H. Lee Jones - Senior Biologist
Download a PDF of H. Lee Jones' resume.
Professional Experience
Directly participated in or supervised the production of hundreds of environmental compliance documents including: environmental impact reports (California), environmental impact statements (federal), and environmental impact assessments (countries outside the US); resource management and habitat restoration plans; habitat conservation plans for Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations and Section 10(a) permits; Clean Water Act Section 404 permits; and State of California Section 1600 streambed alteration agreements.
As Director of Resources Management at Michael Brandman Associates, supervised as many as 60 employees in five offices in California and Hawaii
Played a principal role in the often delicate negotiations between landowners, conservation organizations, state and federal resource agencies, politicians, and lawyers that led to the passage of the Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) Act in 1996.
Under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank, assisted the governments of Mongolia, Cambodia, and Kiribati in establishing environmental review processes for their respective countries, as well as the underlying environmental regulations, standards, and policies that serve as the foundation for environmental review—similar in many ways to environmental procedures in the United States. While working in those countries, provided training for government employees in environmental science.
Conducts and supervises U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protocol-level surveys for the federally threatened California Gnatcatcher, and the federal and state endangered Least Bell’s Vireo and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Permit No. TE829204-4).
Has conducted population studies and conservation plans for the California Gnatcatcher throughout its range in California. In the early 1990s, supervised the production of a rangewide assessment of the California Gnatcatcher for the Building Industry Association prior to its listing as a federally threatened species.
Has conducted scientific research in a number of countries in North America, Central America, Asia, and the Pacific, culminating in two recent publications: Birdlife of Christmas Island, based on several years of research on the world-renown seabird colonies of that mid-Pacific island, and Birds of Belize, a comprehensive field guide and handbook based on more than a decade of research on the avifauna of that country. In addition to these two books, has published nearly two dozen professional papers and numerous magazine articles on birds.
Served on the California Bird Records Committee in the 1980s, and recently established the Belize Bird Records Committee.
In the mid-1970s, was a participant in the award-winning educational TV series, Oceanus: the Marine Environment, which is still broadcast periodically on the educational channels.
North American Birds regional editor for Central America.
Permits & Certifications
Federal endangered species recovery permit TE-082233 for California gnatcatcher (including nest monitoring), southwestern willow flycatcher, and least Bell’s vireo (including nest monitoring)
California scientific collecting permit and memorandum of understanding for California gnatcatcher and southwestern willow flycatcher
Federal master banding permit no. 22713
Desert Tortoise Council-approved for conducting desert tortoise monitoring surveys
Education
Post-doctoral fellowships, University of California, Los Angeles and Irvine campuses
Ph.D., Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
M.S., Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
B.S., Zoology, North Carolina State University
Selected Publications
Diversity, distribution, and conservation of owls in Belize. In: Enriquez, P. (ed.), Owls of Latin America. 2009. (with Jan Meerman).
Birds of Belize. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin. 317 pp. 2003.
Annotated checklist of the Birds of Belize. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. 2001. (with Andrew Vallely).
The Birdlife of Christmas Island. Dames & Moore, Honolulu. 2000.
On the risk of extinction. American Naturalist 132(6): 757–785. 1988. (with Stuart Pimm and Jared Diamond).
Species turnover in island bird communities. In: Acta XVII Congressus Internationalis Ornithologici [Proceedings of the 17th International Ornithological Congress] 2: 777-782. Berlin, June 5-11, 1978. (R. Nohring, ed.). [In English.] Berlin: Verlag der Deutschen Ornithologen-Gesellschaft. 1980. (with Jared Diamond).
