Paul Owen, Principal Ecologist

Mr. Owen, the principal ecologist for DexBender has over 25 years of experience working in Florida’s upland and wetland environments. He has over 20 years of experience on various water quality and biological monitoring programs in marine and estuarine waters. His experience includes project management, all aspects of environmental permitting, environmental studies, permit compliance, and preparation of mitigation, maintenance, and monitoring plans. Procures environmental permits (local: city and county, state: WMD, FDEP, FFWCC, and federal: USACOE, USEPA-NPDES, USFWS). Conducts mitigation analysis, design, construction plans, contract management, conservation easements, inspection, and monitoring; obtains official jurisdictional determinations from the USACOE, WMD, and FDEP; conducts protected species and submerged land surveys; prepares due diligence reports and maps. Obtains protected species incidental take and relocation permits; prepares proposals and bids.

Education

• Bachelor of Science – Wildlife Ecology/Forestry/Zoology, University of Florida, 1991
• Master of Science – Systems Ecology, University of Florida, 1993

Certifications

• Professional Wetland Scientist (No.1102), Society of Wetland Scientists
• Professional Mangrove Trimmer, State of Florida
• Certified Wildlife Biologist, The Wildlife Society

Craig Smith, Ecologist

Mr. Smith joined the firm in 2003 bringing over 25 years of experience as an environmental consultant in South Florida. He has mapped and evaluated more than 276,000 acres of land since 1987. This mapping includes detailed vegetation community mapping (i.e. FLUCFCS levels IV and V) and more general plant community mapping (i.e. FLUCFCS level II and III) of wetlands and uplands and the mapping of current and historic conditions based on photo interpretation. Individual properties ranged in size from less than five acres to more than 5,000 acres located in Polk, Hardee, Sarasota, Charlotte Lee, Collier, Brevard, Martin, and Dade Counties. Mr. Smith currently provides an array of environmental studies and services related to land development and property evaluation in south Florida. These activities, performed for private landowners and public entities, include vegetation mapping, binding and informal state and federal wetland jurisdictional determinations, wetland functional assessments using UMAM, WRAP, and MWRAP, habitat evaluations, establishing seasonal high water elevations for wetlands using biological indicators, threatened and endangered species surveys, and wetland (COE, FDEP, and WMD) permit applications. Additional services include threatened and endangered species relocation and management plans, wetland mitigation (creation, restoration, enhancement, and preservation) plans, and the design and implementation of wetland monitoring plans.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 1984
• Master of Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1987

Certifications

• Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America
• Professional Wetland Scientist (No. 238), Society of Wetland Scientists
• Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Permit Number GTA-09-00011F)
• Provisionally Certified Wetland Delineator by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland
• Certified Arborist (N0. FL-6255A) International Society of Arboriculture

Dan Underhill, Ecologist

Mr. Underhill is an ecologist with over 16 years of experience in permitting, preparing management plans, and coordinating with local, state and federal environmental agencies in Southwest Florida. His experience includes performing agency wetland jurisdictional determinations, benthic surveys, and protected species assessments and permitting. The preparation of environmental resource permit applications for docks, bridges, and dredge and fill to state and federal agencies. The preparation of mitigation plans, indigenous preserve management plans, protected species management plans, and environmental impact statements. Prior experience includes marine resource sampling techniques and the design and implementation of educational programs relating to coastal and wetland resources.

Education

• Bachelor of Science – Natural Resource Conservation/Zoology, University of Florida, 1994

Certifications

• Florida Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) Short Course, Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands, University of Florida, 2005
• Environmental Permitting, South Florida Water Management District, 2007
• ePermitting User Training, South Florida Water Management District, 2008
• Florida Marine Contractors Workshop, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2009
• Smalltooth Sawfish Critical Habitat Workshop, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, 2009
• Certified Arborist (N0. FL-6323A) International Society of Arboriculture

Parke Lewis, Biologist

Mr. Lewis has worked for over 28 years as an environmental consultant in Florida.  His work involves extensive environmental permitting, site analysis, and long term monitoring and management of preserve areas.  Mr. Lewis is experienced in permitting and enforcement policies for wetlands, mangroves, and listed species at local, state, and federal levels. He is a qualified expert witness for the Lee County Hearing Examiner, Town of Fort Myers Beach, Village of Estero, and Collier County.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Mount. St. Mary’s College, 1988

Certifications

• Florida Statewide (62-340 FAC) Wetland Delineation Training Program, 1996
• Unified Mitigation Assessment Method Training – South Florida Water Management District, 2000
• Florida Hydric Soils Workshop – Florida Association of Professional Soil Classifiers, 1995

Christian Casey, Ecologist

Mr. Casey is involved in the environmental process for land development in Southwest Florida. Activities include protected species assessments, specific listed species surveys including Burrowing Owl, Gopher Tortoise, Florida Bonneted Bat, and Audubon’s Crested Caracara, as well as biological observations, general site inspections, environmental resource permit applications, vegetation/land use maps (FLUCCS maps), and development suitability reports.

Education

• Bachelor of Science – Civil Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2015
• Bachelor of Science – Biology, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2019

Certifications

• FWC Registered Burrowing Owl Agent
• Richard Chinn State and Federal Wetland Delineation Training, 2020

Shadow, Canine Scatologist

Shadow assists with office work including scrap pick up, running, jumping, and slobbering. Expert in office escape and inappropriate sniffing.