Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Listed as Endangered by USFWS

Since joining SWCA in 2015, Nicole’s expertise in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology has led to significant contributions across nearly all service lines and ten states, cementing numerous trusted partnerships.

Nicole’s influence extends to her technical and peer-reviewed publications, with contributions to more than twenty-three scientific meetings. Notable publications include Distance Sampling Underestimates Population Densities of Dune-Dwelling Lizards in the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Journal of Herpetology, and a study on Population Variation in Dune-Dwelling Lizards in Response to Patch Size, Patch Quality, and Oil and Gas Development published by the Southwestern Association of Naturalists, addressing impacts of patch size, quality, and oil and gas development.

Amanda Glen is SWCA’s natural resources technical director for biological services and provides strategic guidance on permitting and compliance for matters involving protected wildlife, plants, and habitats. Currently managing a national practice, she has more than 25 years of consulting experience with an emphasis on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and how compliance with the ESA influences other regulatory programs. Her wealth of experience pertaining to endangered species issues includes research, permitting, consultations, status reviews, and conservation planning. Her experience includes negotiating compliance solutions for critically imperiled species facing potential determinations of jeopardy or adverse modification of designated critical habitats. She has led efforts to delist species no longer requiring the protections of the ESA when supported by sound science, and has been involved in voluntary conservation planning to help preclude the need to list species. Amanda frequently presents at regional and national conferences on matters related to the ESA, including new listings, regulatory and policy changes, and trends in compliance strategies.

Jenn Clayton is an environmental specialist with a focus in natural resources, planning and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in SWCA Environmental Consultants’ Durango, Colorado office. Her expertise is in natural resources with extensive experience conducting biological surveys including terrestrial and aquatic threatened and endangered species and associated critical habitat, forest inventory, and wildfire risk assessments. She has 5 years’ experience working with private, federal, state, tribal and local clients. Ms. Clayton has extensive practices in relocating and monitoring threatened and endangered Species of Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, including the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), Brack’s hardwall cactus (Sclerocaactus cloveriae var. brackii), inventory and tagging desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), as well as bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) surveys, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act surveys. Ms. Clayton also received training from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in 2015 to monitor desert tortoise.

Matt McMillan is the Natural Resources Director in SWCA’s Austin office. A biologist and herpetologist with 23 years of experience in natural resource studies throughout the southwest United States, providing technical expertise on threatened and endangered species as well as surveys and habitat assessments, aquatic resource surveys, delineations, and Clean Water Act permitting, vegetation sampling, habitat restoration, and ecological monitoring. He also has conducted wetland delineations, wetland qualitative assessments, ordinary high water mark delineations, and vegetation sampling throughout New Mexico as well as in Oklahoma and Texas. Mr. McMillan works with clients to identify, develop, and monitor ecological parameters and provide environmental compliance surveys prior to, during, and post-construction of project development. He has written BAs, BEs, wetland delineations, and other resource reports for private, federal, state, and local clients in support of consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Reclamation, and state and local agencies. He has worked on threatened and endangered species matters in riparian systems on the Rio Grande, Canadian, and Gila Rivers in New Mexico and Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas for a variety of clients including the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, New Mexico Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Mr. McMillan has worked in the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave Deserts on the systematics, biogeography, and conservation biology of reptiles and specifically population monitoring of rattlesnakes and desert tortoises. Mr. McMillan has worked under USFWS 10(a)1(A) permits to handle, bleed, and rehydrate tortoises in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. He is currently permitted to handle federal and state threatened and endangered amphibians and reptiles including the Chiricahua leopard frog, Jemez Mountains salamander, dunes sagebrush lizard, narrow-headed gartersnake, and Mexican gartersnake. He is also permitted to handle federal and state threatened and endangered fishes including the Rio Grande silvery minnow, loach minnow, and spikedace.