Biological Surveys & Resource Monitoring

SummitWest offers a full cycle of biological services and resource monitoring, from desktop reviews and project pre-planning through surveys, permitting, closeout and mitigation.

SummitWest provides biological survey and resource monitoring solutions to ensure your project meets regulatory standards while protecting the natural world. SummitWest’s comprehensive study designs, species consultations, and management plans cover all the bases for a scientifically sound project while complying with environmental protection measures. We employ innovative survey, communication and data analysis strategies.

Our team of qualified, permitted biologists and wetland scientists specialize in special-status plant and animal surveys, habitat assessments, construction monitoring, environmental awareness training, endangered species consultations, and botanical surveys.

Why Biological Surveys & Resource Monitoring Matter

Biological surveys and resource monitoring are the backbone of environmentally responsible project planning and execution. Whether you’re developing infrastructure, managing land, or restoring habitats, understanding the presence and needs of special-status species and natural resources is critical to navigating regulatory requirements and minimizing ecological impact. At SummitWest, we go beyond compliance—we provide actionable insights that empower you to make informed decisions, protect biodiversity, and achieve project success.

Flexible Scheduling & Staffing. We know all too well the variability in project needs, weather and the need to rapidly staff a project (especially if a client has fallen behind – desert flowers do not wait, and we excel in rapid adjustments to meet client needs.

In House Management. We manage our own teams, no matter how small or large. We provide all safety training, field training, report and deliverable QA/QC, and overall management.

SummitWest isn’t just another environmental consultant—we’re a team of passionate experts who combine cutting-edge technology, regulatory savvy, and field-tested experience to deliver results:

• Rapid Turn Around Time: We hire, manage and schedule our own team, meaning we are connected to them from start to finish. This allows quick turn-around with scheduling requests and ultimately as much flexibility as our clients need
• Accountability: We take great pride in our work and stand behind our team. Should a discrepancy occur, we provide root cause analysis look at how we can improve systems, communication and process.
• Permitted, Local Experts: Our biologists hold an impressive array of federal and state permits, allowing us to tackle even the most sensitive species and habitats with confidence.
• Innovative Tools: From Species List Pro for rapid species analysis to drone-assisted mapping and GIS integration, we leverage technology to streamline workflows and enhance accuracy.
• Proven Track Record: With over a decade of leadership in California and Oregon, we’ve supported hundreds of projects—big and small—delivering reliable data to clients ranging from utilities to conservation groups.
• Collaborative Approach: We work seamlessly with project teams, agencies, and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and alignment every step of the way.
• Safety and Scalability: Our ISN- and Avetta-approved safety program, dedicated safety officer, and scalable workforce mean we’re ready for any challenge, anywhere in the Western USA.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT PRE-PLANNING

Before your project breaks ground, SummitWest lays the groundwork for success with meticulous planning and expert consultations that keep nature and regulations in harmony. Our team turns complex environmental challenges into clear, actionable strategies.

• Environmental requirement planning
• Section 7 endangered species consultations
• Weed abatement planning
• Study design and statistical analysis, including GIS habitat mapping and project preparation
• Pre- and post-construction reports and job walks
• Community outreach
• Resource agency coordination
• Environmental awareness training (WEAP)
• Environmental requirement planning
• Weed abatement planning
• Resource agency coordination

DESKTOP REVIEWS & REPORTING

Need fast, reliable insights without leaving the office? SummitWest’s desktop reporting delivers precise data and assessments, trusted by clients like SCE for over 200 hours of weekly analysis.

• Sensitive species inventories and biological desktop reviews
• Desktop assessment memos (DAs)
• Pre-activity survey reports (PSRs)
• Biological constraints reports (BCRs) and analyses (BCAs)
• Biological resources technical reports (BRTRs)
• Biological resource assessments (BRAs) and biological assessments (BAs)
• Protocol wildlife survey reports
• Letter and memo reports
• BLM IM project reviews and biological assessments
• Baseline studies
• Covered Conductor Project (CCP) management for SCE

BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS

From soaring birds to hidden vernal pools, SummitWest’s biologists uncover the secrets of the wild with expertise and cutting-edge tools. We’ve got the permits and passion to survey it all.

• General habitat assessments and surveys
  • Vernal pool mapping and monitoring
  • Vegetation classification and community mapping
• General biological surveys
  • Nesting bird surveys and nest monitoring
  • Bird point count and transect surveys
• Roosting bat surveys
• General botanical and rare plant surveys
  • Vernal pool mapping and monitoring
• Wildlife surveys
• Arborist services & tree inventories
• Wildlife movement and corridor studies
• Clearance surveys
• Protocol threatened, endangered, and sensitive species surveys
• Aerial (drone) surveys
• Environmental compliance monitoring
• GIS mapping and statistical analysis

ENDANGERED SPECIES & PROTOCOL-LEVEL SURVEYS

Rare species? Tough terrain? SummitWest’s 18 USFWS permits and decades of experience make us the go-to for protocol-level endangered species surveys across the West.

• 18 USFWS 10(a)(1)(A) Recovery Permits 
• Surveys for California gnatcatcher, light-footed clapper rail, San Bernardino and Stephen’s kangaroo rats, Mojave ground squirrel, desert tortoise, California red-legged frog, tidewater goby, vernal pool fairy shrimp (including dry season hatching and egg raising)
• Experience with 68 additional sensitive wildlife species and hundreds of rare plants
• Special-status species translocation and relocation

BOTANICAL SURVEYS

Plants are our roots—literally! Since 2010, SummitWest’s botanists, led by founder Chez Brungraber, have mapped rare flora and built tools like Species List Pro to make every survey bloom with accuracy.

• Rare plant and listed plant surveys
• Vegetation and sensitive community mapping
• Invasive species and weed inventories
• Restoration monitoring
• Special habitat surveys (e.g., vernal pools and wetlands)
• Tree counts, inventory, and mapping
• Technical botanical reports
• Geodatabase production
• Herbarium specimen collection

CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE & BIOLOGICAL MONITORING

With over 14 years and 50+ projects, SummitWest seamlessly blends construction progress with environmental care, using sharp expertise and smart tech to protect nature while meeting deadlines. Our monitors are your trusted partners in compliance and conservation.

• Pre- and post-construction surveys
• Distribution pole surveys
• Construction site monitoring
• Lead monitor, assistant lead monitor, and construction lead monitor (CLM) roles
• Environmental awareness training (WEAP and community outreach education)
• Environmentally sensitive area (ESA) fencing and flagging
• Lead environmental inspector reports and management
• Emergency response
• Best management practice monitoring
• Environmental compliance monitoring
• Species population monitoring
• Remote camera monitoring

MITIGATION & RESTORATION

When your project needs to give back to nature, SummitWest crafts restoration plans that heal landscapes and meet mitigation goals with finesse. We plant the seeds for a greener tomorrow.

• Habitat mitigation, monitoring, and reporting plans (HMMP)
• Mitigation and restoration summary reports
• Ecological restoration planning and implementation
• Restoration site monitoring
• Species restoration population viability
• Planting plans
• Restoration design and implementation

We hold Federal and State permits and are experienced working with the following species of concern:

(P) = Scientific Recovery Permit 10 (a)(1)(A)