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1. Spring 2004 www.ecosphere-services.com Volume I
Ecosphere Awarded GSA Environmental Services
Schedule Contract
Late last year the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded
Ecosphere an Environmental Services Schedule (899) contract,
which pre-qualifies Ecosphere to provide a wide range of environ-
mental services to federal agencies across the United States. These
include environmental compliance, planning, training, audits,
management, surveys, geographic mapping, migration pattern
analysis, hazardous material management, remote advisory, waste
management, waste characterization, and remediation services.
More specifically, Ecosphere can provide the following:
Environmental Planning Services and
Documentation (899-1)
Ecosphere can prepare Environmental Assessments and Environ- Ecosphere has extensive experience with Clean Water Act compliance
mental Impact Statements under the National Environmental Policy and permitting, Endangered Species Act compliance, and National
Act (NEPA); Endangered Species surveys and compliance, Environmental Policy Act compliance and reporting. Since 1982,
Ecosphere has provided environmental services for over 5,000
Wetlands, Watersheds and other Natural Resource Management
projects proposed on federal, state, and tribal lands.
Planning; Environmental Program Management and Environmental
Regulation Development; Technical and/or Risk Analysis, and other Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (899-7)
environmentally related studies and/or consultations for federal
agencies. These services contain mapping and cartography, natural resource
planning, migration pattern analysis, pollution analysis, site
Environmental Compliance Services (899-2) selection, and emergency preparedness planning.
These services consist of Environmental Compliance Audits;
Compliance Management and/or Contingency Planning; Permitting; When Federal agencies contract Ecosphere through the GSA
Spill Prevention/Control and Countermeasure Plans; Pollution Environmental Services Schedule, they benefit in the following
Prevention Surveys; ISO 14000/Environmental Management ways:
Systems (EMS); and Community Right to-Know Act reporting. • All competition requirements are met;
Remote Advisory Services (899-6) • GSA has already negotiated a pricing discount
• Blanket Purchase Agreements give the agency flexible purchasing
These services include assistance with hazardous material spills, options that save time and money;
poisons, MSDSs, and environmental regulations that may be • GSA has already issued the synopsis and met the synopsis
provided via information hotlines, websites, fax, or e-mail. requirements;
See "Contract" on page 3
To Learn More:
Ecosphere Awarded GSA Environmental Ecosphere's Contract Number: GS-10F-0462N
Services Contract ................................................... 1 Ecosphere’s GSA Contracting Officer:
Will Kamstra @ 253-931-7085
New Employees Bring Professional Talents ......... 2
To learn more about GSA, visit:
Regulatory Updates ...............................................4 http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/home.do?tabId=0
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2. Colorado State University. While at CSU, Tyler worked for the
New Employees Bring Professional Talents Colorado Natural Heritage Program on a GIS-based lynx habitat
modeling project and for the National Park Service on integrating
water quality data with GIS for watershed assessment.
Ecosphere is proud to announce several new employees with Academic specializations included water quality monitoring
outstanding professional talents. These indivisuals bring integrity system design, land use hydrology, and nutrient enrichment of
and much experience to our environmental consulting services surface waters. Tyler has a B.A. in Geography and minor in
that talor to a large and diverse client base across the western Biology from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in Watershed
United States. Science from Colorado State University. Email:
tylerscheid@ekiva.net
Catherine Ortega, Biologist
Dr. Ortega received a B.A. and Ph.D. from the Department of Erin Powell, Wildlife Ecologist
Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology at the Dr. Powell received a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Biology
University of Colorado in Boulder. She has over 20 years of from Colorado State University. She is currently the Projects
experience conducting applied ecological research studies, Manager of Ecosphere’s Farmington, N.M. office. Dr. Powell
including: endangered bird species, bird censuses, bird banding has over ten years of experience studying life-histories and
studies, and avian nest studies. She has extensive experience habitat needs of a variety of plant and animal species, including
with study design, data management, data analysis, management at-risk species and those listed under the Endangered Species
recommendations, and report writing.
Dr. Ortega is a part-time Associate Professor of Biology at Fort
Lewis College, where she teaches numerous other courses in
the Department of Biology including Wildlife Management,
Ornithology, Wetland and Stream Ecology. Her present academic
research interests include the effects of fire and fire management
on bird communities, the effects of cattle grazing and grazing
regimes on the nesting success of birds in riparian and Gambel
oak (Quercus gambelii) pastures, and piñon survivorship with
the ips beetle infestation during drought. Dr. Ortega is the Chair
of the Southwest Wetlands Focus Area Committee, a Colorado
Division of Wildlife Program. She regularly reviews for a dozen
scientific journals and numerous granting agencies, including
the National Science Foundation. Dr. Ortega is Ecosphere’s new
Manager in our Farmington, N.M. office. Email:
ortegac@fortlewis.edu
Act. She has prepared technical and research reports, as well
Tyler Scheid, GIS Specialist as wildlife management plans and recommendations for the
Tyler joined the Ecosphere team in February 2004. His previous U.S. Geological Survey, Nature Conservancy, City of Fort
experience ranges from agricultural land management to working Collins, National Science Foundation Shortgrass Steppe Long-
as a GIS specialist. While working on a Central California Term Ecological Research Program, Boulder County, United
farming operation, his designed and installed erosion control States Forest Service, National Park Service, and Utah Prairie
measures, mapped properties and irrigation systems using GPS Dog Recovery Team. Dr. Powell frequently reviews and
technology, installed weather stations, and managed irrigation comments on management plans for listed species, and her
systems. These experiences led to an interest in soil science and research findings have been incorporated into management and
hydrology that he pursued in the Watershed Science program at recovery plans. Dr. Powell has designed a number of computer-
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3. based habitat and population models for a variety of species and
"Contract" from page 1
ecological scenarios, and she has a strong background in experi-
mental design and advanced statistical applications. As a • Schedule orders count toward small business goals;
consultant, Dr. Powell has prepared and reviewed a number • There is rapid access to quality services.
of Environmental Assessments, Biological Evaluations, and
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans. She has also conducted Simplified Contracting Tools
Threatened and Endangered Species surveys, site assessments, There are two important procurement e-Tools that exist for
and habitat evaluations. Dr. Powell regularly participates in government agencies which further streamline the contracting
formal consultation and informal coordination with federal process. One is called GSA Advantage! It is an online pur-
agencies including: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. chasing system that provides access to thousands of contractors
Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau and services. Using GSA Advantage! assures government buyers
of Indian Affairs. Email: powell@ecosphere-services.com that they will receive a GSA negotiated and discounted prices
from approved contractors such as Ecosphere.
John Wickersham, Biologist
John Wickersham has 10 years experience as a field biologist An additional component of GSA Advantage! is called e-Buy.
with expertise in avian ecology. He has conducted numerous This is a Request for Quote (RFQ) online tool that facilitates
avian surveys for sensitive species including the northern the request for submission of quotes process for a wide range of
goshawk, flammulated owl, lesser prairie chicken, mountain services such as those offered by Ecosphere. For federal
plover, least Bell’s vireo, and gray vireo. John has also conducted agencies, e-Buy can maximize buying power and result in best
general passerine and raptor surveys in the course of routine value purchase decisions.
biological investigations, as well as a wide variety of threatened
and endangered species surveys including protocol surveys for Using the GSA Schedule to Acquire
the Mexican spotted owl and southwestern willow flycatcher. Ecosphere Services
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has permitted John to conduct The acquisition of our environmental services is a straightfor-
endangered species surveys in all western states. He has also ward, simple process:
provided project biological monitoring services for projects
across the west–from wetland creation projects in New Mexico 1) Identify your short- and long-term objectives.
to desert tortoise monitoring in California. He is a lead biologist
on a multi-year study monitoring construction impacts on 2) Prepare a statement of work (scope, schedule, etc.) for your
breeding golden eagles in Colorado. John is knowledgeable in project, program, or indefinite-quantity needs.
regional vegetative communities and part of a team of botanists 3) Arrange for your contracting officer to place the order directly
monitoring post-fire vegetative regrowth on Missionary Ridge in with Ecosphere following the instructions found at http://
the San Juan National Forest. Prior to working at Ecosphere John www.gsa.gov. If you have additional questions about using
directed the San Juan Grizzly Bear Project for Round River the contract, contact our GSA representative: Will Kamstra,
Conservation Studies, where he performed prey-based and 253-931-7085 and reference Ecosphere’s GSA Contract
habitat suitability studies for the Mexican gray wolf reintroduc- Number: GS-10F-0462N.
tion project in Arizona. John has a BA in Economics/English
4) If your agency requires competitive bids, have your contract-
Literature from Northwestern and a PhD in American Studies
ing officer request a quotation from Ecosphere and two other
from St. Louis University. Email: wickersham@ecosphere-
GSA contractors and place your order after determining the
services.com
best value.
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4. Commpliance Dates Extended for Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans
The U.S. Environmental Protection First SPCC Compliance Date This 2002 through February 18,
Agency (EPA) recently extended the August 2005, an SPCC plan in
compliance dates for amending and compliance with the current
If your facility must comply with rule must be developed and
implementing (and in some cases,
regulations established by EPA’s implemented by February
preparing) Spill Prevention, Control,
2003 amendments to its SPCC 18, 2005.
and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans.
program, you should know which
The new compliance dates are
deadlines apply to your operation. • For facilities that become
effective April 15, 2003 and were
published in the Federal Register, operational after February
Here are the key compliance dates: 18, 2005, an SPCC plan
Vol. 68, No. 74 with the same date.
must be developed and
• Facilities in operation on or
SPCC Plans are required for facili- implemented prior to
before August 16, 2002, must
ties that manage oil in tanks, con- operation.
amend their SPCC plans as
tainers, or equipment (e.g., hydraulic
necessary to comply with To obtain a copy of the revised
reservoirs and transformers) with
current regulations by August SPCC Rules or to discuss the
individual capacities equal to or
17, 2004; the revised plan must applicability of the rules to site
greater than 55 gallons, and for
be implemented by February 18, specific situations, please contact
which the total facility capacity is
2005. Leslie Melton, Oil and Gas Regula-
equal to or greater than 1,320
gallons of oil. tory Specialist at Ecosphere’s
• For facilities that became
Durango office.
operational after August 16,
Ecosphere Environmental Services
2257 Main Avenue, Patio Level
Durango, CO 81301
Phone: (970) 382-7256
Fax: (970) 382-7259
www.ecosphere-services.com
"Ecosphere Environmental Services provides clients with accurate information
to make sound environmental decisions—always."
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