Bio
Mr. Luke Davies has experience in environmental permitting, GIS, and biological monitoring and surveying. His fieldwork experience specifically includes site surveys to support California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) biological resource assessments and permitting, due diligence for site development, and wetland ecology and delineation. Mr. Davies’ field expertise also includes visual encounter surveys for various special status species, habitat assessments and acoustic surveys for bats, environmental DNA sampling, marine mammals and wildlife monitoring (including nesting bird surveys), and construction compliance monitoring. Mr. Davies is well versed in geospatial analysis and mapmaking with both ArcGIS Pro and QGIS. He has contributed to projects by writing reports required to obtain permits and authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and California Regional Water Quality Control Boards to meet permit compliance requirements.
Relevant Experience
Biological Monitoring and Assessment
Sediment Remediation Project, Piers 39-43½ San Francisco, California — Completed preconstruction surveys for nesting birds and served as a biological monitor for marine mammals, including gray whales, humpback whales, California sea lions, Steller’s sea lions, harbor seals, and harbor porpoise.
Shell Pond Remediation Project, Contra Costa County, California — Completed biological compliance monitoring for compliance with a USFWS Biological Opinion for salt marsh harvest mouse on a 73-acre remediation project. Activities included preconstruction site clearance, vegetation removal, and monitoring for wetland persistence and remediation success.
Highway Improvement Project, Solano County, California — Completed preconstruction surveys for Swainson’s hawk and burrowing owls, wrote the corresponding memorandum, and created maps detailing the survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations for each species. Also worked as a biological monitor and completed daily visual encounter surveys for the project site. Additionally, conducted wildlife exclusion fence monitoring for California tiger salamander (CTS). Observed raptors, shorebirds, and songbirds, including Swainson’s hawk, northern harrier, great-horned owl, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, cliff swallow, red-winged blackbird, black-necked stilt, kildeer, and white-faced ibis.
Bishop Ranch Development Project, San Ramon, California — Completed preconstruction habitat assessments, visual encounter surveys, and acoustic surveys for roosting bats. Also completed preconstruction surveys for nesting birds and raptors and wrote the corresponding memoranda detailing the results.
Residential Development Project, Walnut Creek, California — Completed a habitat assessment, visual encounter surveys, and acoustic surveys for roosting bats and wrote the corresponding memoranda detailing the results of the survey.
Residential Development Project, Brentwood, California — Completed a preconstruction survey for nesting birds, burrowing owls, Swainson’s hawk, and kit fox. Wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing the survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations and the local habitat conservation plan for a project involving the construction of a residential development. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, kildeer, red-winged blackbird, American crow, European starling, and cliff swallow).
Gravity Sewers Improvement Projects, Marin County, California — Completed biweekly nesting bird surveys over the course of construction. Created maps and reports detailing the survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations and local ordinances for a project that entailed sewer pipeline construction and rehabilitation. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., red-tailed hawk, turkey vulture, red-shouldered hawk, mourning dove, common raven, Nuttall’s woodpecker, black phoebe, acorn woodpecker, American robin, and Brewer’s blackbird).
Grayson Road Project, Contra Costa County, California — Worked as a biological monitor and completed nesting bird and raptor preconstruction surveys, as well as habitat assessments and visual encounter and acoustic surveys for roosting bats. Surveys were in support a project involving construction of a new small residential subdivision along with associated access, drainage, and utility facilities, including a detention basin. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., Steller’s jay, hairy woodpecker, red-shouldered hawk, Anna’s hummingbird, turkey vulture, mallard, chestnut-backed chickadee, and dark-eyed junco).
Subdivision Project, Contra Costa County, California — Worked as a biological monitor and completed nesting bird and roosting bat preconstruction surveys to support a project involving construction of a new small residential subdivision as well as associated access, drainage, and utility facilities, including a detention basin.
Arroyo Vista Neighborhood Development Project, Livermore, California — Completed a survey for nesting birds and burrowing owls and wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations for a neighborhood development project. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g. American crow, oak titmouse).
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Access Project, Pleasanton, California — Worked as a biological monitor and completed a preconstruction survey for California red-legged frog (CRLF), California tiger-salamander, Alameda whipsnake, western pond turtle, nesting birds, and raptors, and wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing the survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations for a project that created and rehabilitated trails for a regional park system. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., American crow, acorn woodpecker, oak titmouse, California quail, mourning dove, lazuli bunting, turkey vulture, and California towhee).
Seely Avenue Residential Development Project, San Jose, California — Completed a preconstruction survey for nesting birds, raptors, and burrowing owls and wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations and the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan for a project involving construction of a residential development. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., red-tailed hawk, Canada goose, red-shouldered hawk, black phoebe, California scrub jay, white-crowned sparrow, western bluebird, and yellow-rumped warbler).
Royal Way Residential Development Project, Gilroy, California — Completed multiple preconstruction surveys for nesting birds and burrowing owls. Wrote the corresponding memoranda detailing survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations and the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan for a project involving construction of a residential development. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., American robin, cliff sparrow, oak titmouse, northern mockingbird, American goldfinch, and northern flicker).
Hecker Pass North Residential Subdivision Project, Gilroy, California — Worked as a biological monitor and completed a preconstruction survey for nesting birds and raptors and wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations and the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan for a project involving construction of a residential development. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., American crow, killdeer, song sparrow, acorn woodpecker, turkey vulture, and California towhee).
Tree Removal Project, Portola Valley, California — Worked as a biological monitor and completed a preconstruction survey for nesting birds. Wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations for a project involving the removal of trees at a school. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., acorn woodpecker, American goldfinch, American crow, cedar waxwing, mourning dove, pine siskin, and turkey vulture).
Five Canyons Residential Development Project, Castro Valley, California — Completed a preconstruction survey for nesting birds and wrote the corresponding memorandum detailing the survey results in accordance with USFWS and CDFW regulations for a project involving the construction of a residential development. Observed regionally common raptors and songbirds (e.g., red-tailed hawk, California scrub jay, house finch, song sparrow, spotted towhee, and American crow).
Proposed APC Ranch Conservation Bank, Paicines, California — Conducted protocol dipnet, seine, and eDNA surveys for CTS and CRLF to support conservation bank entitlement.
Residential Development Project, Alameda County, California — Worked as a biological monitor and conducted protocol visual-encounter surveys and conducted several relocations for CTS and CRLF to avoid project-related impacts to state and federally listed species.
Wetlands
Aquatic Resource Assessment, Solano County, California — Conducted a GIS-centered desktop analysis for the presence of potentially jurisdictional waters along an 18-mile stretch of Highway 113 in Solano County using ArcGIS pro, Google Earth Pro, and publicly available geospatial data. The results of this analysis were then ground-truthed in the field and detailed in a set of maps and memoranda.
Aquatic Resource Assessment, Napa County, California — Conducted a GIS-centered desktop analysis for the presence of potentially jurisdictional waters along a stretch of Highway 12 in Napa County using ArcGIS pro, Google Earth Pro, and publicly available geospatial data. The results of this analysis were detailed in a set of maps and memoranda.
Aquatic Resource Assessment, Forest Knolls, California — Served as project manager and conducted a site visit to observe the conditions of existing aquatic resources and determine the location of the ordinary high water mark, the extent of the riparian canopy, and the stream conservation area buffer. Mapped these observations and summarized them in a memorandum.
Solar Project, Laughlin, Nevada — Prepared an aquatic resources delineation report for a 4,700 acre site that includes a solar field and transmission corridor. Mapped and analyzed the drainages of aquatic features, both on- and offsite, to determine federal jurisdictions pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
Planning and Permitting
Ralston Avenue Emergency Creek Bank Recovery, Hillsborough, California — Supported entitlement of a project involving construction of a site retaining wall adjacent to Ralston Avenue to stabilize a creek bank that threatened to undermine the road. Project entitlement required securing authorizations including a Department of the Army emergency permit from USACE. State authorizations included authorization pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (i.e., via regional water quality control board), which required the completion of a Section 404(b)(1) alternative analysis to identify the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative. Also completed a CDFW streambed alteration agreement application.
Education & Credentials
B.S., Environmental Science, (emphasis in Applied Ecology), Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, 2021
Continuing Education
A.I.S. Inc., Protected Species Observer (PSO) Training, 2026
San Francisco State University, Ecology and Conservation of California Bats Workshop, 2025
National Estuarine Research Reserve, 40-Hour Wetland Delineation Training, 2023
OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER
First Aid/CPR/AED Certified