Background

Mr. Spears has conducted numerous wetland delineations in accordance with local, State, and Federal regulations, and has authored the environmental sections of permit applications for projects throughout Florida. He has developed mitigation plans, overseen installation, and monitored wetland mitigation areas for numerous development projects, and has successfully explored innovative forms of mitigation such as off-site preservation and in-lieu-fee mitigation. 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, Southern bald eagle, gopher tortoise, scrub lizard, sand skink, Britton's beargrass, and scrub lupine.

Mr. Spears is often called upon to manage unusual projects requiring research and organizational skill, and technical skill in GIS and database management. He conducted an extensive research project and designed a custom database for a study of mitigation banking in Florida that was mandated by the U.S. Congress and commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers. He authored the Environmental and Aquifer Recharge sections of Orange County's Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and Appraisal Report submitted to the Florida Department of Community Affairs. He managed several land cover mapping projects exceeding 20 square miles including several projects in the Orlando and Jacksonville areas, and managed QA/QC for a 7,600 square mile land cover mapping project for the Suwannee River Water Management District.

Academic Background

Bachelor of Science, Environmental Design, Auburn University, 1985

Post-baccalaureate studies in botany, zoology, and ecology, Rollins College, 1988-1992