Earth Sciences

Phillip is a Professional Geoscientist with 33 years of experience in geology, hydrogeology, endangered species habitat evaluations, environmental assessments, and remediation. He currently manages and conducts various geologic and karst assessments, cave hydrogeologic and biologic evaluations, Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), Hazardous Materials Assessments, Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) Assessments and cleanups, tank removals, and waste excavation and disposal. Phillip’s extensive experience includes surface mapping, cave mapping, cave biota surveys, aerial photograph interpretation, fault trace delineation, fault block delineation, fracture analysis, stratigraphic interpretation, geophysical log evaluations, groundwater pumping tests, aquifer properties determination, and flow path determination.

Stephen is a project manager with experience in karst biology, geology, hydrogeology, and endangered species issues. He currently performs various geologic and karst assessments, cave mapping, and cave biota collection surveys and has performed geologic assessments required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for compliance with Edwards Aquifer Protection regulations for transportation and land development projects in Williamson, Travis, and Hays Counties. He also conducts field monitoring within cave preserves in accordance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) designated karst management and maintenance plans. He has performed field data collection for karst terrain feature surveys and also prepares annual activities reports for karst preserves as part of USFWS mandated monitoring efforts.

Stephen has authored several white papers regarding potential threats to karst invertebrates in Williamson County, including several that were utilized by the USFWS when preparing the 2018 Species Status Assessment for the Bone Cave harvestman (Texella reyesi). He was a co-author on a 2016 peer reviewed publication regarding cave crickets (Ceuthophilus secretus) and was lead author on a 2019 peer reviewed publication detailing a suggested recovery unit amendment for the endangered Inner Space Caverns mold beetle (Batrisodes texanus).

Jess DeBusk is a Cultural Resources Senior Director with 21 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry. She has extensive experience providing cultural and paleontological resource management in support of environmental planning and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NNHPA) compliance for hundreds of projects. Jess’ experience includes serving as Principal-in-Charge or Subject Matter Expert for cultural and paleontological studies in support of projects throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado. As a permitted Principal Investigator, Jess provides senior oversight of paleontological resource studies including field surveys, mitigation, and compliance monitoring in support of large-scale, multi-year projects in California and the western United States. Specifically, Jess has managed cultural and paleontological resources surveys of thousands of acres proposed for solar development on Bureau of Land Management lands in California’s desert regions. She has also supervised pre-clearance surveys and compliance monitoring during the construction of hundreds of miles of new transmission line in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Heather Clifford is a geologist and paleontologist with over 10 years of professional experience. As a Senior Paleontologist she directs and oversees paleontological resource projects throughout California and Nevada and has successfully completed hundreds of paleontology desktop and field projects. She manages, directs, and has conducted paleontological field surveys, desktop assessments, mitigation monitoring of construction activities, fossil salvage and collection, stratigraphic analysis, geologic mapping, matrix (sediment) sampling, laboratory preparation, and analysis of micro- and macrofossils.

Heather specializes in the geology and stratigraphy of California, depositional environment analysis, GIS analysis and remote-sensing, preparation of NEPA and CEQA technical documents, and has served as geoscience faculty at campuses in the California Community College system. She has experience providing paleontological resource management in support of large and small projects located on private, state, and federal lands administered by the BLM. She has conducted and directed project coordination, agency and client communication, preparation of proposals, and budget tracking for a variety of project types including renewable energy, transportation, power generation and transmission, mining, oil and gas infrastructure, and residential and commercial developments

Mr. Strauss is a geologist and paleontologist in SWCA’s Denver, Colorado office. His expertise focuses on the identification of rock materials, interpretation of geologic events, and the collection and preservation of fossil materials, having gained invaluable experience in these areas through work experience at various locations in California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. He has a strong understanding of geology, particularly in the areas listed above, is knowledgeable in animal anatomy (both invertebrate and vertebrate), and is capable of identifying many different elements, rock types and fossil remains in the field.