Wildlife Surveys
San Joaquin River Improvement Project, Fresno County, California — For the 6,000-acre project, designed measures to decrease bird use at sites contaminated with selenium; designed and implemented mitigation habitats for birds affected by contaminated sites; and monitored bird use, nest success, and egg-selenium content at both contaminated and mitigation sites. Located Swainson’s hawk nests on, and in the vicinity of, the project in western Fresno County as part of a monitoring program monitoring the potential San Joaquin kit fox use. Oversaw the monitoring of selenium levels found in vegetation, small mammals, and coyotes on the project site. Also managed San Joaquin kit fox surveys using scent detection dogs.
California High-Speed Rail Environmental Services (Fresno-Bakersfield Section), Fresno, Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties, California — Serves as project manager and senior wildlife ecologist for preparation of an analysis of tricolored blackbird. As a project manager, oversaw an analysis of blunt-nosed leopard lizard habitat within the footprint of the Fresno to Bakersfield alignment of the High-Speed Rail. Conducted protocol Swainson’s hawk surveys and surveys for nesting tricolored blackbird.
Kings Canyon Expressway, Segment 3 Preconstruction and Construction Support, Fresno County, California — As a wildlife ecologist and project manager, designed and conducted preconstruction nesting bird surveys and surveyed the area for Swainson’s hawk nests and other raptor nests prior to construction. Approved by CDFW to serve as the project’s designated biologist for Swainson’s hawk.
State Route 269 Bridge Project Biological and Botanical Services, Fresno County, California — As a wildlife ecologist and project manager, performed blunt-nose leopard surveys for the Caltrans bridge project to be built across the Arroyo Pasajero channel. Provided expertise to draft reports related to the surveys.
Betty Drive Interchange on State Route 99 Preconstruction Surveys, Tulare County, California — Conducted protocol level nesting Swainson’s hawk surveys prior to initiation of project construction. Surveys were within an approximately 4-square mile area and continued monitoring known nests throughout the breeding season. Observed: 6 (three pairs) and numerous other incidental observations of adults and second year, non-breeding individuals as well as 3 nests.
California Public Utilities Commission Control Silver Peak Biological Services, Inyo and Mono Counties, California — Served as project manager and a wildlife ecologist for the environmental impact report for the California Public Utilities Commission. The Southern California Edison project to replace and upgrade 58 miles of 55 kV lines crosses the White Mountains and traverses many high desert and Great Basin mountain habitats. In the process of assessing project biological impacts and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project Environmental Impact Report / Statement, Los Angeles and Kern Counties, California — Provided avian expertise as a wildlife ecologist to inform the joint environmental impact report/environmental impact statement, as well as the regulatory documents, for the U.S. Forest Service’s project, a series of transmission system improvements to deliver electricity from new wind energy projects. Surveyed the entire route to assess avian impacts resulting from the project.
PG&E Photovoltaic Sites, Swainson’s Hawk Monitoring, Western San Joaquin Valley, Various Counties, California — Worked as a wildlife ecologist monitoring Swainson’s hawk nests located next to PG&E solar installations, using the protocol drafted by the Swainson’s Hawk Technical Advisory Committee and recommended by CDFW. Designed and implemented a monitoring program to quantify the impacts to birds from operation of a brine evaporation pond used to dispose of saline water from the project’s reverse osmosis system used to treat local groundwater.
Great Valley Ethanol Hanford Manufacturing Facility Biotic Study, Kings County, California — Conducted protocol level nesting Swainson’s hawk surveys prior to initiation of project construction within an approximately 4-square mile area and continued monitoring known nests throughout the breeding season.
Dublin Ranch Habitat Restoration Planning, Biological Surveys, Implementation, and Long-term Monitoring, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California — Conducted protocol level surveys for San Joaquin kit fox for the 1700-acre project for a private developer. The project site and surrounding areas (3,000 acres in total) were surveyed twice using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s protocol for surveying San Joaquin kit fox in Northern California.
Castaic Lake Gull Management, Los Angeles County, California — Designed and conducted a bird hazing pilot study on Castaic Lake for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The pilot study’s goal was to deter gulls from roosting on the lake and negatively impacting water quality.
San Joaquin River Water Quality Improvement Project Biological Monitoring, Firebaugh, California — Assessed potential impacts to special-status bird species for the renewal of the water services contracts for the delivery of Central Valley Project water within the Friant Division and Cross Valley Contractors Services areas for the period covering 2001 to 2026.
Salmon Conservation and Research Facility CEQA Compliance, Friant, California — As project manager, oversaw compliance with biological resources related CEQA and permit requirements for the project along the San Joaquin River for CDFW. Surveys required included protocol level surveys for western pond turtles, nesting Swainson’s hawk, burrowing owls, western yellow-billed cuckoo, willow flycatcher, least Bell’s vireo, and several special-status bat species.
Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, Kern and Tulare Counties, California — Served as project manager and senior wildlife ecologist for surveys for San Joaquin kit fox along the Friant-Kern Canal.
Westlake Farms, Lost Hills Water District, Rainbow Ranch, and Britz Farms Projects, Kern and Fresno Counties, California — Monitored shorebird and waterbird use of more than 1,000 acres of agricultural evaporation basins and 500 acres of associated mitigation wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley over almost two decades of biweekly and weekly monitoring.
Villages of Patterson Project, Patterson, California — For the Villages of Patterson environmental impact report, conducted protocol-level nesting Swainson’s hawk surveys prior to initiation of project construction within a ten-mile radius. Observed: 12 (six pairs) and numerous other incidental observations of adults and second year, non-breeding individuals.
Upton Property, Chowchilla, California — For a private client, served a lead biologist to conduct Swainson’s hawk surveys within an approximately 113-square mile area around a ranch property.
Concord Community Reuse Project, Contra Costa County, California — Conducted surveys for California black rails using recorded call playback on the Concord Naval Weapons Station on the East Bay. The project was a mixed-use development of residential, industrial, and community uses on approximately half of the 5028-acre former inland area of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, with habitat enhancement and management for special-status species on the remainder of the site.
