Derek B. Booth, Ph.D., PG, PE Geologist/Civil Engineer/President

Dr. Booth is a nationally and internationally recognized geologist in the fields of landscape processes, river and glacier dynamics and deposits, geologic hazards, and urban watershed management. He is a broadly published technical author, editor, and invited speaker; his articles, reports, maps, and other products are widely recognized and applied. His work emphasizes field-based collection and analysis of the basic physical data that are crucial to understanding landscape conditions and watershed processes, and their likely responses to human disturbance. Prior to joining Stillwater Sciences he held the position of Research Professor at the University of Washington, with joint appointment in the departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth & Space Sciences; he retains an active position as Affiliate Professor in both departments. Dr. Booth’s projects have covered a broad range of topics. He was manager and lead scientist of a 4-year USEPA-funded research project on urban stream rehabilitation that has resulted in changes to project design criteria and stormwater regulations across the Pacific Northwest. He has provided review, guidance, and original field-based research to organizations that include local governments (including King County, Snohomish County, Seattle, Bellevue, Bothell, and Bainbridge Island), and state and federal agencies (Washington State Department of Ecology, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Geological Survey, National Science Foundation).

Christine M. Champe, M.S. Senior Wildlife Ecologist

Ms. Champe is a wildlife biologist who conducts ecological research, wildlife habitat planning, and environmental impact assessments. She has studied populations of birds, amphibians, and other wildlife in several regions of the U.S. and the tropics. Ms. Champe has been responsible for wildlife analyses on several forest management and hydroelectric projects for the U.S. Forest Service and private industrial clients. Her current work involves watershed analysis for hydroelectric relicensing on the Umpqua River, Oregon including efforts to minimize project-related impacts to threatened or endangered species through sound management practices. Ms. Champe currently leads the effort to use a unique stakeholder-based relicensing process to come to a scientifically sound agreement to dam relicensing. In addition, Ms. Champe is well-versed in habitat conservation planning (HCPs) for compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and designing sampling protocols for birds, mammals, amphibians, and plants. Ms. Champe has expertise with the California Department of Fish and Game's Wildlife Habitat relationships (WHR) systems, modeling habitat suitability, predicting biodiversity levels before and after timber harvest, and preparing biological assessments and NEPA/CEQA compliance documents.

Peter W. Downs, Ph.D. Senior Fluvial Geomorphologist

Dr. Downs is a fluvial geomorphologist with 15 years expertise in the field of watershed processes and their effects on sediment transport, channel morphological response and river restoration efforts. He has expertise in geomorphic assessments at various levels of detail, river restoration design and planning including experiments within an adaptive management framework, post-project monitoring and evaluation, and integrated watershed planning. Dr. Downs has led geomorphic analyses in a variety of river habitats in the US, UK and New Zealand and with differing management objectives including river channel conservation, in-stream fisheries improvement, functional riparian improvement, flood defense and channel stability. Much of his work has been multi-disciplinary in nature involving links to hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, biological and habitat surveys and to stakeholder involvement in management solutions.

Frank K. Ligon, M.S. Senior Aquatic Ecologist/Chairman

Mr. Ligon has over 20 years experience examining the role of fluvial processes on the ecology of stream fish, invertebrates, and plant communities in California, Oregon, Georgia, and New Zealand. In conjunction with biologists and geomorphologists from leading universities throughout Northern California, Mr. Ligon has developed a geomorphologically-based approach to protecting and preserving stream biodiversity below dams and has applied the approach in streams thoughout Northern California and Oregon. Mr. Ligon currently manages a restoration study on the Tuolumne River investigating the ecology of chinook salmon and developing a cost-effective salmon enhancement program. He has been involved with this project for over 10 years. Because of his expertise in Central Valley watersheds, Mr. Ligon is also working with scientists and CALFED staff to develop rapid assessment protocols to evaluate ecosystem function for Central Valley streams and to prioritize restoration actions in response to key factors identified requiring immediate attention for greatest possible ecosystem benefit. He is also one of the lead authors of a CALFED White Paper on the effects of diversion on fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Bruce K. Orr, Ph.D. Senior Ecologist/Principal

Dr. Orr has over 20 years of experience in population and community ecology of aquatic, terrestrial, and fresh and saltmarsh wetland habitats in California and the western United States. During the past 5 years, Dr. Orr has managed a variety of complex, multi-year projects that have focused on the use of watershed analysis and ecosystem management approaches to meet a variety of regulatory needs, including TMDLs, state and federal Endangered Species Acts, California Forest Practice Rules, and the Federal Power Act and amendments. Dr. Orr has worked on Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), Sustained Yield Plans (SYPs), and Environmental Impact Statements/Environmental Impact Reports (EISs/EIRs). He has conducted TES faunal and floristic surveys in a variety of wetland, aquatic and terrestrial habitats throughout California and the Pacific Northwest and is familiar with NEPA, CEQA and ESA regulatory processes. He is familiar with general limnology and stream ecology and has been trained in the EPA's Rapid Bioassessment Protocols of macroinvertebrates. Dr. Orr is also well-versed in field survey techniques and identification of terrestrial plants, insects, and vertebrates and aquatic organisms.

Stephen C. Ralph, M.S. Senior Aquatic Ecologist

Stephen Ralph has been involved with assessment of land and water use on salmon habitat for nearly three decades. Concentrating on freshwater and marine ecosystems, most of this experience was gained working for a variety of federal, state, tribal, city and county governments engaged in resolving environmental management decisions. Mr. Ralph has reviewed federal, state and private forestry practices, and has been involved in environmental assessments for federal hydropower licensing, with the goals of defining management and regulatory schemes to protect aquatic habitats and water quality for native salmon and trout. Mr. Ralph has developed considerable experience in limiting factors analyses and development of comprehensive monitoring programs for assessment of in-stream aquatic habitats. Mr. Ralph participated on the salmon technical recovery teams for the Stillaguamish and Snohomish basin working groups developing both a watershed assessment and identification of priorities for restoration actions. He has also worked on developing assessments and monitoring of watershed and aquatic habitat condition in many of the rivers and stream draining into Hood Canal, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Skagit River system. Most recently, Mr. Ralph worked for the Environmental Protection Agency; his responsibilities at the EPA included providing technical and policy support within the EPA, work with sister federal agencies on development of regional salmon policies, habitat protection and restoration, water quality standards, TMDL's (total maximum daily loads) and habitat conservation plans.

Sabrina S. Simpson Marketing Director/Regulatory Analyst

Ms. Simpson currently manages the day-to-day marketing efforts at Stillwater Sciences, including overseeing the design and production of all marketing materials, researching industry trends and opportunities, preparing weekly status and budget reports for senior management, and developing proposals for upcoming project work. Ms. Simpson has over 18 years experience writing and producing regulatory reports, including numerous lengthy and detailed environmental documents, such as multi-species HCPs and Environmental Assessments, for federal and state resource agency licenses or permits. Ms. Simpson has prepared numerous Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hydroelectric license applications, which incorporate NEPA standards and a public review process, and has reviewed applications for FERC licenses prepared by others for consistency, clarity, and compliance with regulations.

Scott D. Wilcox, M.Ed. Senior Fisheries Biologist/Principal

Mr. Wilcox leads Stillwater Environmental Services, a Division of Stillwater Sciences based in Davis, California. Mr. Wilcox is responsible for development, implementation, evaluation, and management of environmental studies, particularly fisheries studies associated with hydroelectric and other water resource projects. His 25 years of professional experience includes project management; FERC licensing and compliance studies; environmental impact analysis for fish, wildlife, and water quality; computer modeling of stream hydraulic and temperature conditions; instream flow data collection and analysis; and technical aquatic studies. He has worked on water resource projects throughout the western U.S.

Mr. Wilcox has extensive experience leading and coordinating aquatic resource tasks, such as fish population analyses, IFIM studies, macroinvertebrate surveys, entrainment studies, amphibian assessments, and other aquatic resource evaluations, having managed or personally conducted hydro licensing aquatic resource studies for over 25 projects. His recent hydro licensing related work includes: fisheries, macroinvertebrate, and sediment transport studies; management of Exhibit E studies and license application preparation; instream flow and geomorphology studies; amphibian study management; and angler use surveys.  Other recent work includes long-term biological monitoring in riverine and estuary systems, and habitat restoration projects.