California Environmental Insights Oct. 2017, People News – Environmental Team Continues to Grow

Peter Buck is a senior conservation planner with more than 30 years of experience in a multitude of natural resources disciplines and subject areas. Prior to joining GEI, Peter served as the Director of Natural Resources for the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency for more than 17 years. In this role, he was responsible for directing the environmental/natural resources/regulatory compliance mission of that agency and leading his team to execute and provide project management and technical expertise to a multitude of model civil works, environmental, and natural resource management projects in the Metropolitan Sacramento Region. Peter is regarded as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor in environmental, natural resources, conservation planning, habitat restoration and related science programs, and is known for his ability to successfully integrate habitat enhancements, resource protections, and recreation into the execution of large-scale, multi-objective flood system improvement projects.

Ray Weiss is a senior environmental planner with more than 20 years of experience managing the preparation of CEQA and NEPA environmental documents under local, state, and federal agency jurisdiction for water infrastructure, transportation (roadways and bridge replacements), trail, and a variety of land planning projects. Ray’s technical expertise includes environmental and resource economics, land use and community planning, and policy consistency analysis. Fluent in Spanish, he has extensive experience leading active public participation, including public hearings, workshops, charettes, and surveys.

Mark Ashenfelter, M.S., is a fisheries biologist with 10 years of experience leading projects and field research, data analysis and report writing, primarily focused on anadromous and resident salmonid populations in California. Mark has experience with permit applications, mitigation/monitoring plans, Endangered Species Act Sections 7 and 10 compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing and relicensing documentation, and CEQA requirements. He also has extensive field experience, including leading field crews in aquatic habitat mapping, fish barrier assessments, dive counts/snorkel surveys, electrofishing, gillnetting, weir construction and operation, radio frequency identification antennas and mobile backpack units, genotyping, and various mark-recapture techniques.