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BIOCONSULTANT LLCCo-founders Derek Marshall and Kim Fitts, brother and sister, started BioConsultant LLC envisioning a balanced approach to resolving urban/wildlife conflicts.
BioConsultant LLC consists of a small core staff supported by a network of professional consulting biologists and botanists, each experienced and specialized to offer a wide range of ecological services. Our technical subconsultants are respected as experts in their respective fields and have been working for the conservation of our local natural resources for decades.We specialize in wildlife-related services that include:
Our relatively small core staff allows us to remain flexible and responsive to our clients’ needs while providing timely, high quality consulting services at affordable rates. We have successfully resolved compliance issues with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), and other federal, state, and local regulations. We are experienced with wetlands, impact / site assessments, natural resource inventories, and management plans. BioConsultant LLC has formed a strong working relationship with local cities, as well as state and federal resource agencies. We have prepared several comprehensive Management Plans for the City of Point Arena and nearby Manchester State Park for the Point Arena mountain beaver, a federally endangered subspecies endemic to Mendocino County. We also co-authored the USFWS Point Arena mountain beaver survey protocol, and conducted a USFWS-sponsored training course for Caltrans and California Fish and Game biologists. Working with local landowners has become one of our main foci. Whether the property owner requires biotic surveys and assistance with obtaining development permits or is seeking to conserve large tracts of land under the open space/wildlife preserve category of the 1965 Williamson Act, we can assist in balancing land-use practices with wildlife needs and prepare the appropriate reports and management plans. REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE Wildlife Management Plans We developed the Point Arena Mountain Beaver Habitat Protection and Restoration Management Plan for the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The comprehensive study included surveying the 581-hectare Park to locate and map mountain beaver locations, rare and endangered plants, exotic plant species, and areas of human impact. BioConsultant LLC assessed the current and potential human and livestock threats. We developed management guidelines for habitat enhancement and exotic plant removal, maintenance operations, campground and trail relocations, and areas requiring fencing. In a cooperative effort with the Sonoma State University GIS lab a habitat suitability model was developed to provide a predictive map of suitable mountain beaver habitat for future development. All resources were mapped and developed into a working GIS for the Park’s use. For The City of Point Arena Roadside Maintenance Plan, we assessed the suitability of the habitat and conducted surveys for the Point Arena mountain beaver along all roads and pathways under the City’s jurisdiction. We designed innovated minimization and avoidance measures to allow the City to continue with essential maintenance without impacting the endangered species. The USFWS concurred that, with our protective measures, the project could receive a No-Take Determination. Resource maps were prepared for the Maintenance Department’s operations and planning use. Habitat Assessments and Wildlife Inventories BioConsultant LLC has conducted numerous habitat assessments and wildlife inventories for private landowners wishing to preserve their undeveloped lands under the open space/wildlife preserve category of the 1965 Williamson Act. Site-specific recommendations are developed to enhance the resources for essential wildlife habitat. The reports are submitted to the Sonoma County Planning Commission and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. BioConsultant LLC regularly conducts surveys for the presence of Point Arena mountain beaver for local landowners requiring coastal development permits. We consult with USFWS and develop recommendations to avoid construction-related impacts. Reports are submitted to USFWS and Mendocino County Planning agencies. Threatened and Endangered species The Sonoma County California Tiger Salamander (CTS) is the latest amphibian to be federally listed in Sonoma County. BioConsultant LLC works with two of Sonoma County’s most prominent CTS researchers, Phil Northen and Dave Cook. Together we have conducted numerous site assessments and surveys for the CTS. Recently BioConsultant LLC has submitted a proposal for CTS field analysis with Phil Northen and Dave Cook at the request of USFWS. Dave Cook and Derek Marshall are also preparing a grant proposal for development of a GIS for the Todd Road CTS Preservation Bank. We keep and maintain a wide range of Tiger Salamander GIS information including a range map, breeding map, and the South West Park CTS study area GIS. Since the federal listing of the Point Arena mountain beaver as an endangered species in December 1991, we have performed extensive surveys and conducted a number of research and monitoring studies, including the design and implementation of a five-year monitoring study for MCI, completed by Kim Fitts and Phil Northen in 1999. BioConsultant LLC maintains the most detailed and current GIS information on the Point Arena mountain beaver. Botany We have conducted many botanical surveys in both Mendocino and Sonoma County. BioConsultant LLC mapped the rare and endangered plants for Manchester State Park in 2002. We use the latest California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) records and local biologists to locate any historical findings or potential occurrences of special status species. The natural resource data is collected in the field via GPS technology and mapped in our lab utilizing ArcView GIS software.Wetlands BioConsultant LLC conducts formal wetland delineations in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and consistent with the Army Corps of Engineers 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual. GIS / GPS We have a wide variety of GIS services available. BioConsultant LLC utilizes the latest ArcView GIS software in the lab and Trimble GPS products in the field. Our GPS survey crew uses GeoExplorer III GPS units accurate to sub 5-meters. We battle terrain, weather, satellite geometry, poison oak, and ticks to attain quality data in the field. Later, these data are used in the lab to create very accurate map products. Our most common mapping products include: natural resource inventory, opportunities and constraints, endangered species, soils, wetlands, and resource management maps. Personnel Kim Fitts received a MA in 1993 and has been a consulting wildlife biologist for the past decade. As co-owner of BioConsultant LLC she has designed, managed, and conducted comprehensive field studies. She is recognized as an expert on the Point Arena mountain beaver and has developed PAMB monitoring and detection methods as well as designed and implemented numerous mitigation and survey projects. She possesses a thorough understanding of terrestrial wildlife ecology and has performed numerous wildlife studies and Biological Assessments for planned projects, including the habitat assessments for the creation of Sonoma County’s first wildlife preserve under the Williamson Act. Ms. Fitts is skilled in the identification of wildlife sign and able to inventory the resident wildlife population by identifying tracks, scat, and other sign. Trained in avifauna study design and monitoring techniques, Ms. Fitts is also well versed in songbird field identification. Derek Marshall has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Geography and an Associates of Science degree in Electronic Technology. Mr. Marshall is a co-owner in BioConsultant LLC. He is also in charge of Operations and is the manager of the GIS Lab. He has produced numerous natural resource management maps for private landowners as well as city, state, and federal projects. Mr. Marshall is Trimble GeoExplorer III certified, is an FAA certified pilot, and a USFWS-approved Point Arena mountain beaver surveyor / construction monitor. He has produced several maps for and has extensive field experience with the California tiger salamander. Susan Holve, MA. has been working as a professional field botanist in Northern California for the past eleven years and has conducted numerous habitat assessments and field investigations for rare and endangered plants throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. She received her certification in wetland delineation training based on the Army Corps of Engineers 1987 manual in 1999. Susan performed the wetland delineations, conducted rare plant surveys and mapped existing vegetation communities for the City of Point Arena’s Bikeway Path Project in 2002. In 2003, she performed a botanical resource assessment for the Point Arena City Park Feasibility and Master Plan Project. Dr. Philip T. Northen has been a professor of biology at Sonoma State University since 1970. Through his research, teaching, and involvement in conservation biology, he has developed a thorough understanding of the flora, fauna, and ecosystems of Sonoma County. He has extensive experience in the analyses of wetlands, having conducted a number of wetland studies and delineations for private projects as well as a five-year experimental study of vernal pool creation for Caltrans. Since 1979 he has been particularly involved in studies along the Russian River. He led the team that produced the biological analysis for the first Aggregate Resources Management Plan for Sonoma County. For this plan, he performed monitoring as well as carried out all riparian and wildlife analyses for the update of the ARM plan. Later, he performed all biological analyses for the EIR on the restoration plan for the Piombo terrace pit in the river's Middle Reach. Since 1993, he has been directing the biological monitoring for the significant ecological restoration project done by Caltrans as mitigation for the Cloverdale Highway 101 bypass. He is skilled in plant identification and has done a number of projects concerned with rare plant species. His extensive work along the Russian River has made him particularly knowledgeable about the plant communities of the river, how they change through time with ecological succession, and the exotic plants that are associated with them. He has also collaborated on a number of studies involving the fisheries of the Russian River, including a major inventory of all species in conjunction with Dr. John Hopkirk, and a site analysis of the Russian River at the Hacienda Bridge for the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department. Dr. Northen has excellent working relationships with biologists in a number of resource agencies. Dave Cook has 13 years of experience in conducting biological studies including: research design and analysis; field coordination of studies; inventory surveys for common plants and animals; focused surveys for fish, amphibians, and reptiles; special status species monitoring; and impact assessment and mitigation for sensitive biological resources. He has prepared numerous research papers, technical reports for CEQA, ESA, and Clean Water Act related projects, and regularly corresponds with the California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He has designed and implemented several research field studies. Permits Held
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Kim
Fitts, Wildlife Biologist, earned an MA in biology in 1993. She has
worked for over a
decade as the primary consultant to private landowners as well as federal
and local agencies for the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver.