Matt is a Managing Principal and Senior Scientist with a diverse background in environmental planning, wetland science, stream ecology, water quality, site remediation, NEPA compliance, and project management. He manages a wide range of industrial, commercial, and multi-family residential projects throughout Western Washington, providing environmental permitting and regulatory compliance assistance for land use projects from their planning stages through entitlement and construction. His local expertise, diverse professional background, and positive relationships with regulatory personnel are integral components of his successful project outcomes.
About
Matt DeCaro earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus in Environmental Science from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, with additional graduate-level coursework and research in aquatic restoration and salmonid ecology. Matt has received 40-hour wetland delineation training (Western Mountains, Valleys, & Coast and Arid West Regional Supplements) and regularly performs wetland, stream, and shoreline delineations. Matt has been formally trained in the use of the 2014 Washington State Wetland Rating System and Determination of Ordinary High Water Mark by WSDOE, and he is a Pierce County Qualified Wetland Specialist and Wildlife Biologist. He has attended USFWS survey workshops for multiple threatened and endangered species, and he is a Senior Author of WSDOT Biological Assessments. Matt holds 40-hour HAZWOPER training and has managed Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, subsurface investigations, and contaminant remediation projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. His diverse experience also includes NEPA compliance for federal permitting projects; noxious weed abatement; army ant research in the Costa Rican tropical rainforest; spotted owl surveys on federal and private lands; and salmonid spawning and migration surveys.
Education and Professional Development
- B.S., Environmental Science focus; Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Graduate-level coursework and research in Aquatic Restoration and Salmon Ecology; Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK
Professional Certifications, Training, and Workshops
- 40-Hour Wetland Delineation Training: Western Mtns, Valleys, & Coast and Arid West Regional Supplement
- Senior Author of Biological Assessments, WSDOT
- Qualified Wetland Specialist, Pierce County
- Qualified Wildlife Biologist, Pierce County
- Washington State Wetland Rating System (2014), WSDOE
- Ordinary High Water Mark Determination, WSDOE
- Environmental Negotiations, Coastal Training Program
- Grass, Sedge, and Rush Identification for Western WA Puget Lowland Habitats, Coastal Training Program
- Endangered Species Act (ESA) Puget Sound Workshop, FEMA Region X