Bio
Mr. Matt Wacker is a Principal in Integral’s Sacramento Valley office, with more than 25 years of experience. With training in both ecology and planning, Mr. Wacker applies his expertise to the conservation of sensitive species and habitats across California. He has played a key role on hundreds of projects in the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada region, the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, other areas of the state. Much of his work focuses on rangeland ecosystems, including grasslands, oak woodlands, montane meadows, riparian areas, and vernal pools. As a Certified Rangeland Manager, he is one of fewer than 120 people licensed by the State of California to practice rangeland management on nonfederal lands in the state. He has experience in all aspects of rangeland resource assessment, management, and planning. Mr. Wacker helps clients develop and implement targeted livestock grazing and weed control programs, establish and manage habitat preserves, and obtain permits from state and federal resource agencies.
He has completed or overseen nearly 100 wetland delineations, rare plant surveys, and surveys for special-status fish and wildlife throughout California. Additionally, he has led numerous field surveys for federally listed branchiopods. Mr. Wacker also has experience with the Central Valley’s flood control system.
Prior to joining Integral Consulting, Mr. Wacker was a principal with H. T. Harvey & Associates, where he worked for more than 15 years.
Relevant Experience
Land Management
Beale Air Force Base Natural Resources and Environmental Program Support, Yuba County, California — Over nearly 20 years, led dozens of biological resources surveys under the Beale Air Force Base Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, which covers nearly 23,000 acres of open space encompassing habitat for vernal pool branchiopods, western burrowing owl, breeding birds, valley elderberry longhorn beetle, western spadefoot, rare plants, Chinook salmon, and western pond turtle. Work included monitoring of special-status plant and wildlife populations, planning restoration for vernal pools, completing Biological Assessments to support federal ESA Section 7 consultations, and developing livestock grazing monitoring programs.
Biological Surveying and Monitoring
Prosser Creek, Pole Creek, Lacey Meadows, Donner Basin, and Bear Creek Watershed Assessments, Nevada, Placer, Sierra Counties, California — Served as lead ecologist for five watershed assessments. Similar in scope, these assessments documented existing ecological and physical conditions of watersheds contributing to the Middle Truckee River and developed restoration actions to address sources of watershed degradation.
Biological Monitoring of Los Vaqueros Reservoir Watershed and Conservation Lands, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Alameda Counties, California — Directs biological resources support for the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) at the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Has led all aspects of H. T. Harvey’s work for CCWD since 2016, which has included biological monitoring and surveys, acting as primary technical advisor to CCWD’s livestock grazing program, completing wetland delineations, preparing regulatory agency permit application packages, overseeing regulatory agency coordination, providing for construction monitoring and oversight, and implementation of various adaptive management actions to maintain and enhance sensitive habitat and species on over 23,000 acres of conservation and mitigation lands.
Management Plans
PG&E General Habitat Conservation Plan Support, East Bay, San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley, California — Since 2017, served as project director providing Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) with general support for implementation of its San Joaquin Valley, Multi-region, and Bay Area habitat conservation plans (HCPs). Services included conducting HCP covered species habitat suitability assessments and preparing baseline condition reports and long-term management plans for conservation easements or habitat preserves established to help PG&E meet the conservation targets of its HCPs. To date, over 20 projects have been completed covering 1000s of acres of potential mitigation lands and habitat for multiple special-status species throughout the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.
Dye Creek Preserve Integrated Management Plan, Tehama County, California — Led the development of an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the Nature Conservancy’s 37,500 acre Dye Creek Preserve. The IMP comprehensively documented all resources, management priorities, and management approaches for the Preserve, including targeted livestock grazing and weed control. The IMP also included a detailed species and habitat monitoring and reporting program for the Preserve.
Solar
California Valley Solar Ranch Project, San Luis Obispo County, California — For more than 8 years, led all efforts related to habitat and species management, monitoring, and reporting for over 9,000 acres of compensatory mitigation lands associated with a solar energy generation facility in the northern Carrizo Plain to fulfill federal Biological Opinion and California Incidental Take Permit requirements.
California Valley Solar Ranch Shrub Restoration Plan and Implementation, San Luis Obispo County, California — Directs an effort to restore native shrublands to over 2,000 acres of retired agricultural lands to fulfill California Incidental Take Permit requirements for a large-scale solar energy generation facility.
Wildflower Solar Farm, Rio Linda, California — Completed a wetland delineation, protocol-level surveys for vernal pool branchiopods, rare plant surveys, 404/401 permit application packages, and secured all required compensatory mitigation for a utility-scale solar energy generation facility. As part of the 404/401 application process, prepared a Biological Assessment analyzing the proposed project’s effects on federally listed species, primarily the vernal pool fairy shrimp. Following project construction, has continued to lead efforts related to native pollinator habitat establishment and ongoing maintenance of the solar energy generation facility during the facility’s operations phase.
Restoration
Concord Community Reuse Project, Concord, California — Serves as project manager assisting with permitting and habitat restoration for the project located on former inland area of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Wrote the targeted livestock grazing and monitoring elements of a long-term management plan developed for more than 2,600 acres of California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander habitat in the Thurgood Marshall Regional Park. Currently leads the restoration planning process for the creation of over 10 acres of seasonal wetland habitat and over 5 miles of creek, and associated riparian habitat, restoration.
Glen Alpine Creek Watershed Restoration, El Dorado County, California — Served as lead ecologist and principal-in-charge overseeing the mapping and assessment of meadow ecological functions in the Glen Alpine Creek Watershed, a major tributary to Fallen Leaf Lake near South Lake Tahoe. Hiked into remote, backcountry locations with hydrologists to conduct multi-factor ecological assessments of watershed meadows. Additionally, oversaw surveys for the Monarch butterfly in the lower Glen Alpine Creek Watershed, around the shore of Fallen Leaf Lake where suitable habitat (i.e., milkweed plants) occurred. Documented the presence of Monarch butterflies in the watershed during surveys.
Euer Valley Restoration Project, Nevada County, California — Served as principal-in-charge overseeing biological resources support for Phase 2 of the project. Work has included preparation of a biotic resources report (BRR) that identified special-status species and other sensitive biological resources potentially affected by the proposed restoration project along the South Fork of Prosser Creek in Euer Valley. Also prepared an aquatic resources delineation and rare plant survey in Euer Valley to support project permitting and implementation. Oversees biological compliance and preconstruction surveys related to four separate construction projects to restore creek and meadow functions along the South Fork of Prosser Creek.
Upper Truckee River Sunset Stables Reach 6 Restoration, El Dorado County, California — Served as lead ecologist and principal-in-charge supporting Reach 6 of the Upper Truckee River-Sunset Stables Restoration project. This project, along the Upper Truckee River, near the Lake Tahoe Airport and the community of Meyers, intends to restore the Upper Truckee River and adjacent forest and meadow habitats to increase wildfire and climate change resilience, improve stream habitat and water quality, and increase wildlife habitat values. Oversaw focused surveys for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, and currently preparing a biotic resources report, aquatic resources delineation, and regulatory permit application packages (404/401/1600), including a Biological Assessment for the USFWS, to support project permitting and environmental compliance.
Lacey Meadows Watershed Assessment, CEQA, Wetland Delineation, and Biological Resources Support, Sierra County, California — Since 2012, served as lead ecologist supporting the restoration of Lacey Meadows. Overall, this project intends to restore nearly 1,000 acres of meadow and stream habitat. Completed the ecological elements of the initial watershed assessment; lead a field delineation to map jurisdictional wetlands and other waters; lead the development and implementation of a multi-year, multi-parameter monitoring program to assess project effectiveness; oversaw and contributed to rare plant surveys; directed preconstruction surveys for sensitive wildlife species, fish relocation (including relocation of Lahontan cutthroat trout), and CEQA document development; developed the revegetation elements of the project’s construction plans and specifications; and developed a prescribed grazing plan to guide seasonal sheep grazing of the meadow complex.
Capinero Creek Vegetation Restoration, Monitoring, and Management Plan, Tulare County, California — Served as lead restoration ecologist assisting The Nature Conservancy with the restoration of San Joaquin Desert shrubland on over 900 acres of retired agricultural lands in the Tulare Basin. Directed a team of restoration ecologists who developed a habitat restoration and monitoring plan that ultimately could help guide the restoration of tens of thousands of acres of retired agricultural lands in the Tulare Basin.
Boca Forest Health and Meadow Habitat Restoration, Nevada County, California — Served as lead ecologist and principal-in-charge. Oversaw preparation of a biotic resources report (BRR) that documented the special-status species and other sensitive biological resources potentially occurring in the 3,000-acre study area east of Truckee. Completed detailed biological resources studies based on the recommendations of the BRR, including surveys for rare plants, invasive plants, the American Goshawk and the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog along with a delineation of wetlands and other waters of the U.S. in a 90-acre portion of the project area. Prepared an aquatic species and botanical BA/BE (two separate reports) to Tahoe National Forest specifications to support project implementation, incorporating results of botanical and wildlife field surveys.
Flood Control
Sutter Canals Maintenance, Sutter County, California — Led applications for a Routine Maintenance Agreement and California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit for maintenance of the Sutter Collecting Canals, a 60-mile system of drainage canals maintained by DWR east of the Sutter Bypass. Was also the lead author of the Biological Assessment, prepared under an expedited schedule, to support consultation for the project under Section 7 of the federal ESA.
Education & Credentials
Highlights
25 years of experience
Conservation planning and habitat management
Rangeland ecosystem management
Design and implementation of targeted livestock grazing programs
Vernal pool branchiopod surveys in more than 1,000 vernal pools and wetlands
Invasive plant ecology and management
Riparian and freshwater marsh ecology
Regulatory agency coordination
Project management
Education & Credentials
M.S., Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, 2002
MCP, City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley, California, 2002
B.A., Psychology, University of California, Davis, California, 1993
PERMITS AND LICENSES
10(a)(1)(A) permit, vernal pool crustaceans
California Certified Rangeland Manager #M96
Professional Experience
Principal, H. T. Harvey & Associates, 2011–July 2026
Associate ecologist, AECOM, 2005–2011
Director of land stewardship, Marin Agricultural Land Trust, 2007–2008
Preserve manager and GIS specialist, Center for Natural Lands Management, 2004–2005
Rangeland management specialist, U.S. Forest Service, 2002–2003