Statement of Qualifications for

Headquarters 1400 Jack Warner Parkway NE Southeastern Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35404 Western Regional Office Regional Office 2128 Moores Mill Road, Suite B (205) 562-5213 MAIN 600 North Market Blvd., Suite 3 Auburn, Alabama 36830 Sacramento, 92834

(334) 821-1999 MAIN (916) 646-3644 MAIN (334) 821-1969 FAX Rocky Mountain (916) 646-3675 FAX Regional Office 9800 Mt. Pyramid Ct., Suite 400 Englewood, Colorado 80112

wesmitigation.com COMPANY OVERVIEW One of America’s premier land resource companies and a leader in sustainable forest management and conservation practices, The Westervelt Company was founded by Herbert Westervelt as Prairie States Paper Corporation in 1884. The private organization owns nearly 500,000 acres across the Southeast and West.

The organization’s vision statement reflects an environmental Headquarters stewardship role, serving to protect and enhance the natural life cycle of its land, while striving to identify highest and best use 1400 Jack Warner Parkway NE opportunities that will sustain and perpetuate future generations. Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35404 Westervelt Ecological Services (WES), one of The Westervelt (205) 562-5213 MAIN Company’s seven business units, creates enduring ecological solutions for the benefit of its clients and the natural environment. WES’s approach to wetland loss is to focus on restoration of Rocky Mountain natural hydrological and biological processes; its approach to imperiled species conservation Regional Office is to help protect biologically rich corridors and core landscapes. WES works for and with 9800 Mt. Pyramid Ct., individual clients and groups toward these objectives. WES also acquires properties to create Suite 400 mitigation and conservation preserves for clients or to create mitigation banks for wetlands and Englewood, Colorado 80112 conservation banks for species. TEAM ORGANIZATION Southeastern Regional Office 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 2128 Moores Mill ensure these banks are, in fact, protected in perpetuity. In addition, WES can rely on its parent Road, Suite B Auburn, Alabama company for additional expertise including engineers, surveyors, natural resource professionals, 36830 legal counsel, etc., to ensure that the highest quality mitigation is performed. Key organizational (334) 821-1999 MAIN attributes include: (334) 821-1969 FAX • Extensive team experience in the process of planning and obtaining approvals for mitigation banks. Western • Full knowledge of local natural resources issues, restoration approaches, and public interest Regional Office groups. • Commitment to sustainable solutions via proper site selection and stewardship. 600 North Market Blvd., Suite 3 Sacramento, California 92834

(916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX

wesmitigation.com

Page 1 PROJECTS IN THE SOUTHEAST The following projects in the southeastern United States demonstrate the team’s success in mitigation bank development tasks, including planning, permitting, implementation, and monitoring.

Yellowleaf Mitigation Bank Yellowleaf Mitigation Bank is a compensatory mitigation alternative for stream and wetland impacts within a mitigation service area located Southeast of Birmingham. The 547-acre site is located between Birmingham and Childersburg, Alabama in eastern Shelby County along a portion of Yellowleaf Creek.

Aside from restoring lost wetland and stream functions, the site is managed to protect the triangular kidneyshell and southern clubshell (two extremely rare and endangered mussel species), the southern Pigtoe and Fine-lined pocketbook (two other federally protected mussel species), the Alabama spike (a State protected mussel species), the cylindrical lioplax snail (federally protected species)and the Cahaba lily (species of special concern).

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 Southeastern Regional Office Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The Bank protects the floodplain and approximately four miles of Big Sandy Creek, a major 2128 Moores Mill tributary to the Black Warrior River and one of the most scenic Road, Suite B rivers in Alabama. The Bank also provides buffer land for adjacent Auburn, Alabama 36830 Talladega National Forest, demonstrating WES’s commitment to finding properties with larger conservation value. (334) 821-1999 MAIN (334) 821-1969 FAX Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank wesmitigation.com Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank is a 1,205-acre site located in Santa Rosa County, Florida, and 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 carnivorous white-topped pitcher plant, a State endangered plant species, is located and protected within the mitigation bank. 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.

Page 2 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 bank site include areas identified as potential rare species habitat. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has recently listed the area as critical habitat for the flatwoods salamander. This bank will serve as compensatory mitigation for projects which impact flatwood, prairie, and hardwood wetlands.

Chickasawhay Conservation Bank Chickasawhay Conservation Bank, a 1,230-acre site in Greene County, Mississippi, provides a place to both relocate displaced torteses 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 several 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. Southeastern Regional Office The longleaf pine habitat is biologically diverse and is considered by most to have declined by 2128 Moores Mill approximately 97%. This decrease has contributed to a similar decline in the gopher tortoise Road, Suite B population, reducing the western portion of its range by more than 80%. The Bank lies entirely Auburn, Alabama 36830 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 (334) 821-1999 MAIN (334) 821-1969 FAX buffer habitat to adjacent federal and State properties. wesmitigation.com Alabama River Mitigation Bank In 2013, WES received approval for the 971.1 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 for the release and reintroduction of two mussel species, the Orangenacre Mucket, Hamiota perovalis (Conrad, 1834), within a section of Tallatchee Creek on the site.

Page 3 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 will restore 132 acres of wetlands and approximately 6,374 linear feet of stream and riparian buffer.

Wetland restoration on Canoe Creek Mitigation Bank will include 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 111.4 acre mitigation bank located adjacent to the scenic Locust Fork River in Blount County, Alabama. The bank site was specifically chosen for development as Southeastern mitigation bank due to its proximity to the river that historically Regional Office sustained high levels of aquatic invertebrates. 2128 Moores Mill Restoration and enhancement activities on the site will include Road, Suite B Auburn, Alabama the re-connection of an entrenched system back to a floodplain, in-stream channel work, 36830 establishment of grade controls where needed to manage water flow and sheer stress in channel, (334) 821-1999 MAIN and enhancing and/or preserving vegetative buffers along Locust Fork and five unnamed (334) 821-1969 FAX tributaries. Restoration and enhancement of historic ecological structure and function on the wesmitigation.com property will greatly enhance the watershed.

Lost Creek Mitigation Bank The approved Lost Creek Mitigation Bank consists of two (2) 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 (2) named streams, but also has several unnamed tributaries (UT) to both 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 182.9 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. Page 4 PROJECTS IN THE WEST The following projects in the western United States demonstrate the team’s success in mitigation bank development tasks, including planning, permitting, implementation, and monitoring.

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.

Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank WES is in the process of establishing Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank along the main stem of the . The 115-acre proposed Bank will restore off-channel habitat and assist in the recovery of threatened salmonids.

Western While the Bank will have multiple benefits for riparian dependent Regional Office species, the site focus is to develop credits that can be used to offset impacts to salmonid, riparian habitat and aquatic resources regulated under the Clean Water 600 North Market Act. Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, California 95834 The project will return an existing agricultural field to riparian habitat subject to flooding events (916) 646-3644 MAIN by constructing a breach in the existing farm berm, excavating backwater channels, planting (916) 646-3675 FAX native vegetation, and enhancing existing riparian vegetation outside of the agricultural field. wesmitigation.com 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 has resulted in a complex of micro mima-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.

Page 5 Colusa Basin Mitigation Bank WES established 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. The adjacent Colusa National Wildlife Refuge and canal are where some of the largest remaining concentrations of Giant garter snake still occur. Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank In 2009, WES received approval for the tidally-influenced 472- acre Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank to provide mitigation credits for riparian, perennial, and seasonal wetland impacts. The Bank, located in Sacramento County at the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers, was approved by an Interagency Western Review Team consisting of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Office U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of

Fish and Wildlife and The National Marine Fisheries Service. The 600 North Market approval of the Bank was the culmination of three years of focused Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, effort to acquire the property, clear the title of outstanding easements and secure mineral rights, California 95834 complete hydrologic modeling, and gain agency approval for construction. (916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX Restoration activities at the bank began with the contouring back-water tidal channels and wesmitigation.com 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 reminant 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.

Dutchman Creek Conservation Bank Established in 2014 Dutchman Creek Conservation Bank is 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.

Page 6 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.

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) (Shaffer, et. al, 2004) 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) (Service, 2006). 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 project 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).

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 Giant garter snake (Thamnophis Western gigas) in the San Joaquin valley through the creation of 180 acres Regional Office of managed marsh habitat immediately adjunct to the largest remaining GGS population at the Volta Refuge. 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, In addition, the project will restore 86 acres of agricultural fields back to dendritic depressional California 95834 seasonal wetlands, typical of the extensive ponded habitat historic to the Grasslands region of (916) 646-3644 MAIN the Central Valley. (916) 646-3675 FAX wesmitigation.com 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 migration corridor.

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.

Page 7 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 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. Restoration efforts undertaken by WES have restored these pools and further enhanced the current and long-term habitat. 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). Western Regional Office This site is a managed marsh habitat established by converting a 600 North Market degraded rice field into six, independently managed slough-type features in the landscape. Water Blvd., Suite B levels in each cell are managed to optimize utilization for Giant garter snake, including adjusting Sacramento, California 95834 water levels for young-of-the-year predation evasion. (916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX In a 2011 article, published by the USFWS Sacramento Office, the project was praised as “one wesmitigation.com 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 routinely recorded as using the habitat, with over 60 snakes documented over the last 3 monitoring events.

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) 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 Page 8 proximity to the existing vernal pool complexes. 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.

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 from a supplement environmental project 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 Western restoration project including site collection of seeds and cuttings for container stock, removal of Regional Office 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 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B particles during flood events. The seasonal wetland was seeded with native grasses and forbs. Sacramento, California 95834 The Natomas Basin Conservancy, Site-Specific Management Plans (916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX WES was selected by The Natomas Basin Conservancy (TNBC) wesmitigation.com to prepare new and updated site-specific management plans (SSMPs) for twenty-nine parcels of land, totalling 4,104 acres, 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.

Page 9 Tule Red Tidal Restoration Located in , the 400-acre+ project will restore tidal marsh functions to the site in order to provide food web and primary productivity support to the adjacent . The property is a currently managed marsh for duck hunting, connected to Grizzly Bay via flap gates that regulate tidal flows into the site. Because of its location at the Grizzly Bay margin, with its high re-suspended 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 will 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.

Reclamation District 830 Mitigation Analysis and Plan, GIS Model Between January 1 and December 31, 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 Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate future mitigation proposals for their suitability. Western Regional Office 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, 600 North Market shaded riverine aquatic habitat, and riparian forest/scrub-shrub habitats. Criteria such as existing Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, vegetation, elevation, soils, proximity to existing habitat, adjacent land uses, zoning, proximity California 95834 to existing tidal channels were processed and combined to produce maps for each habitat type (916) 646-3644 MAIN that identify high-priority areas for restoration. The model emphasizes natural processes and (916) 646-3675 FAX long-term sustainability in order to accommodate environmental changes such as sea-level rise wesmitigation.com and climate change.

Pinole Valley Mitigation Bank The proposed Pinole Valley Mitigation Bank occupies 2,640-acres in western Contra Costa County and is owned and managed by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). The lands, originally purchased by EBMUD in order to develop a water supply reservoir, have never been committed to this use or constrained from development via a conservation easement, deed restriction, or similar legal instrument. EBMUD is now proposing to commit the lands to permanent habitat protection through the mitigation banking process.

WES, under contract to EBMUD, prepared the Pinole Valley Mitigation Bank Feasibility Study within budget and on time (approximately six weeks from authorization to completion). WES then prepared a draft prospectus for the Bank that included baseline technical studies for soils, jurisdictional wetlands, endangered species habitat, cultural resources, environmental Page 10 contaminants, and habitat restoration constraints/opportunities available within the property. Throughout the process, WES and its team have worked closely with EBMUD’s staff of project managers, biologists and land managers in preparing these studies, which have formed the foundation of the bank proposal.

Work on the project, a first phase of banking in the Pinole Valley, provided the foundation for the Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank.

Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank The proposed Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank (ORCB) would occupy 430 acres in western Contra Costa County owned by EBMUD. This proposed bank contains both 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 will serve to facilitate the protection of Alameda whipsnake and California red-legged populations and high quality habitats in the area against on-going development pressures in perpetuity. Thus, the bank will assist in meeting defined regional recovery goals for both species.

WES, under contract with EBMUD, has prepared both a prospectus and Conservation Bank Agreement, including: bank crediting, credit transfers, endowment funding analysis, and the Western land management plan. Regional Office Ferrari Ranch Preserve 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B WES worked with the Solano Transportation Authority and Sacramento, California 95834 Caltrans to implement a 285-acre conservation project focusing on the protection of the California red-legged frog (CRLF) and (916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX Callippe silverspot butterfly (CSB) habitat in Solano County. The wesmitigation.com 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 ESA 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.

Page 11 ROLES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEAM MEMBERS IN COLORADO Greg DeYoung, MUP, AICP Mr. DeYoung serves as a Vice President with oversight of the mitigation and conservation bank entitlement process, overseeing mitigation and conservation bank establishment in WES’s Western and Southeastern regions. His experience in mitigation bank establishment includes the permitting of over 40 mitigation and conservation banks and large-scale mitigation projects in California, Washington, and Alaska. He was involved in a number of mitigation and conservation banking milestones, including: the first California Red-Legged Frog Conservation Bank; the first Central Valley vernal pool conservation bank; and the first , steelhead, and Chinook salmon conservation bank.

Mr. DeYoung’s volunteer positions have included Director for the Nevada County Land Trust and the Whitney Oaks Wetlands Conservancy. Mr. DeYoung holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Master of Urban Planning from the California State University, Pomona. Mr. DeYoung is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners

Lucy Harrington, BS

Lucy Harrington is the Regional Manager of the Rocky Mountain office of Westervelt and has worked in the natural resources for over 14 years. For much of that time, Ms. Harrington worked as a federal employee for a variety of agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rocky Mountain (USFWS) in California, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oklahoma, the Regional Office Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico, and the Bureau of Reclamations and U.S. Forest Service in Colorado. During her time with the USFWS and NRCS, Ms. Harrington assisted 9800 Mt. Pyramid Ct., in the implementation of various federal policies including sections 6, 7, and 10 of the federal Suite 400 Englewood, Endangered Species Act (ESA). She also served as the USFWS representative for mitigation Colorado 80112 bank approval in the region. Additionally, she has worked on developing and implementing a number of habitat restoration projects in riparian corridors, bird habitat and wesmitigation.com various wetland types throughout Oklahoma and California.

Ms. Harrington has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Languages and Literature from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. She has served on the Board of the Sacramento-Shasta chapter of The Wildlife Society.

Page 12 ROLES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEAM MEMBERS IN SOUTHEAST John Wigginton, Ph.D., PWS Dr. John Wigginton is the Regional Manager for the Southeast regional office, 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 6 ½ 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, Dr. Wigginton specialized in: wetland delineations, hydric soil determinations, federal and State permitting, strategies for mitigation of stream and wetland impacts, conducted threatened and endangered species surveys, stream assessment for natural channel design and restoration, and environmental assessments.

Dr. Wigginton is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist and 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 Savannah River Site, SC. He has a Master of Science in Wetland Studies from the University of Florida’s Center for Wetlands.

Southeastern Regional Office Sean McGary, PWS

2128 Moores Mill Sean McGary is a Senior Project Manager who specializes in mitigation bank entitlement and Road, Suite B compliance, working closely with regional interagency review teams. Mr. McGary has experience Auburn, Alabama 36830 in monitoring and designing stream and wetland mitigation banks in the southeast and midwest United States. Additionally, he has performed threatened and endangered species surveys for (334) 821-1999 MAIN (334) 821-1969 FAX species such as Eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, green pitcher wesmitigation.com plant, Florida panther, scrub jay and many other species in the Southeastern U.S. Mr. McGary has experience in jurisdictional wetland delineations, stream assessments for natural in-channel design including riparian buffer restoration, construction oversight, and NEPA documentation.

Originally from Ft. Myers, FL, he received his degree in Environmental Science from the University of Florida. Mr. McGary is a member of the following organizations: Society of Wetland Scientists, Society of Ecological Restoration, and the Florida 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, FL, Georgia Dept. of Transportation in Atlanta, GA, and Hayes, Seay, Mattern, and Mattern in Raleigh, NC.

Page 13 John McGuire, MS, CWB, CF, CE

John McGuire is a Senior Project Manager who specializes in the restoration and management of southern pine forests (primarily longleaf pine), including issues related to prescribed burning, sustainable forestry practices, managing habitat for federally listed wildlife species and other matters that are key to managing conservation banks for WES. He has extensive experience with various T&E species in the Southeast including red-cockaded woodpecker, gopher tortoise, red hill salamander, alligator snapping turtle, and numerous fresh-water mussel. Prior to joining WES, he ran the outreach program for the Longleaf Alliance, a grassroots forest conservation organization housed at Auburn University in Alabama. Work with the Longleaf Alliance established a close working relationship with many of the military installations in the Southeast who manage longleaf pine.

Mr. McGuire was involved in seminal longleaf forest restoration research at the Jones Ecological Research Center and Silver Lake Experiment Forest (both in south Georgia). He has a Master of Science in Forestry from Auburn University and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Environmental Science, Biology, and Zoology from Washington State University.

Jason Martin, RF, CPBM Jason Martin, Project Planner, has worked in several areas of forestry 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, Southeastern gopher tortoise, American chaffseed, and remnant wild quail populations in Alabama. Regional Office

Mr. Martin has extensive experience using prescribed fire as a land management tool, particularly 2128 Moores Mill Road, Suite B for wildlife habitat and longleaf pine restoration. He has worked with teams of agency and private Auburn, Alabama officials to implement management strategies with multiple uses focused towards restoration 36830 of native habitats and land preservation. He also has experience with stream construction (334) 821-1999 MAIN oversight, BMP monitoring, and GPS surveying of earthwork to ensure projects are being built (334) 821-1969 FAX to specification. Mr. Martin has extensive experience using GPS and GIS systems for data wesmitigation.com 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.

Page 14 Andrew Parsons, BS

Andrew Parsons is the Lead Field Biologist for Westervelt Ecological Services’ 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 B.S. 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 Westervelt Ecological Services, 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.

Kelly Sands, MS

Kelly Sands is a Business Development Manager of Westervelt Ecological Services. Her primary responsibilities include planning and conducting outreach in the “panhandle” region of Florida to assist WES clients with meeting their mitigation requirements.

Prior to joining WES in 2015, Ms. Sands worked for an environmental consulting firm in Southeastern San Rafael, California and specialized in credit sales management and marketing, mitigation Regional Office bank entitlement, market analysis and feasibility studies. She has nearly a decade of experience working across all areas of the mitigation and conservation banking industry and in multiple 2128 Moores Mill regions, including the southeast. Ms. Sands has been responsible for identifying and developing Road, Suite B Auburn, Alabama new markets, managing credit sales and performing marketing for mitigation banks. She has also 36830 created spatial models for mitigation bank site selection and and prepared extensive feasibility (334) 821-1999 MAIN studies for evaluating mitigation opportunities. (334) 821-1969 FAX wesmitigation.com With the Environmental Policy Award from the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia to her credit, Kelly received her Master’s of Science in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development. Ms. Sands received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. Kelly’s thesis was on incorporating a watershed approach into compensatory mitigation. Kelly attended the 2011 Property and Environment Research Center’s Enviropreneur Institute and has dedicated her career to promoting market-based solutions to natural resource conservation.

Page 15 ROLES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEAM MEMBERS IN CALIFORNIA Greg Sutter, MS, Licensed L.A. #4242 Mr. Sutter serves as Executive Vice President in charge of operations and land acquisitions. He 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. Mr. Sutter has a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, and a Master of Science in Ecology from the University of California at Davis.

Charles “Hal” Holland, BS

Western Mr. Holland is a Senior Conservation Planner at WES and responsible for overseeing entitlement Regional Office and compliance on mitigation and conservation bank properties. In this role, Mr. Holland oversees project management and scheduling, entitlement document preparation (e.g., prospectus and 600 North Market mitigation bank instrument), and Interagency Review Team approval processing. Mr. Holland’s Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, experience includes endowment fund budget preparation, third-party conservation easement California 95834 holder negotiation, credit methodology justification, service area analysis, biological review, and (916) 646-3644 MAIN CEQA / NEPA compliance. (916) 646-3675 FAX wesmitigation.com 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.

Page 16 Robert Capriola, MS

Mr. Capriola is a senior conservation planner for project entitlement at WES. Mr. Capriola works on feasibility analysis for the establishment of banks, bank document preparation, and interacting with members of the Interagency Review Teams for bank development and approval. He assists in the evaluation of properties for restoration opportunities, development of technical baseline studies, bank feasibility analyses, preparation of entitlement documents for mitigation banks, and providing guidance on permitting and construction.

Mr. Capriola came to work for WES after 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.

Tina Emmett, BS

Tina Emmett is an associate conservation planner in the entitlement division of WES. Ms. Emmett works on preparing, reviewing and editing bank documents, conducting research for a variety of projects and assisting project managers and is currently the project manager for WES’s Markham Ravine Mitigation Bank.

Western Prior to joining the WES team, Ms. Emmett worked for 12 years in the Title and Escrow industry, Regional Office where she served 6 years as an Escrow Officer. Ms. Emmett was responsible for the review and analysis of preliminary title reports, recorded title exceptions and parcel legal descriptions. Ms. 600 North Market Emmett worked closely with clients, third parties, county agencies and company staff to resolve Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, title issues and insure the on time and accurate preparation and recording of legal documents. California 95834 At WES, Ms. Emmett’s escrow experience is utilized in reviewing title reports and preparation (916) 646-3644 MAIN of agency required documents explaining recorded exceptions, easements and other documents (916) 646-3675 FAX of record that affect real property. wesmitigation.com Ms. Emmett has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from California State University Sacramento.

Page 17 Tara Collins, BS

Tara Collins is a Conservation Planner/Botanist in the entitlement division of WES. 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/ 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.

Travis Hemmen, MSEL

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 Western existing bank credits. Mr. Hemmen identifies potential site acquisitions and analyzes market Regional Office information to ensure mitigation bank viability. Mr. Hemmen leads both regulatory and political efforts that support Westervelt projects and issues affecting the habitat banking industry. He is 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B a cochair of the Land Use Natural Resources committee for the Sacramento Metro Chamber Sacramento, that manages the “cap-to-cap” lobbying trip to Washington D.C. to meet with headquarter and California 95834 senior staff at federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental (916) 646-3644 MAIN Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, and elected officials. (916) 646-3675 FAX wesmitigation.com 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.

Page 18 Mark Young, MLA, Licensed L.A. #4806

Mark Young is a licensed landscape architect with 25 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 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.

Chris Holland, BS

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 AutoCad, to produce the construction documents necessary to obtain Western grading permits. Throughout the design process, each site is analyzed and evaluated to maximize Regional Office the habitats’ potential, and Mr. Holland provides the data which team members use to finalize a projects design. 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B Sacramento, Once the design is finalized and construction phase begins, Mr. Holland provides on-site design California 95834 solutions and inspection of the earthwork using GPS and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) survey (916) 646-3644 MAIN to ensure projects are being built to specification. (916) 646-3675 FAX wesmitigation.com Additional on-site roles 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.

Page 19 Matt Gause, BS

Mr. Gause has had direct experience as an ecologist and land manager with wetland and habitat related projects on the Sacramento River, Cosumnes River Preserve, and within the Sacramento- Delta including projects on Staten Island, Dead Horse Island, , McCormick-Williamson Tract, , Liberty Island, , and . 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 Bays in California. This 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 has a Bachelor of Science in Botany from the University of California, at Davis.

Matt Coyle, BS

Mr. Coyle has over 15 years of experience with wetland and endangered species habitat evaluation, restoration, and management with an emphasis on biological monitoring, field data collection, wetland restoration implementation, and habitat management activity implementation. Mr. Western Regional Coyle has collected and supervised the collection of field data and produced biological reports and Office site condition maps using GIS. Mr. Coyle has directly managed the implementation of over 30 large scale restoration projects ranging from vernal pool creation to tidal marsh restoration. Mr. 600 North Market Blvd., Suite B Coyle also has his Section 10(a)1(A) USFWS recovery permit which gives him the regulatory Sacramento, permission to conduct winter surveys for listed vernal pool branchiopod crustaceans. California 95834

(916) 646-3644 MAIN Mr. Coyle conducts vegetation monitoring, wetland delineations and topographic surveys in (916) 646-3675 FAX vernal pools and other wetland habitats for mitigation and conservation banks. Further, he wesmitigation.com performs land management tasks on mitigation properties and performs heavy equipment operation in support of specialized habitat management activities. Mr. Coyle has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources from California Polytechnic University, at San Luis Obispo.

Page 20 Lindsay Peterson, MS

Lindsay Peterson is the Biological Monitoring Coordinator and an Associate Ecologist for Westervelt Ecological Services. In her position, she determines the annual land management and stewardship tasks for every Bank and service contract property, assists with field work, and is the primary author of the annual monitoring reports to be sent to IRT members for each Bank property.

A member of the staff since 2012, when she served as a student intern with the Land Management Team, Lindsay has been involved in the monitoring of the majority of the WES Bank properties in the west with an emphasis on vernal pool projects. Lindsay conducted research for her Master’s Thesis on the plant communities found in natural and created vernal pools at Van Vleck Ranch Mitigation Bank through a removal experiment of a new vernal pool invasive plant species, Lythrum portula, in the spring of 2014. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Conservation Biology from California State University, Sacramento in May 2015.

Lindsay received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Management and Protection with a concentration in Mitigation Strategies and a minor in Biology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Lindsay has also served as a student intern for the western regional office of Ducks Unlimited and as a student assistant at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in Sacramento, California.

Western Regional Michael Lozano, BA Office Mr. Lozano is a GIS Analyst and Cartographer with 29 years of experience. His responsibilities 600 North Market at WES include Enterprise Geodatabase Management, developing Land Evaluation and Site Blvd., Suite B Assessment (LESA) GIS models, Habitat Suitability Index (HIS) GIS models and preparing Sacramento, California 95834 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 (916) 646-3644 MAIN (916) 646-3675 FAX highly accurate and detailed map layers. wesmitigation.com Prior to joining WES Mr. Lozano worked for PG&E (Land Dept), 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.

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