Westervelt Ecological Services (WES) is an integral part of TWC, a
century-old land resource organization committed to preserving resources for future
generations.
WES owns and operates mitigation and conservation banks on company-owned
properties and provides environmental mitigation and habitat planning services to
private landowners, businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and land trust
organizations across the United States. Through our work, WES has restored over 8,000
acres of wetland and endangered species habitat on over 18,000 acres of preserved
properties nationwide, establishing WES as a recognized leader in our field.
WES’s professional in-house associates include:
• Biologists • GIS Analysts
• Conservation Planners • Land Acquisition Specialists
• Project Managers • Landscape Architects
• Ecologists • Professional Wetland Scientists
• Foresters
WES offers over 150 years of collective environmental restoration experience by our
associates and proficiency with strategic planning when unique or specialized studies are
required for mitigation project implementation.
WES seeks out land for protection that is often situated in a larger conservation
landscape, such as those that buffer public land. WES exercises the highest financial and
legal practices to ensure these banks are, in fact, protected in perpetuity. In addition,
WES can rely on its parent company for additional expertise including engineers,
surveyors, natural resource professionals, legal counsel, etc., to ensure that the highest
quality mitigation is performed. Key organizational attributes include:
• Extensive team experience in the process of planning and obtaining approvals for
mitigation banks.
• Full knowledge of local natural resources issues, restoration approaches, and
public interest groups.
• Commitment to sustainable solutions via proper site selection and stewardship.
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OUR BANKS AND PROJECTS The following projects in the United States demonstrate the team’s success in mitigation
bank development tasks, including planning, permitting, implementation, and
monitoring.
ALABAMA
Alabama River Mitigation Bank
In 2013, WES received approval for the 971-acre
Alabama River Mitigation Bank. The site has a unique
landscape position within the Alabama River Basin. It is
part of the Alluvial/Deltaic Plain physiographic region,
with ecology and geomorphology historically influenced
by the Alabama River.
Alabama’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (2005) states in its discussion
of the Alabama River Basin, that one of the highest priority conservation actions is to
improve water quality and habitat quality throughout the basin and to support habitat
and riparian restoration. This project meets this conservation action.
Additionally, WES is participating with the ADCNR and USFWS to release and
reintroduction of the Orangenacre Mucket (Hamiota perovalis, a federally listed-threatened
mussel), within a section of Tallahatchee Creek within the bank property. The
Orangenacre Mucket, as well as the Ovate clubshell (Pleurobema perovatum, a federally
listed-endangered mussel) have been positively identified within the bank property.
Big Sandy Mitigation Bank
Big Sandy Mitigation Bank is a 1,060-acre stream
and wetland mitigation bank located in the Ridge
and Valley Region of Eastern Tuscaloosa County,
Alabama. The Bank protects the floodplain and
approximately four miles of Big Sandy Creek, a
major tributary to the Black Warrior River and one
of the most scenic rivers in Alabama. The Bank
also provides buffer land for the adjacent Talladega
National Forest, demonstrating WES’s commitment to finding properties with larger
conservation value.
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Big Sandy Mitigation Bank, Phase 2 Big Sandy Mitigation Bank, Phase 2 is a 73-acre stream mitigation
bank located in the Fall Line Hills Ecoregion, East Gulf Coastal
Plain Physiographic Region of southern Tuscaloosa County,
Alabama. The Bank is an extension of tributaries contained within
Big Sandy Mitigation Bank and provides further protection of
riparian areas along these tributaries. Approximately 2.5 miles of
tributaries to Big Sandy Creek, a major tributary to the Black
Warrior River, are within the boundaries of Big Sandy Mitigation
Bank, Phase 2.
Canoe Creek Mitigation Bank
Located in the Coosa River Basin in St. Clair County
Alabama, Canoe Creek Mitigation Bank is a 237-acre
project that permanently protects a portion of Little
Canoe Creek. As part of the project, WES is restoring
132-acres of wetlands and approximately 6,374 linear
feet of stream and riparian buffer.
Wetland restoration at the Canoe Creek Mitigation Bank includes the following habitat
types: hardwood forested, riparian hardwood forested, and hardwood forested slope.
These efforts meet conservation actions specified in the Alabama Comprehensive
Wildlife Conservation Strategy (2005), to “improve water quality and habitat quality
throughout the basin” and to “support habitat and riparian restoration”.
In addition, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has
identified the Coosa River Basin as “…the largest and most biologically diverse sub-
watershed of the Mobile River basin in terms of overall number of fishes, mussels and
aquatic snails.” The basin is home to 147 fish species, including a number that are
unique to the Coosa River basin. Among these are the Pygmy Sculpin, Holiday Darter,
Coosa Darter, and the Coldwater darter.
Locust Fork Mitigation Bank
Locust Fork Mitigation Bank is a 111-acre mitigation
bank located adjacent to the scenic Locust Fork River
in Blount County, Alabama. The site was specifically
chosen for mitigation due to its proximity to the river
that historically sustained high levels of aquatic
invertebrates.
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Restoration and enhancement activities on the site will include the re-connection of an
entrenched system back to a floodplain, in-stream channel work, establishment of grade
controls where needed to manage water flow and sheer stress in-channel, and enhancing
and/or preserving vegetative buffers along Locust Fork and five unnamed tributaries.
Restoration and enhancement of historic ecological structure and function on the
property will greatly enhance the watershed.
Lost Creek Mitigation Bank
The proposed Lost Creek Mitigation Bank consists of
two tracts of land in close proximity to each other; the
Lost Creek (northern) tract and the Allen Creek
(southern) tract. Allen Creek is a tributary to Lost Creek
directly downstream of the proposed project limits. The
site not only consists of these two named streams, but
also has several unnamed tributaries to Allen Creek and Lost Creek, as well as wetlands
and open water features. Lost Creek is a major tributary of the Black Warrior River
within the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River Basin.
The 183-acre project seeks to reduce siltation by restoring 13,622 linear feet of stream on
the property. The project will also improve the biological component to all project
stream and wetland functions for fish and terrestrial habitat throughout the site. In
addition, the proposed bank will offer permanent protection to all stream, riparian
buffers and wetlands within the project limits.
Yellowleaf Mitigation Bank
Yellowleaf Mitigation Bank provides compensatory
mitigation for stream and wetland impacts within its
mitigation service area. The 547-acre site is located
between Birmingham and Childersburg, Alabama in
eastern Shelby County along a portion of the
Yellowleaf Creek.
Aside from restoring lost wetland and stream functions, the site is managed to protect two extremely rare and endangered mussel species, the Triangular kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus greenii) and Southern clubshell (Pleurobema decisum) as well as two other federally protected mussel species, the Southern pigtoe (Pleurobema georgianum) and Fine-lined pocketbook (Lampsilis altilis). The Alabama spike, (Elliptio arca, a State protected mussel species), the Cylindrical lioplax snail, (Lioplax cyclostomaformis, a federally protected species), and the Cahaba lily, (Hymenocallis coronaria, species of special concern) have also been identified on the project.
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CALIFORNIA
Big Gun Conservation Bank
The Big Gun Conservation Bank, located in Placer
County, California, is the first bank to provide
compensatory credits for California red-legged frog
(Rana draytonii) in its Sierra Nevada Range. The Bank,
a 48-acre former gold mining site, has the highest
density of documented California red-legged frog in
the entire Sierra Nevada. In 2008, after several unsuccessful attempts by local, state and
federal entities to purchase the property with grant money, WES purchased the site to
assist the USFWS in accomplishing their recovery goals for the California red-legged
frog in the region.
Since its launch in 2008, California red-legged frog (CRF) populations have been
threatened by the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), thus WES requested to the USFWS
permission to dry one of the ponds in order to eradicate the mosquitofish. Among other
efforts to conserve and boost CRF populations, WES is working on erosion control,
vegetation management, and removal of non-native invasive species in efforts to
rehabilitate the CRF populations in the region.
Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank
The Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank is located along
the main stem of the Sacramento River. The 116-
acre bank restores off-channel habitat and assist in
the recovery of threatened salmonids, specifically
juvenile fall-run, winter-run, and spring-run Chinook.
While the bank has multiple benefits for riparian
dependent species, the site focus is to develop credits
that can be used to offset impacts to salmonid, riparian habitat and aquatic resources,
defined as Waters of the United States (WOTUS), regulated under the Clean Water Act.
Upon the completion of construction in the fall of 2016, the Inner Agency Revision
Team (IRT) will release the construction letter of credit. All permits for construction
have been closed and credit releases for bank signing and construction were received.
Land stewardship, hydrology, and vegetation management are well underway.
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Burke Ranch Conservation Bank
The 962-acre Burke Ranch Conservation Bank, in
Solano County, was approved by the USFWS and the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide
conservation credits for vernal pool, Swainson’s hawk
and burrowing owl habitat. The vernal pool credits
include alkali playa, due to the presence of a rare soil
formation (gilgai soils) that have resulted in a complex of micro-mounds. The site was
also approved for over 500 acres of California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense)
aquatic and upland habitat compensation.
Establishment of the bank included GIS analysis, permitting and planning, interaction
with governmental agencies and coordination with local governments and landowners.
WES also coordinated its bank project with the Solano County Water Agency’s Habitat
Conservation Planning effort to ensure that the site would be complementary with its
proposed habitat preserve system.
Colusa Basin Mitigation Bank
WES established the Colusa Basin Mitigation Bank in
2014. This 160-acre wetland and Giant garter snake
(Thamnophis gigas) Bank is a subset of the total 215-acre
property. The 33.5-acre Maxwell Public Utility District
Treated Effluent Re-Use Project Mitigation Site for
Giant garter snake was implemented by WES on the
remaining portion in 2013.
Development of a mitigation bank for wetlands and wetland-dependent species on the
site is compatible with the surrounding properties and adds significantly to the large
continuous block of habitat developed in the Colusa Basin. Wetland Reserve Program
properties lie along the western border of the Bank Property, and the Colusa National
Wildlife Refuge lies north. The Reclamation District 2047 canal lies on the eastern edge
of the property and rice fields lie beyond the Department of Water Resources levee east
of the canal. As of monitoring year three (3), all performance standards for vegetation
and hydrology have been met.
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Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank
In 2009, WES received approval for the tidally-influenced
472-acre Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank. The
Bank, located in Sacramento County at the confluence of
the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers, was approved by
an Interagency Review Team consisting of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of
Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The approval of the Bank
was the culmination of three years of focused effort to acquire the property, clear the
title of outstanding easements and secure mineral rights, complete hydrologic modeling,
and gain agency approval for construction.
Restoration activities at the Bank began with the contouring back-water tidal channels
and floodplain terraces into the site. WES replanted riparian forest vegetation and
breached the levee on the Cosumnes River to restore natural hydrology and tidal
influence to the property, establishing natural processes and connecting the restored
floodplain habitats to the riverine ecosystem.
In 2011, WES was awarded the Tree Hero - Legacy Award by the Sacramento Tree
Foundation for preserving a historic remnant oak grove on the Bank property. WES
was awarded again in 2013, by the American Fisheries Society Western Division for
Excellence in Riparian Management at Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation.
Monitoring conducted from 2010-2016, showed that the Bank met all success criteria
and was performing as intended to provide wetland and floodplain riparian habitats, as
well as supporting a number of fish species during flood events. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Marine
Fisheries Service have issued their final credit releases for the Bank.
Now that the Bank has met all performance standards and has obtained its final credit
release, the Bank has entered its long-term management period. The Bank is covered by
a perpetual conservation easement restricting its uses and it will be managed and
maintained as wetland and fisheries habitat in perpetuity. An endowment provides
funding for monitoring, maintenance, and reporting of the Bank, which will occur
annually in perpetuity.
Doty Ravine Preserve
WES implemented a 20-acre riparian floodplain
restoration project on land owned by the Placer Land
Trust (PLT). As the lead applicant, PLT was approved
for funding by the Central Valley Regional Water
Quality Control Board (Water Board). The funding was
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from a supplement environmental project (SEP) proposed by a private developer and
agreed to by the Water Board as part of a settlement to compensate for the water quality
impacts.
The project included data collection related to soils, hydrology, vegetation, cultural
resources, topography, sensitive species utilization, and the preparation of a site-specific
operation and management (O&M) plan, restoration concept plan, grading plan,
monitoring program and implementation cost projections. WES oversaw the
construction implementation of the habitat restoration project including site collection
of seeds and cuttings for container stock, removal of non-native shrubs, and the
installation of pre-grown 5,700 native trees, shrubs and sedges. Also included was the
construction of a seasonal wetland in the floodplain to catch suspended soil particles
during flood events. The seasonal wetland was seeded with native grasses and forbs.
Dutchman Creek Conservation Bank Established in 2014 Dutchman Creek Conservation
Bank was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife. The approval of the Bank adds an
additional 501-acres in Merced County, California,
for the protection of state and federally listed species
and their habitats. WES worked to establish the
Bank with the not-for-profit groups, California Rangeland Trust (Rangeland Trust) and
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Rangeland Trust holds the
Conservation Easement for the Bank and NFWF manages the endowment in full.
Situated in a priority movement corridor, Dutchman Creek is WES’s first bank to
provide credits for the federally-endangered and state-threatened San Joaquin kit fox
(Vulpes macrotis mutica). The site is also important for vernal pool species as it is included
in the Central Valley Region population of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma
californiense) and the Grassland Ecological Area Core Recovery Unit for the San Joaquin
Valley Vernal Pool Region (Service, 2005). Further, the site incorporates a portion of
critical habitat for both the vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi) and vernal
pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi). The Bank also provides habitat for vernal pool
conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio) and the western spadefoot toad (Spea
hammondii).
In addition to supporting state and federal species, the Bank is a multi-benefit project
protecting natural hydrologic processes and provides habitat for numerous other animals
including bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), California
ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi), and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis).
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Ferrari Ranch Preserve
WES worked with the Solano Transportation Authority
and Caltrans to implement a 285-acer conservation project
focusing on the protection of the California Red-legged
frog, Rana draytonii (CRLF) and Callippe silverspot
butterfly, Speyeria callippe callippe (CSB) habitat in Solano
County. The project provides a mitigation solution for
species impacts related to the I-80/680/12 interchange transportation project. The
property is located in a critical CRLF critical habitat area and identified by the Solano
Habitat Conservation Plan as highly valuable for both species.
As part of the project, WES secured the property and completed all entitlement
documents including; long and short term management plan, grazing plan, monitoring
plan, habitat enhancement plan, financial assurances, and permanent easements as
approved by the Conservation Easement holder, Solano Land Trust. WES also assisted
Caltrans in obtaining Endangered Species Act permits for the development CRLF and
CSB habitat restoration including potential CRLF breeding pond enhancement. In
addition, WES implemented all restoration work related the habitat enhancements.
WES continues to manage invasive weed species, monitor and maintain tree populations,
and document new species found on site, such as the burrowing owl.
Grasslands Mitigation Bank
The Grasslands Mitigation Bank in Merced County,
California was fully approved in 2015. The 281-acre
Bank will expand the last remaining sizeable
population of the Giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas)
in the San Joaquin Valley through the creation of 180-
acres of managed marsh habitat immediately adjunct
to the largest remaining Giant garter snake population at the Volta Refuge.
In addition, the project restores 86-acres of agricultural fields back to dendritic
depressional seasonal wetlands, typical of the extensive ponded habitat historic to the
Grasslands region of the Central Valley. As of monitoring year two (2), all Giant garter
snake hydrology and vegetation performance standards have been met or exceeded for
this site.
The lands surrounding the site provide functional habitat value and connectivity between
the bank property and nearby conserved lands. Most of the adjacent land is either in
forage production for dairies or is managed as wetlands for migratory and resident
wetland-dependent species. The associated water supply ditches and drains provide
suitable habitat features for foraging Giant garter snake and expand the potential
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migration corridor. WES is conducting Giant garter snake population surveys and has
implemented a non-native invasive plant control plan using seasonal grazing cattle.
Mariner Vernal Pool Conservation Bank
Mariner Vernal Pool Conservation Bank is a 160-acre
area of rolling grasslands west of Lincoln, in Placer
County, California. The site has some of the highest
quality vernal pool habitat in the county, supporting
the presence of the federally-threatened vernal pool
fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi). WES surveyors also
found the first known occurrence of the Conservancy
fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio), a federally-endangered species, in Placer County,
which has redefined the understanding of the species’ range. Largely as a result of its
excellent working relationship with the USFWS, WES obtained approval of the
conservation bank in record time – 70 days. The property had been used for grazing
without modifications to its topography, and therefore has retained its naturally
contoured complex of vernal pools and grasslands. It is located adjacent to the
conserved 531-acre Rockwell property, resulting in a protected 691-acre vernal pool
complex.
Meridian Ranch Conservation Bank
This 485-acre Bank in Butte County was established in
April 2013. The project provides credits for impacts
to vernal pools, seasonal wetlands and Swainson’s
hawk foraging habitat. WES partnered with the
Northern California Regional Land Trust to hold the
Conservation Easement on the property and manage
the Compliance Monitoring Fund.
Prior to acquisition of the property by WES in 2008, it had been farmed in dry land
grains and used as a dairy for several decades. As a result of those farming practices
many of the vernal pools that dotted the property had either been destroyed or severely
degraded. After monitoring year five (5), these vernal pools have been restored,
enhancing long-term habitats for vernal pool fairy and tadpole shrimp.
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The Natomas Basin Conservancy, Site-Specific Management Plans
WES was selected by The Natomas Basin
Conservancy (TNBC) to prepare new and updated
site-specific management plans (SSMPs) for 29 parcels
of land, totaling 4,104 acers, acquired by TNBC. The
SSMPs included field reconnaissance to determine
existing habitat conditions for federal and state listed species (Specifically, Giant garter
snake and Swainson’s hawk), descriptions of the suitability for habitat restoration and
specific land management practices to maximize the species utilization, preparation of an
opinion of probable costs associated with implementing the management plan, and an
up-date to the long-term stewardship operations and maintenance program and budget.
Nicolaus Ranch VELB Conservation Bank Nicolaus Ranch VELB Conservation Bank is a 42.03-
acre site approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) to conserve and protect habitatfor the Valley
elderberry longhorn beetle (VELB) (Desmocerus californicus
dimorphus). Located in south Sacramento County, the
Bank is able to provide conservation credits for impacts
to VELB throughout California. The VELB is completely dependent on its host plant,
elderberry, which occurs in riparian and other woodland and scrub communities. The
site was chosen for its location adjoining to the Cosumnes River, compatible land uses of
the surrounding properties, presence of onsite riparian habitat, presence of an adjacent
mature riparian corridor, and site-specific qualities of soils, water availability and
topography that support rapid achievement of performance standards. WES staff
worked closely with the land owner and the USFWS in developing the Bank documents
for the site. Establishment of the Bank increased the amount of local conserved lands
and provides connectivity to other conservation areas to the southwest and northeast.
Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank
Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank (ORCB) occupies
430 acres in western Contra Costa County and is
owned by the East Bay Municipal District (EBMUD).
This Bank is approved to provide offsets for impacts
to the Alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis) and
California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) habitat.
Located along the Oursan Ridge in the Pinole Valley
watershed, the site is approximately five miles
southeast of the Town of Pinole. As much of the surrounding region is currently in high
density development, the ORCB serves to facilitate the protection of Alameda
whipsnake and California red-legged populations and high quality habitats in the area
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against ongoing development pressures in perpetuity. Thus, the Bank is assisting in
meeting defined regional recovery goals for both species.
WES, under contract with EBMUD, prepared both a prospectus and Conservation Bank Agreement, including: bank crediting, credit transfers, endowment funding analysis, and the land management plan.
Reclamation District 830 Mitigation Analysis and Plan, GIS Model In 2009, WES developed a 408,578-acre GIS based land
suitability analysis model to identify lands that have the
highest potential for restoration and mitigation within
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This project was
funded by the California Department of Water
Resources (DWR) Delta Levees Program, and the GIS
model will be used by DWR and the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate future
mitigation proposals for their suitability. To develop the model, many data layers
(criteria) were compiled, processed, and evaluated for their applicability to restoration of
three habitat types: tidally-influenced freshwater marsh, shaded riverine aquatic habitat,
and riparian forest/scrub-shrub habitats. Criteria such as existing vegetation, elevation,
soils, proximity to existing habitat, adjacent land uses, zoning, proximity to existing tidal
channels were processed and combined to produce maps for each habitat type that
identify high-priority areas for restoration. The model emphasizes natural processes and
long-term sustainability in order to accommodate environmental changes such as sea-
level rise and climate change.
Sutter Basin Conservation Bank
This 429-acre Bank, located in Sutter County,
California, and has been restored by WES to provide
foraging and refugia habitat for the federally-listed
threatened Giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas).
This site is a managed marsh habitat established by converting a degraded rice field into
six, independently managed slough-type features in the landscape. Water levels in each
cell are managed to optimize utilization for Giant garter snakes, including adjusting water
levels for young-of-the-year predation evasion.
In a 2011 article published by the USFWS Sacramento Office, the project was praised as
“one of the best examples of created habitat for the Giant garter snake in the
Sacramento Valley.” Since creation of the habitat, Giant garter snakes have been
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routinely recorded as using the habitat, with over 60 snakes documented over the last
three monitoring events.
Tule Red Tidal Restoration
Located in Suisun Marsh, this 400-acre+ project will
restore tidal marsh functions to the site in order to
provide food web and primary productivity support
to the adjacent Grizzly Bay. The project fulfills
requirements of USFWS, NMFS 2008 Biological
Opinions and CDFW Incidental Take Permit for the Ecorestore Initiative. Ecorestore is
a multifaceted effort to reach permit requirements of incidental catch in the federal and
state pumps along the delta. Tule Red is the first project to break ground under
Ecorestore with a tidal restoration goal of 8,000-acres. Because of its location at the
Grizzly Bay margin and its high resuspended sediment characteristics, the project site
provides an opportunity to restore extensive vegetated tidal wetlands that can
accommodate sea level rise as marsh expands seaward. Project features include creation
of a primary tidal channel, high marsh transition zone habitat levees along existing roads,
pilot backwater channels to optimize marsh plain inundation and residence time, and a
multi-year vegetation management regime prior to reintroduction of natural hydrology to
develop preferred vegetation community composition. Construction will continue
seasonally through fall of 2019.
Van Vleck Mitigation Bank
The Van Vleck Ranching and Resources Corporation
(VVRR) owns and operates several thousand acres of
ranch land in the vicinity of Rancho Murieta in
eastern Sacramento County. WES worked with the
VVRR to establish the 775-acre Van Vleck Mitigation
Bank on a portion of seven parcels, which is a subset
of the overall land owned and operated by this entity.
Before habitat development, the Bank’s grassland habitat already supported several
vernal pool complexes, drainage channels, seeps, and artificial ponds. Vernal pool fairy
shrimp, (Branchinecta lynchi) which have been documented in the pools on site, and
Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni) are known to forage and nest in the vicinity of the
Bank. The relatively low density of existing natural wetlands (3.7%), along with the site’s
natural mima-mound topography, provided an excellent opportunity for WES to
implement vernal pool creation in suitable non-wetland areas in proximity to the vernal
pool complexes.
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WES’s conservation activities have included mitigation value assessment and land
acquisition, planning, restoration design, biological surveys, agency meetings and site
visits, construction and design drawings, grading plans, vernal pool construction, and
land management/habitat stewardship.
This Bank was the first mitigation bank approved in northern California under the 2008
federal Wetlands Compensatory Mitigation Rule, a law established to increase mitigation
standards, and the new interagency mitigation banking template, designed to improve
coordination between agencies in establishing banks.
FLORIDA
Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank
The 1,205-acre Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank is located
in Santa Rosa County, Florida, contiguous to the Florida
Forever Acquisition Area called the Garcon Ecosystem
Preserve. The Garcon Peninsula contains some of the
best pitcher plant prairies remaining in Florida and the
Florida Forever Garcon Ecosystem project is charged
with protecting and expanding these prairies. The
project makes a significant contribution to the viability
of the Garcon project by increasing the size of the
preserve by approximately 15% and also contributes significant acres to the Gulf Coastal
Plain Ecosystem Partnership. The carnivorous White-topped pitcher plant (Sarracenia
leucophylla), a State endangered plant species, is located and protected within the
mitigation bank.
St. Marks Mitigation Bank
Designated as a “Group A Project” for acquisition
and restoration on the 2008 Florida Forever Priority
List, St. Marks Mitigation Bank is an ecological
diamond in the rough that WES is working to restore
to its primitive Florida splendor. This 1,450-acre
wetland site straddles the Jefferson and Wakulla
County lines in an ideal location adjacent to a vast
assemblage of conservation lands alongside the St. Marks and Aucilla River drainages.
Substantial portions of the site include areas identified as potential rare species habitat.
In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the area as critical habitat for the
Frosted flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum). This Bank serves as compensatory
mitigation for projects which impact flatwood, prairie, and hardwood wetlands near
Tallahassee, Florida.
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MISSISSIPPI
Chickasawhay Conservation Bank
Chickasawhay Conservation Bank, a 1,230-acre site in Greene
County, Mississippi, provides a place to both relocate displaced
Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemu) and offer habitat
mitigation for the federally threatened Gopher tortoises in
Mississippi and western Alabama. It is the first Gopher tortoise
bank authorized with the USFWS. Since the Bank’s approval in
2009, the site has welcomed relocated Gopher tortoises and
currently supports a thriving population due to an intrinsic link
between the species and the longleaf pine ecosystem that is present on the property.
The longleaf pine habitat is biologically diverse and is considered by most to have
declined by approximately 97%. This decrease has contributed to a similar decline in the
Gopher tortoise population, reducing the western portion of its range by more than
80%. The Bank lies entirely within the threatened range of the species and is located on
each side of the Chickasawhay River, providing habitat to two major areas for the
species. In addition, the Bank’s location provides buffer habitat to adjacent federal and
State properties.
NEBRASKA
The Middle-Platte Rainwater Basin
Agricultural Mitigation Bank
(MRAMB) is the first mitigation
bank of its kind in Nebraska under
the new Natural Resources
Conservation Service Wetland
Mitigation Banking Program.
It is located on a portion of an approximately 320-acre site along the “Big Bend” reach
of the Platte River and is situated between the middle and south channel of this iconic
Great Plains waterway.
The site is within a region known to have high environmental values, located within the
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program area and in close proximity to numerous
other State and non-profit conservation properties.
MRAMB is a multi-benefit project in that in addition to preserving the environmental
functions of wetlands, such as flood control, sediment control, groundwater recharge,
and water quality, it provides habitat to wildlife, crane viewing opportunities, and
aesthetics.
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ROLES & QUALIFICATIONS: BUSINESS LEADERS
Greg Sutter, MS, Licensed L.A. Vice President and General Manager
Mr. Sutter is a co-founder of WES and serves as Vice President and General Manager
with oversight of land acquisition and stewardship. Mr. Sutter has a B.S. degree in
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Cornell University and a M.S.
degree in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. He is also a past president
and board member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (California Chapter), and
has lectured at University of California, Davis, University of California, Berkeley, and
numerous technical conferences on habitat restoration. Mr. Sutter is also a regular
presenter on the mitigation banking process at the annual conference sponsored by the
National Mitigation Banking Association. Prior to joining WES, Mr. Sutter was
President of another west coast mitigation banking company; previous to entering the
mitigation banking field, Mr. Sutter was a principal at Jones & Stokes Associates, a
prominent environmental consulting firm based out of Sacramento CA. Mr. Sutter
served as the restoration analyst for the “South Bay Restoration Cost Study”, a US Fish
and Wildlife Service project that addressed mitigation feasibility.
Mr. Sutter has worked on ecosystem restoration planning and implementation
throughout the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for over 25 years, and
is an acknowledged leader in mitigation land acquisition and effective bank
establishment. Under his leadership, projects are kept within the anticipated schedule
for implementation and within budgeted allocations. Mr. Sutter has actively participated
in the implementation of over 10,000 acres of habitat restoration, including the breach of
multiple levees to provide habitat enhancement, such as at the Cosumnes Floodplain
Mitigation Bank.
Greg Sutter also oversees planning and budgeting for WES projects, including capital
expenditures, labor and materials costs, and operations and maintenance expenditures.
Mr. Sutter has particular expertise in crafting equitable, multi-million dollar land
acquisitions for mitigation and conservation banks. Mr. Sutter works with landowners to
produce positive transactions ranging from fee title purchase to innovative partnerships,
in addition to directing due diligence efforts such as in-depth review and analysis of a
site’s ecological suitability and title constraints
P a g e | 18
Greg DeYoung, MUP, AICP Vice President, Entitlement
Greg DeYoung is a founder and a Vice President for WES. Mr. DeYoung has 25 years
of experience in environmental review, permitting and planning, wetland mitigation, and
endangered species conservation. His background includes extensive experience
implementing environmental mitigation, including the permitting of over 25 mitigation
and conservation banks and large-scale mitigation projects in California, Washington,
and Alaska.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. DeYoung was a Senior Vice President at Wildlands, Inc. In
this capacity, he served as Board of Directors member and company officer, he directed
the Conservation Planning Team responsible for permits and entitlements, and he
assisted in the establishment and management of four regional offices. Mr. DeYoung
permitted numerous wetland and endangered species banks, including several industry
milestones, such as the first wetland mitigation bank with fully authorized special-status
fish credits and the first conservation banks for selected threatened and endangered
species.
Mr. DeYoung co-founded and served as Principal for Planning Concepts, where he
authored or managed the preparation of the general plans for the City of Galt and the
County of Sierra, as well as approximately 50 environmental review documents
addressing major public and private projects. Mr. DeYoung has also served as Director
for two non-profit organizations, the Nevada County Land Trust and the Wildlife
Heritage Foundation.
Mr. DeYoung holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Biology from the
University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Urban Planning from the
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Mr. DeYoung is a member of the
American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Travis Hemmen, MSEL Vice President, Business Acquisition
Travis Hemmen directs the business and market development for WES. Mr. Hemmen
coordinates with private and public clients on project specific mitigation and manages
sales for existing bank credits. Mr. Hemmen identifies potential site acquisitions and
analyzes market information to ensure mitigation bank viability. Mr. Hemmen leads
both regulatory and political efforts that support WES projects and issues affecting the
habitat banking industry. He is a co-chair of the Land Use Natural Resources committee
for the Sacramento Metro Chamber that manages the “cap-to-cap” lobbying trip to
Washington D.C. to meet with headquarter and senior staff at federal agencies, including
P a g e | 19
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Services, and elected officials.
Mr. Hemmen has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with an emphasis in Ethics from the
University of Northern Iowa, and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy with an
emphasis in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Vermont Law School.
Steve Moore, MBA Vice President, Finance and Administration
Mr. Moore leads the business planning and financial reporting for WES and for its
projects in California, Colorado and the Southeastern United States. Mr. Moore
coordinates with Corporate Headquarters on company and project performance, capital
availability and surety issues.
Mr. Moore has over 25 years of experience in senior management for a variety of land
development and home building enterprises throughout Northern California and
Nevada. He is past president of the Building Industry Association in San Joaquin County
California and is a life director of the California Building Industry Association. He
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
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ROLES & QUALIFICATIONS: PROCESS LEADERS
Marshall Cook, BL Land Acquisition Manager
Marshall Cook, Land Acquisition Manager, oversees the purchasing of property and
mitigation rights for all three (3) WES regions. Some of those duties include contacting
landowners, negotiating transactions and escorting the process through close of escrow.
Additionally, Mr. Cook helps the marketing effort for WES and assists clients with
meeting their mitigation requirements through credit sales.
Mr. Cook has purchased property or mitigation rights for projects related to the
California High Speed Rail, The Ecorestore Initiative in Suisun Marsh habitat for tidal
restoration, wind projects in the Altamont Pass of California, and endangered species
conservation work in the Bay Area. He has managed over 20,000 acres of land and
habitat including 500 acres at Lazy K Ranch, 503 acres at Dutchman Creek
Conservation, 85 acres at Koopmann Ranch Preserve, and 5,600 acres at Merced County
Ranch. Mr. Cook works with government agencies, consultants, and engineers to ensure
the most economically viable plans for clients.
Prior to his time at WES, Mr. Cook was the Transactional Director for the California
Rangeland Trust, where he directed all real estate transactions and oversaw
communication with landowners, attorneys, and environmental consultants. Marshall
was also an associate attorney in the real estate department of McDonough Holland &
Allen, PC in Sacramento. Marshall earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of the
Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and Bachelor of Science in Marketing from
Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to beginning his secondary education,
Marshall served in the United States Army, 3rd Infantry Regiment, ‘The Old Guard,’ at
Fort Meyer, Arlington, Virginia.
Matt Gause, BS Ecological Resources and Land Stewardship Director
Mr. Gause is our Ecological Resources and Land Stewardship Director with over 16
years of experience as a land manager with wetland and habitat related projects on the
Sacramento River, Cosumnes River Preserve, and within the Sacramento San Joaquin
River Delta, Staten Island, Dead Horse Island, Andrus Island, McCormick-Williamson
Tract, Holland Tract, Liberty Island, Jersey Island, and Kimball Island. He has also
been heavily involved in a handful of floodplain projects at the Suisun Marsh, Placer
County, Yolo County, Merced County, the Consumnes Floodplain, Colusa, and Sutter
County. He has conducted vegetation mapping and remote wetland delineation on over
160,000 acres of former tidal baylands surrounding the San Francisco and San Pablo
P a g e | 21
Bays in California. His work was performed to identify suitable mitigation sites for the
restoration of both tidal and intertidal habitats that would have been impacted by the
proposed expansion of the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Mr. Gause
identifies and evaluates the biological and ecological suitability of candidate properties
for conservation and/or restoration throughout California. Mr. Gause also develops
and implements long-term land management and monitoring strategies for mitigation
and conservation banks. Further, he manages biological technical staff through all
phases of project development and operation.
Mr. Gause’s extensive regulatory experience was developed through involvement in
numerous private and public sector projects requiring clearances or approvals under the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), Clean Water Act, and federal Endangered Species Act. His primary area of
responsibility was assessing project related effects on biological resources including rare,
threatened, or endangered species and sensitive natural habitats such as wetlands.
Mr. Gause received a Bachelor of Science in Botany from the University of California at
Davis.
Randee Herford, BS Accountant
Randee Herford assists the finance manager in business planning and financial reporting
for WES. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Prior to joining WES she spent over four (4) years in public accounting as an external
auditor specializing in compliance audits, including governmental entities, non-profits
and employee benefit plans.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from California State
University of Sacramento, where she graduated summa cum laude.
Lydia Holland, BS Marketing Coordinator
Lydia Holland is the Marketing Coordinator for WES with over five years of experience
in the environmental marketing industry. In her position, Mrs. Holland manages the
planning and organization of all marketing efforts and outreach for WES’s, Rocky
Mountain, Southeast, and Western regions. She is responsible for the implementation of
all internal and external marketing and communication projects, including proposal
P a g e | 22
development, event coordination, media relations, branding, advertising, website
development and sales support.
Mrs. Holland joined WES in 2008 as a student intern on the Design/Construction team.
During that time, she contributed to many key projects including the construction of
Van Vleck Mitigation Bank and coordination of the restoration planting and design at
Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank. Prior to accepting the role as Marketing
Coordinator, Mrs. Holland was a sales associate for WES.
Mrs. Holland received her Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture with a
minor in Environmental Horticulture from the University of California, Davis. She is
currently an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services,
Sacramento.
Jeff Mathews, MPA Senior Business Development Director
Mr. Mathews serves as Senior Business Development Director for WES. He has over 25
years of experience in the field of land appraisal, acquisition, utility relocation and project
management for public transportation projects, including the acquisition of habitat
values needed prior to the issuance of regulatory permits.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Mathews served as Deputy Director and Acting Director of
Real Property for the California High-Speed Rail Authority until January 2018.
Mr. Mathews has extensive knowledge of land use planning and transportation planning,
including over eight years of experience as a city and county planning commissioner.
This experience helps guide the strategic development of mitigation projects to serve a
variety of client needs.
He is past co-chair of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce Cap-to-Cap
Transportation team and leads an annual mission to Washington, D.C., advocating for
federal support of federal transportation projects in the Sacramento Region.
Mr. Mathews also guides the market research effort for WES including a systematic
review of public and private development projects within our bank service areas and
monitors regional development trends. Mr. Mathews has a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Social Science and a Master of Public Administration degree from California State
University, Chico.
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ROLES & QUALIFICATIONS: ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
Lucy Harrington, BS Regional Director
Lucy Harrington is a Colorado native and the Regional Director for the Rocky Mountain
Region. In her position, she oversees site feasibility analysis and selection, bank
entitlement, credit sales, land stewardship, and long-range planning.
Prior to joining WES, Ms. Harrington worked as a federal employee for nine years for a
variety of agencies throughout the western U.S. including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management,
the Bureau of Reclamations and the U.S. Forest Service. Through this experience she
gained a solid understanding of both regulations and field and restoration techniques.
She also served as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s representative on the Interagency
Review Team (IRT) in the San Francisco Bay region.
Ms. Harrington graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado,
with double majors in Wildlife Biology and Spanish Languages and Literature. She also
holds a certificate from the School for International Training for Comparative Ecology
(Ecuador). Ms. Harrington has a 10(a)(1)(a) Scientific Collecting permit for the
California Red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) and has served as president and vice president
of the Sacramento-Shasta chapter of The Wildlife Society.
Carla DeMasters GIS Analyst/Restoration Ecologist
Carla DeMasters is a GIS Analyst/Restoration Ecologist in the Rocky Mountain Region.
She has over 13 years of experience in GIS, spatial data analysis, quantitative vegetation
studies, vegetation mapping, plant ecology, restoration ecology and wetlands. Prior to
joining WES, she worked primarily in the environmental consulting industry, where she
provided GIS support and ecology expertise for National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and energy industry projects and led several large scale wetland delineation and
permitting projects in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Additionally,
Ms. DeMasters has provided technical expertise and oversight for riparian restoration
projects as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Denver Botanic Gardens. - rough over a
decade of experience conducting ecological field studies for large scale mining projects
throughout the western U.S., she has become highly skilled in the identification of native
plants of the Great Plains, Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau and Central
Basin and Range regions.
P a g e | 24
Ms. DeMasters has a Master’s degree in Geography with a focus on Biogeography and
GIS from the University of Colorado Boulder and has a second Master’s degree in
Biology with a focus on Restoration Ecology from the University of Colorado Denver.
Ms. DeMasters is a Certified Wetland Professional in Training (WPIT) with the Society
of Wetland Scientists. She has also served on the Program Committee for the Central
Rockies Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration conference. She frequently
provides training in plant identification for the Colorado Native Plant Society.
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ROLES & QUALIFICATIONS: SOUTHEAST REGION
John Wigginton, Ph.D., PWS, CERP Regional Director
John Wigginton is the Director for the Southeast Region, where he leads a motivated
and dedicated team of accomplished professionals. His duties include site feasibility
analysis and selection, Interagency Review Team interaction, landowner negotiations,
budgeting, long-range planning, process management, and team management. Prior to
joining WES, he was employed for six and a half years as wetland ecologist for an
engineering consulting firm in Montgomery, Alabama. He led the firm’s mitigation
banking efforts, developing the first stream mitigation bank in Alabama, and the first
mitigation banks in both the Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama watersheds.
In addition, John specializes in: wetland delineations, hydric soil determinations, Federal
and State permitting, strategies for mitigation of stream and wetland impacts, threatened
and endangered species surveys, stream assessment for natural channel design and
restoration, and environmental assessments.
John is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist and is the first person in Alabama to
receive Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner status from the Society of
Ecological Restoration. He received his PhD in Forest Ecology from the Auburn
University School of Forestry. His dissertation investigated the effects of natural
succession and restoration on soil organic matter formation and sequestration of
thermally impacted floodplain forests at the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River
Site in South Carolina. He has a Master of Science in Wetland Studies from the
University of Florida’s Center for Wetlands.
Kelly Sands, MS Business Development Manager
Kelly Sands is a Business Development Manager for the Southeast Region. Her primary
responsibilities include managing sales and marketing within WES’s existing southeast
markets, including credit sales from WES’s nine approved mitigation and conservation
banks, and developing new business and markets. Ms. Sands regularly performs outreach
with public and private partners as part of this role.
Prior to joining WES in 2015, Ms. Sands worked for an environmental consulting firm in
San Rafael, California and Atlanta, Georgia and also specialized in credit sales
management and marketing, mitigation bank entitlement, market analysis and feasibility
studies. She has a decade of experience working across all areas of the mitigation and
P a g e | 26
conservation banking industry in multiple regions. Ms. Sands has been successful at
identifying and developing new markets within emerging regulatory programs. She has
also created spatial models for mitigation bank site selection and prepared numerous
feasibility studies on potential projects.
With the Environmental Policy Award from the Odum School of Ecology at the
University of Georgia to her credit, she received her Master of Science degree in
Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development. Her thesis was on incorporating a
watershed approach into compensatory mitigation. Ms. Sands received her Bachelor of
Science degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, from Oglethorpe University in
Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Sands attended the 2011 Property and Environment Research
Center’s Enviropreneur Institute and has dedicated her career to promoting market-
based solutions for natural resource conservation.
Sean McGary, BS, PWS Entitlement Manager
Sean McGary is the Entitlement Manager for the Southeast Region. Mr. McGary
specializes in mitigation bank entitlement and compliance, working closely with regional
interagency review teams. Sean has experience in designing and monitoring stream and
wetland mitigation banks in the southeast and Midwest United States. Mr. McGary has
experience in jurisdictional wetland delineations, stream assessments for natural in-
channel design including riparian buffer restoration, construction oversight, and NEPA
documentation.
Additionally, he has conducted surveys for federally listed threatened and endangered
species such as Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), Gopher tortoise (Gopherus
polyphemu), Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), Green pitcher plant (Sarracenia
oreophila), Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and
many other species in the Southeastern United States.
Originally from Ft. Myers, Florida, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in
Environmental Science from the University of Florida. Mr. McGary is a member of the
Society of Wetland Scientists, Society of Ecological Restoration, Association of State
Wetland Managers, Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, and the
Tennessee Association of Environmental Professionals. Prior to joining WES, Mr.
McGary served as an ecologist/project scientist for both the private and public sectors
including Passarella and Associates in Ft. Myers, Florida, Georgia Department of
Transportation in Atlanta, Georgia and Hayes, Seay, Mattern, and Mattern in Raleigh,
North Carolina.
P a g e | 27
Jason Martin, RF, CPBM Land Stewardship Manager
Jason Martin, Land Stewardship Manager, has worked in several capacities of land
management focused towards conservation including conservation easement
administration, stream and wetland mitigation, endangered species management, and
habitat restoration. He has prepared and implemented management strategies on private
lands to restore and maintain populations of red-cockaded woodpecker, gopher tortoise,
longleaf pine, American chaffseed, and remnant wild quail populations in Alabama. He
has worked with private landowners to implement multiple use management plans
involving timber harvests, farming, habitat restoration, mitigation, and commercial
hunting, among others.
Mr. Martin has extensive experience using prescribed fire as a land management tool,
particularly for wildlife habitat and longleaf pine restoration. He has worked with teams
of agency and private officials to implement management strategies with multiple uses
focused towards restoration of native habitats and land conservation. He also has
experience with stream construction oversight, BMP monitoring, and GPS surveying of
earthwork to ensure projects are being built to specification. Mr. Martin has extensive
experience using GPS and GIS systems for data management, map creation, and site
management and analysis.
Mr. Martin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Auburn University
with an emphasis in land management. He is an Alabama Registered Forester and
Certified Prescribed Burn Manager.
Seth Hunt, MS Associate Biologist
Seth Hunt is an Associate Biologist whose primary responsibilities are monitoring, land
management, and GIS for the Southeast WES Banks. He received his Bachelor of
Science in Forestry at Auburn University in 2014 and his Master of Science in Forestry at
Auburn University in 2016. His thesis pertained to landownership changes, harvest
behavior, and forest history in west-central Alabama with a heavy focus in GIS and
remote sensing applications. Additionally, he worked in the Longleaf Stand Dynamics
Lab where he studied prescribed fire effects, silviculture, and habitat management of
longleaf pine, oak-pine, and hardwood forest ecosystems.
Seth served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for natural resources sampling, forest
measurements, prescribed fire and as a Teaching Assistant for the forestry summer camp
at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center. He is still actively engaged with various
forestry and wildlife extension and outreach programs associated with Auburn University
P a g e | 28
within Alabama. Prior to working with WES, Seth worked with Fish and Wildlife
Service in the South Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge Complex in habitat management.
Andrew Parsons, BS Lead Field Biologist
Andrew Parsons is the Lead Field Biologist for the Southeast office. Mr. Parsons is a
native of Huntsville, Alabama. He grew up on a small farm in rural north Alabama and
has worked in agriculture and land management most of his life. Mr. Parsons received a
Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from Auburn University’s School of
Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. While obtaining his degree, he worked for the Auburn
University School of Forestry and Wildlife Science assisting with wetland
biogeochemistry research around the southeast.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Parsons worked and managed horse ranches in California,
Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Texas. Mr. Parsons has over a decade of
natural resource management experience including research experience in the Congaree
Swamp of South Carolina and serving as a lead wrangler at Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming.
Casey Rigsby, BS Mitigation Markets Representative
Casey Rigsby is the Mitigation Markets Representative in the Southeast Regional office.
His primary responsibilities include planning and conducting outreach in Alabama to
assist WES clients with meeting their mitigation requirements. Mr. Rigsby performs
marketing activities for existing banks, assists with research and feasibility of new
markets, handles tracking of credit ledgers, long-term revenue planning and manages the
transfer of credit sales.
Prior to joining WES in 2016 he specialized in business development and account
management in the Auburn, AL area. He has almost a decade of experience in sales,
networking, building relationships, and maintaining business portfolios. Casey’s working
background, as well as education, was primarily focused in the accounting, supply chain,
and banking capacities. Mr. Rigsby received his Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration from Auburn University with a concentration in Accounting and Supply
Chain Management.
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Kristen Selikoff, MA GIS Analyst
Kristen Selikoff is the GIS Analyst for Southeast Regional office. Ms. Selikoff’s skills
have been highly developed over her years of working in the profession. After starting
her career in the Archaeology field, Ms. Selikoff received her Master of Arts in Applied
Geography at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she then worked in
academia. Her GIS roots were further established by working in local and regional
government capacities as an analyst and manager, while also gaining experience in the
planning, land conservation, and watershed studies fields.
Ms. Selikoff brought her technical skills back home to Alabama in 2008, where she
continues to provide the full range of GIS data analysis, design, and management. Her
talents range from GPS database design and collection, open source and cloud based
GIS application creation, to high volume cartographic production, as well as field
research support. Ms. Selikoff has been involved in every facet of managing and
implementing a GIS system; this has ranged from budgeting departmental costs and
procurements, personnel management and instruction, to project planning and GIS
analysis and production.
Brent Shaver, RF Conservation Planner
Brent Shaver is Conservation Planner for our Southeast Regional office where he
oversees and develops mitigation banking projects: including planning, execution, and
tracking of new wetlands and conservation mitigation project approvals. He also assists
with regional compliance tracking of approved mitigation projects.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Shaver was Director of Forest Management for The Nature
Conservancy in Alabama where he directed all aspects of forest management across
Alabama and into northwest Florida. Mr. Shaver has extensive knowledge of ecological
forest management, longleaf pine ecosystem restoration, prescribed fire management,
and multi-use restoration techniques on private and public lands. Mr. Shaver is
experienced in NPDES and NEPA planning, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments,
endangered species surveys, and real estate transactions.
He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Forestry from Auburn University where his
graduate work focused on assisting non-industrial private forest landowners in
understanding the functions and values of forested wetlands, and the ecological and legal
ramifications of silvicultural operations in those areas. Brent is a Registered Forester in
Alabama and Georgia, and is a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. Brent has been a
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member of the Society of American Foresters since 1998, formerly serving as the Jubilee
Chapter Chair and Chair of the Alabama Division.
P a g e | 31
ROLES & QUALIFICATIONS: WESTERN REGION
Hal Holland, BS Regional Director
Mr. Holland is the Regional Director for the Western Region office. In this role, Mr.
Holland is responsible for the planning, entitlement and compliance of mitigation and
conservation properties as well as overseeing project management and scheduling,
entitlement document preparation (e.g., prospectus and mitigation Bank instrument), and
Interagency Review Team approval processing. Mr. Holland’s experience includes
endowment fund budget preparation, third-party conservation easement holder
negotiation, credit methodology justification, service area analysis, biological review, and
CEQA/NEPA compliance.
Mr. Holland has conducted numerous surveys for State and federally listed threatened
and endangered species, and he has extensive experience with Clean Water Act, Section
404 and 401 permitting. Mr. Holland has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology,
Behavior, and Evolution from the University of California at San Diego.
Robert Capriola, MS Design, Entitlement and Construction Manager
Mr. Capriola is the Design, Entitlement and Construction Manager for the Western
Regional office. Mr. Capriola focuses on feasibility analyses for the establishment of
banks, permittee-responsible mitigation, document preparation, and interacting with
members of the Interagency Review Teams for project development and approval. He
also assists in the evaluation of properties for restoration opportunities, development of
technical baseline studies, restoration feasibility analyses, and providing guidance on
permitting and construction.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Capriola worked for eleven years with the California
Waterfowl Association (CWA). While at CWA, Capriola developed many successful
proposals and managed several multi-million dollar grants for habitat improvement
feasibility studies, engineering designs, and permitting and construction of wetland and
fisheries projects.
Mr. Capriola has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master of
Science in Natural Resources, both from the California State University at Humboldt.
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Tara Collins, BS Ecological Resources Manager
Tara Collins is Ecological Resources Manager for the Western Region office. Her
primary responsibilities include coordinating with various state and federal agencies to
establish, permit, and manage properties proposed for new conservation and/or
mitigation banks throughout California.
Prior to joining WES in 2015, Ms. Collins worked for an environmental consulting firm
in the Sacramento area and specialized in Clean Water Act Section 404 mitigation
monitoring and compliance. She has a unique combination of biological fieldwork and
project management experience, including entitlement and monitoring of private
mitigation banks; open space preserve management; and complex regulatory permitting
associated with residential and commercial development, transportation, and mining
projects. Ms. Collins has prepared and implemented mitigation monitoring plans and
long-term management plans in a variety of restored and preserved habitats throughout
California, including vernal pools, seasonal marshes, oak woodlands, Valley elderberry
longhorn beetle habitat, riparian corridors, and floodplains.
Ms. Collins received her Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from Humboldt State
University in Arcata, California.
Sarah Correa, BS Sales and Marketing Manager
Sarah Correa is the Sales and Marketing Manager working to grow business and market
development for WES. Mrs. Correa coordinates with private and public clients on
project specific mitigation and manages sales for existing bank credits. Mrs. Correa
identifies potential site acquisitions and analyzes market information to ensure mitigation
bank viability.
Prior to joining WES, Sarah worked with the California Department of Transportation
as an Associate Environmental Planner in District 10. In this position, Sarah
participated in transportation system planning and project development by organizing
environmental analysis of proposed projects and modal and design alternatives to
identify environmental impacts of transportation systems, corridors and projects while
formulating measures to mitigate impacts in compliance with all applicable local, state,
and federal laws, regulations, and policies.
Mrs. Correa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from
University of Phoenix in Sacramento, California.
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Matt Coyle, BS Land Stewardship Manager
Matt Coyle is our Land Stewardship Manager with over 18 years of experience with
wetland and endangered species habitat evaluation, restoration, and management in
California and Oregon. His primary responsibilities include managing and coordinating
the land management activities that occur on the over 10,000 acres of conservation
and/or mitigation lands throughout California which WES owns. Mr. Coyle also
conducts vegetation monitoring, topographic surveys, and biological surveys in vernal
pool landscapes and other wetland types for mitigation and conservation projects. He
has conducted wetland delineations on large scale properties, collected and supervised
the collection of field data and produced biological reports and site condition maps
using GIS, and has directly managed the implementation of over 30 large scale
restoration projects ranging from vernal pool creation to tidal marsh restoration. Matt
also has his Section 10(A)1(A) USFWS recovery permit which gives him the regulatory
permission to conduct wet season surveys for listed vernal pool crustaceans and
California tiger salamanders.
Matt received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and Natural Resources
Management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Prior to
joining WES, Matt worked for several habitat restoration firms in the Sacramento region
which focused on mitigation banking and habitat restoration implementation. His love
of wild landscapes and outdoor recreation is what drew him to his career.
Kim Erickson, BS Restoration Ecologist
Kim Erickson, Restoration Ecologist, specializes in mitigation and conservation bank
entitlement and permittee-responsible mitigation. Ms. Erickson has extensive experience
working with various agencies including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She also has years of
experience working for both the private and public sectors including residential and
commercial developers and engineers in the Central Valley. Kim has over 20 years of
experience in environmental documentation and permitting and works closely with
clients and resource agencies to develop quality mitigation solutions.
Kim received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning and
Management from the University of California, Davis. Ms. Erickson is a member of the
Association of Environmental Professionals and The Wildlife Society.
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Prior to joining WES, Ms. Erickson served as a project manager and/or principal in
charge on major development and infrastructure projects with extensive local, state and
federal review and approvals.
Kate Gazzo, BS, MEM Conservation Planner
Kate Gazzo serves as a Conservation Planner for the Western Region office. She
currently works to conserve priority wetland and species habitat for a permittee-
responsible large infrastructure project located in California. Kate also entitles
conservation and mitigation banks. Her responsibilities include: performing diligence for
potential property acquisitions, project permitting and agency coordination, and
mitigation and conservation project planning. Kate has worked on a variety of
environmental projects throughout the U.S. for private and public firms. Most recently
Kate worked as a biologist assisting in natural resource planning including biological
surveys for transportation projects in California. Kate worked as an ecologist for an
ecological restoration and design firm where she performed ecological assessments to
calculate habitat loss and improve ecological function through restoration design. As an
ecologist, she has studied water quality and watershed health issues, specifically,
quantifying ecological risk associated with historical contamination, performing urban
and agricultural water quality studies, and researching land conservation as a means to
improve water quality downstream.
Kate graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Master’s in Environmental
Management. She has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology
from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Chris Holland, BS Restoration Designer
Chris Holland is a Restoration Designer and is involved in both Construction
Management and Computer Aided Design (CAD). As a restoration designer, Mr.
Holland uses multiple programs and design tools including Auto Cad, to produce the
construction documents necessary to obtain grading permits. Throughout the design
process, each site is analyzed and evaluated to maximize the habitats’ potential, and Mr.
Holland provides the data which team members use to finalize a projects design.
Once the design is finalized and construction phase begins, Mr. Holland provides on-
site design solutions and inspection of the earthwork using GPS and Real-Time
Kinematic (RTK) survey to ensure projects are being built to specification.
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Additional on-site responsibilities that Mr. Holland oversees include biological
monitoring to comply with federal, State and local permitting, as well as storm water
pollution prevention plans (SWPPP). This biological monitoring has included Giant
garter snake, Swainson’s hawk, Valley elderberry longhorn beetle and ground-nesting
birds.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Holland was a Senior Designer with The HLA Group and
helped prepare construction documents for master planned communities, regional parks
and other large scale urban projects. He obtained a Bachelor of Science, Landscape
Architecture degree from Arizona State University.
Michael Lozano, BA GIS Analyst
Mr. Lozano is a GIS Analyst and Cartographer with 29 years of experience. His
responsibilities in the Western Regional office include Enterprise Geodatabase
Management, developing Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) GIS models and
Habitat Suitability Index (HIS) GIS models and preparing cartographic maps to present
analysis results or for use in permit applications. Mr. Lozano’s skills include developing
innovative methods using GPS, AutoCad and ESRI GIS software to prepare highly
accurate and detailed map layers.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Lozano worked for PG&E (Land Department), Enron O&G
(EOG), Jones & Stokes Associates and A. Teichert & Son, Aggregate Resource
Development (ATS) performing surveying and land mapping tasks, data acquisition,
geodatabase management and site suitability analysis.
Mr. Lozano attended California State University, Sacramento where he received a
Bachelor of Arts in Geography in 1986 with emphasis on Land Use Planning, including
Land Surveying coursework in the Department of Engineering.
Chris McColl, MS GIS Analyst / Conservation Planner
Chris McColl is a Conservation Planner/GIS Analyst in the entitlement process for the
Western Regional Office. His primary responsibilities include identification of potential
properties for new conservation and/or mitigation banks, implementation of online GIS
services and mobile field data collection systems, species habitat model development,
data management and aerial photo interpretation. Chris brings 15 years of experience
with GIS technologies that has focused on the development of online mapping
applications, implementation of ESRI Collector mobile application, application of drone
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technology, geodatabase development and management, development of habitat
suitability models, environmental impact analysis, 404 wetland delineation, rapid
ecological assessments, integration of GIS technologies with hydrologic, groundwater,
wildfire, and land-use forecasting models, hydrologic and groundwater modeling, as well
as cartographic design. Chris has broad experience within the Central Valley working on
projects at the regional and state scale including the Butte County Regional Plan, Yolo
County Natural Heritage Program, the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan, Sierra Nevada
Conservation Blueprint, Bird Returns Conservation Program and Statewide Rangeland
Assessment.
Chris received his Bachelor of Environmental Science degree in geography from the
University of Guelph and a Master’s of Science degree in Natural Resource Management
from Central Washington University. Additionally, he received an advanced diploma in
GIS systems from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Mark Noyes, MS Associate Project Planner
Mark Noyes is an associate project planner in the entitlement division for the Western
Regional office. Mr. Noyes is responsible for the preparation and review of documents
supporting mitigation site establishment. In addition, he interacts with and coordinates
meetings for regulatory agency staff, conducts baseline environmental studies, provides
design input for restoration projects, and assists with wildlife and plant surveys.
Prior to joining WES, Mr. Noyes worked for 10 years in the ecological restoration
industry as a restoration technician at a mining company for three years, a research
assistant and graduate student researcher for 4 years, and a biology consultant for three
years. Mr. Noyes uses his prior experience in restoration ecology and site monitoring
when developing habitat success criteria and performance standards, as well as writing
management plans for mitigation banks and permittee-responsible mitigation sites.
Mr. Noyes has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science and a Master of
Science degree in Restoration Ecology from the University of California at Davis.
Beth Parvis, MS Biological Monitoring Coordinator
Beth Parvis is the Biological Monitoring Coordinator in the land stewardship division for
the Western Regional office. She is responsible for coordinating annual land
management and land stewardship tasks, conducting monitoring and management
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activities, and preparing annual monitoring reports for mitigation/conservation banks
and permittee responsible mitigation projects.
Prior to joining WES, Beth was an Environmental Scientist for the Plant Health and Pest
Prevention Services Division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
She has also served as a scientific aide for the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife. Beth received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and minor in
Environmental Studies from UC San Diego and her Master of Science degree in
Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation from CSU Sacramento. Her thesis investigated
sexual dimorphism and ontogeny in tule perch (Hysterocarpus traskii traskii).
Tina Rosá, BS Conservation Planner
Tina Rosá is the Conservation Planner in the entitlement division. Ms. Rosá works on
preparing, reviewing and editing Bank documents, conducting research for a variety of
projects and is currently the project manager for WES’s Markham Ravine Mitigation
Bank and one of the High Speed Rail Mitigation Properties.
Prior to joining WES, Ms. Rosá worked for 12 years in the Title and Escrow industry,
where she served six (6) years as an Escrow Officer. Ms. Rosá was responsible for the
review and analysis of preliminary title reports, recorded title exceptions and legal parcel
descriptions. Ms. Rosá worked closely with clients, third parties, county agencies and
company staff to resolve title issues and insure the on time and accurate preparation and
recording of legal documents. At WES, Ms. Rosá’s escrow experience is utilized in
reviewing title reports and preparation of agency required documents explaining
recorded exceptions, easements and other documents of record that affect real property.
Ms. Rosá has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from California
State University Sacramento.
Greg Webber, BS Restoration Designer
Greg Webber is a Restoration Designer within the Design and Construction
Management process for the Western Regional office. With technical experience in a
variety of Cad programs, GIS and graphic design programs, Mr. Webber is responsible
for the creation and revision of design documents along all phases of the design
development process. He is also able to assist with field data collection in both design
reconnaissance and site monitoring capacities.
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Prior to joining WES, Mr. Webber worked as a tradesman in a variety of fields including
Agriculture, Landscape Management and Electrical Construction. Greg received his
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Environmental
Horticulture from University of California, Davis, where he was a member of ASLA. He
also worked as a student intern for the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, a 640-acre
ecosystem managed for wildlife protection, teaching and research on the University of
California, Davis campus.
Mark Young, MLA, Licensed L.A. Habitat Restoration and Construction
Mark Young is a licensed landscape architect with 28 years of experience in
environmental planning, and habitat and wetland restoration design. Mr. Young is the
manager for restoration design and construction at WES. This experience has allowed
the development and implementation of environmentally sensitive and realistic solutions
that comply with permit requirements. Mr. Young has conducted wetland delineations,
prepared wetland and stream rehabilitation and mitigation design plans, habitat
mitigation and monitoring plans. He has also coordinated environmental elements for
permitting project documentation and overseen the preparation and implementation of
storm water pollution prevention plans.
Mr. Young has led interdisciplinary teams on project design from a few acres to over 500
acres in size. He has managed the design and implementation on multi-million dollar
mitigation projects. This has included design development (concept through
construction drawings) and construction management on over 3,200 acres. This work
has given him an opportunity to communicate with federal and State resource agencies
in the Western United States, including projects in the Delta region and greater Central
Valley.
Mr. Young has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, from The
Evergreen State College, and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of
Washington.