Hickory Creek Consulting LLC

Hickory Creek  Consulting

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Karen Schneller-McDonald 

North Carolina State University: B.S. Conservation of Natural Resources 1974                                                                     Colorado State University Graduate School: Plant Ecology and Plant Geography 

SELECTED ADDITIONAL TRAINING

  • Pace Land Use Law Center, Land Use Leadership Alliance Training Programs. 2006, 2020. 
  • American Writers and Artists Institute. Copywriting, e-newsletters, website content, 2012-13.
  • State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Stormwater Management
    Program courses (January-June, 2005). 
  • “Jurisdictional Delineation of Wetlands in the American West”; National Wetland Training Cooperative. 
  • “Functional Assessment of Wetland and Riparian Ecosystems and Wetland Identification”; U.S. Fish
    and Wildlife Service, National Ecology Research Center. 
  • Raptor Identification; Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. 
  • Rare plant surveys, US Fish and Wildlife Service.

SELECTED EXPERIENCE 

Hickory Creek Consulting, Red Hook, New York. President. 2003 to present. Recent projects include: analyses of the impact of large renewable energy projects (wind and solar) on wetlands, wildlife and habitats; waterfront enhancement plans; bridge replacement/stream enhancement projects (in response to flood damage) in the Catskills; water resources/ watershed protection presentations. Environmental impact assessment, evaluation and pubic outreach for municipalities and organizations. Wetland delineation and assessment; environmental impact review and mitigation planning; watershed management and restoration planning (e.g. Lower Esopus Watershed); habitat assessment guidelines; natural resource inventories; stormwater Best Management Practices review; water resource protection laws (development and implementation), land trust conservation easement inspection and evaluation (Mohonk Preserve). Preparation of brochures, reports, and fact sheets; workshops; presentations, e.g. Connecting the Drops; Woodstock Wetlands and Streams: Local Protection; Lower Esopus Watershed Management Plan: Phase One (Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership); Integrating Natural Resources Protection into Land Use Decisions (Pace Land Use Leadership Alliance Training); and Wetlands, Watersheds and Fisheries (Trout Unlimited).

Chair, Saw Kill Watershed Community, Red Hook, New York. 2017-present. Community presentations and newsletter articles, monthly meetings; community/college partnership with Bard College Water Lab, student interns and faculty, and projects including watershed-based planning and mapping, outreach to local government, wildlife and stream buffer projects, education and local schools, community water quality sampling. Completion of Riverkeeper’s Source Water Protection scorecard, recommendations for comprehensive local water resource protection, information and comments on local issues regarding water supply, water quality, and flood mitigation. 

Author, “Connecting the Drops: A citizens’ guide to protecting water resources” Cornell University Press, 2015. 

Volunteer: Youth Empowerment and Sustainability Summit (YESS!), Ashokan Center, planning team. 2019;  Winnakee Land Trust, Rhinebeck, NY, Easement Committee 2013-2016; Sullivan Renaissance, Judge, Community beautification projects 2008-2015. , Liberty, NY; Land Use, Development and Conservation Working Group, Co-chair. 2004, Red Hook, NY.  

Wildlife Conservation Society/Metropolitan Conservation Alliance, Rye, New York. Biodiversity Coordinator: Hudson Valley Programs. 2001-2002. The Metropolitan Conservation Alliance (MCA) works with local communities and decision makers to create a balance between economic development and conservation of natural resources in the Hudson Valley. This biodiversity project (in 15 townships/ 5 counties) was developed in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Hudsonia at Bard College. Tasks included: site selection for field surveys; contacting landowners for access permission; supervision of field survey team, coordination of survey schedule; preparation of educational presentations and reports; meetings with town supervisors, planners, environmental groups, open space committees, land trusts and others to collect information on survey sites and provide assistance with local planning efforts. 

Cottonwood Environmental Consulting, Hamilton, Montana and Fort Collins, Colorado. Ecologist/ Wetland Specialist. 1991-1998. Conducted wetland delineations and prepared environmental impact assessments, wildlife studies, and mitigation plans for development projects in Colorado. Worked with developers, local government officials, and citizens’ groups on the mitigation of impacts for development projects. Compiled environmental assessment and mitigation guidelines for the Larimer County Planning Department. 

ENTRIX, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado. Natural Resource Specialist. 1990-1991. Manager for terrestrial and aquatic biology studies. Prepared biological assessment for oil pipeline project in southern California and assisted with federal and state permits and environmental impact assessment requirements. Conducted habitat surveys from the Simi Valley to Santa Barbara. Compiled literature review and analysis of information on the persistence of pesticides in the ocean and in animal tissue samples (Texas). Conducted habitat and wildlife surveys for protected species including gopher tortoise (Arizona), and ocelot (southwest Texas). 

National Ecology Research Center (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Fort Collins, Colorado. Wildlife Biologist and Technical Writer/Editor, 1986-1990. Developed wetland creation and restoration data base and wetland functions and values information for research and regulatory purposes; presentations of examples of creation and restoration projects and wetland values and functions in different parts of the U.S. Compiled wetlands functions and values data base and presented findings. Project officer for research on the restoration of riparian ecosystems. Compiled research data on wetland restoration for wildlife habitat on gravel-mined areas, and on the design and success of restored and created wetlands.

Laboratory for Information Science in Agriculture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. Researcher and Operational Analyst, 1982-1984. Compiled state-of-the-art methods of assessing cumulative environmental impacts. Surveyed information needs for regulatory decision making in pesticide registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs in Washington, D.C. 

Dynamac Corp., Fort Collins, Colorado. Information Specialist/Technical Writer, 1981-1982. Researched and prepared document on the legal and regulatory status (including case studies) of cumulative impact assessment; evaluated methods for assessing cumulative impacts of energy development on fish and wildlife. 

Institute on Man and Science, Rensselaerville, New York. Research Associate, 1980-1981. Research, report preparation, program coordination, workshop planning and small group facilitation re: projects related to the interface between science and human values, including the scientific basis for establishing effective compensation for victims of toxic substance-induced disease, and evaluation of the impacts of power transmission lines in Eugene, Oregon. 

City of Syracuse, New York. Senior Planner/Environmental Specialist, 1977-1980.
Prepared and reviewed Environmental Impact Statements and conducted environmental reviews, historic preservation procedures pertaining to National Register properties. Prepared testimony for public hearings, provided technical assistance to City of Syracuse, conducted and compiled city-wide Urban Natural Resources Inventory, open space, and wetland inventories. 

Sharpe Environmental Education Center, Fresh Air Fund, Fishkill, New York. Teacher/Naturalist, 1975-1976. Organized a new nature center including freshwater biology lab, library, wildlife observation center, and public exhibits. Developed and taught environmental education programs for students and adults. 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS 

  • Schneller-McDonald, K. “Why did the salamander cross the road?” NYS Conservationist. Feb., 2016. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. “Reflections upon closing” Saving Land, Summer, 2015. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2015. Connecting the drops: A citizens’ guide to protecting water resources. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 270 pp. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2012. Habitat assessment, ecosystems, and a new approach for evaluating development impacts. Northeast Natural History Conference, Syracuse, New York. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2012. Water resources protection: development of local laws. Powerpoint presentation for the Town of Gardiner Environmental Conservation Commission, Gardiner, New York. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2012. Lower Esopus watershed management plan: phase 1. Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership, Kingston, New York. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2012. Woodstock wetlands and streams: local protection. Town of Woodstock, NY. 
  • Kiviat, E. and K. Schneller-McDonald. 2011. Fracking and biodiversity: unaddressed issues in the New York debate. News from Hudsonia 25:1&2. 
  • Kiviat, E. and K. Schneller-McDonald. 2011. Framework for assessing biodiversity impacts of hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. 2011 Northeast Natural History Conference, Albany, NY. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2009. Natural Resources Inventory for the Towns of Montgomery and Wallkill, N.Y. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2008. “Habitat Assessment Guidelines for Wetland Habitat Protection” presented at the National Symposium: Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change, Portland, Oregon. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2008. “Effective Watershed and Wetland Protection: Development of Local Laws” presented at National Symposium: Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change, Portland, Oregon. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 2005. Wallkill River Corridor Study: Town of Montgomery, Orange County. Hickory Creek Consulting LLC., Red Hook, N.Y. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K., S. Buff, F. Margiotta, L. Kingman. 2005. Habitat Assessment Guidelines: Town of Milan. Town of Milan Planning Board, NY. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 1992-1995. Cottonwood Consulting.
    • Spring Creek/Drake Road Crossing: Habitat Assessment and Stream Reconstruction Recommendations 
    • Wildlife impact evaluation, mitigation recommendations, and management study: Breckenridge, Colorado. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K., L.S. Ischinger and G.T. Auble. 1990. Wetland creation and restoration: description and summary of the literature. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report. 198 pp. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. 1987. Wetland creation/restoration data base. Pages 352-354 in: J. Zelazny and J.S. Feierabend, eds. Increasing our wetland resources conference. National Wildlife Federation, Washington, D.C. 
  • Schneller-McDonald, K. and G.C. Horak. 1986. Cumulative impact assessment: legal and regulatory status. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fort Collins, CO. 62 pp.