Project Experience:
Mr. Spears has over eight years of experience as a professional
ecologist, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental
Design from Auburn University (1981).
Mr. Spears has conducted numerous evaluations and delineations
of wetlands throughout Florida in accordance with local, State
and Federal Regulations. He has authored the environmental sections
of numerous permit applications for developments throughout
Florida.
Mr. Spears developed mitigation and monitoring plans, oversaw
planting of created wetlands, and monitored wetland mitigation
areas (forested, herbaceous, created, and preserved) associated
with numerous development projects throughout Central Florida.
Mr. Spears has successfully negotiated with the South Florida
Water Management District the innovative use of off-site preservation
of upland habitat as mitigation for wetland impacts for a development
in Central Florida.
Mr. Spears managed QA/QC for a 7,600 square mile land use/land
cover mapping project for the Suwannee River Water Management
District.
Mr. Spears provided initial land use mapping and community descriptions
for the Southeast Orlando Sector Plan, a ±12,400 acre community
development plan. Specific emphasis was placed on wetland community
types adjacent to Lake Hart and Lake Nona and the various gradations
of xeric oak scrub occurring within the property. These were
to be incorporated as part of the project's expansive "primary
conservation network" design.
Mr. Spears analyzed environmental factors constraining future
development improvements of a ±1,133 acre area within the urban
core of the City of Orlando. Environmental factors examined
included jurisdictional wetlands, the recorded or probable occurrence
of protected species of wildlife, the presence of rare upland
habitats, existing and proposed conservation lands, and recorded
historical and archaeological sites.
Mr. Spears has conducted systematic surveys for threatened and
endangered plant and animal species, including Florida mouse,
red-cockaded woodpecker, Florida scrub jay, sandhill crane,
gopher tortoise, scrub lizard, sand skink, Britton's beargrass,
and scrub lupine. |
