Susan Bernatas
SUSAN BERNATAS
Vision Air Research
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712
208-841-9566
wildlife@visionairresearch.com
TWS Certified Wildlife Biologist / Ecologist / Botanist / Thermographer / Pilot
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE
Ms. Bernatas has over 25 years of experience within the United States and Internationally in
conducting and managing biological and ecological studies within the Federal regulatory framework,
including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and
other state, federal, and international regulations. She has worked as liaison with the U.S. Forest
Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service,
Bureau of Reclamation, and state and local agencies across the United States and with European
Union regulations. Facilitated communication between diverse and conflicting parties. She has
expertise in integrating biological data into ecosystem analyses, natural area protection, NEPA
environmental analysis programs and agency resource management plans. Ms. Bernatas has
expertise in natural areas management, plant ecology, fire ecology, threatened and endangered
species, and ecosystem studies. Her experience includes ecosystem assessments, rare plant
populations, habitat evaluation, plant ecology, fire ecology, wildlife biology and habitat analysis,
research, and program management. She has worked on natural areas or parks evaluations and
management, under the following programs: U.S. Forest Service Research Natural Area; Bureau of
Land Management Area of Critical Environmental Concern; and, National Park Service National
Natural Landmark. She has research experience on rare plant population demographics,
developing long-term monitoring techniques following natural disturbances, the use of infrared
sensors to conduct wildlife population surveys, and human disturbances on wildlife.
EDUCATION and TRAINING
M.S. Forest Resource Management, University of Idaho, 1986
Plus additional 27 credits in wildlife management, population analysis and statistics (1998 – 99)
B.A. Geography, Keene State College, 1983
Level II Thermography, Infrared Training Center, FLIR System, Stockholm, Sweden, 2002
Federal Wetlands Policy, August 1994, Wetlands Training Institute (WTI), Poolesville, MD
Basic Wetlands Delineation, July 1988, Boise, ID, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Basic Wetland Delineation Refresher, March 1995, WTI
Wetlands Functions and Values, March 1995, WTI
Pilot, Instrument Certificate, February 2012
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Vision Air Research, Inc. (2000 - present / 14 years)
AirScan, Inc (1999-2000 / 1 year)
Ogden Environmental and Energy Services (1995-2000 / 5 years)
Science Applications International Corporation (1991-1995 / 4 years)
The Nature Conservancy (1987-1991 / 3 years, 10 months)
U.S. Forest Service (1988 / 3 months)
Pikes Peak Research Station (1986-1987 / 8 months)
University of Idaho (1984-1986 / 2+ years)
PROFESSIONAL OUTREACH
The Wildlife Society – Certified Wildlife Biologist
Secretary, Remote Sensing, GIS and Telemetry Working Group (2002-2004)
Idaho Native Plant Society – (President 1989-1993)
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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Susan Bernatas
Idaho Department of Lands Urban and Community Forestry Executive Committee (1993-1995)
Idaho Department of Lands Forest Stewardship Executive Committee (1993-1995)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Vision Air Research, Inc. Founded and serves as the President/Wildlife Biologist/Botanist. Vision
Air Research, Inc was conceived to provide high quality, unbiased for wildlife population estimates
using forward-infrared (FLIR). All ground and airborne data (e.g., documents, video, and still
images) are linked using GPS to allow incorporation into GIS. Ms. Bernatas has over 19 years of
experience in developing and applying the use of FLIR for wildlife surveys and has developed a
sightability model for bighorn sheep in the canyonlands of Southwestern Idaho. VAR Inc. provided
support in determining the detection rates for polar bear maternal dens on the North Slope of
Alaska for British Petroleum and the U. S. G. S. Biological Resources Division. In addition, studies
are being conducted for white-tailed deer and other ungulates and bird populations. Vision Air
Research has collected wildlife population and habitat data for government agencies and
corporations, across the North America. Ms. Bernatas has provided instruction on the use of
forward-looking infrared (FLIR) for natural resources applications to a range of audiences, for
example:
1. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center’s segment on
FLIR for wildlife surveys within the New Technologies course, 2003.
2. The Wildlife Society’s Annual Meeting, Calgary, 2004 and Anchorage 2006, provided a
half day workshop on the use of FLIR for wildlife surveys.
3. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunderbay, Ontario, November 2005, training
on the use of IR for aerial surveys for the MNR’s aerial survey training session.
Ms. Bernatas has worked with Watershed Professionals Network and PALCO to revise the
amphibians and reptiles assessment of the Freshwater Creek Watershed Analysis. She serves as
the terrestrial ecologist for the Little Deschutes Watershed Assessment providing support for fire
risk/ecology, ungulate migration analysis and habitat connectivity, riparian and wetlands analysis.
She developed the upland vegetation and wildlife habitat analysis for the Clear Creek – Foster
Creek Watershed Assessment in Clackamas County, Oregon for the Clackamas Watershed
Project.
She conducted rare plant surveys for over 70,000 acres of high desert in Idaho and Oregon for the
BLM and DoD. Trained field crew to use hand-held data loggers. The final report and GIS data
was delivered within a month of data collection completion.
Full time, 40 + hours / week / year round. Hire and manage personnel. Manage business
development, contracting, field data collection, and anything else needed.
AirScan Inc. Served as the Director of Environmental Programs. Managed and developed the
application of fixed-wing forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor for wildlife surveys. Ms. Bernatas
worked to resolve previous survey inconsistencies and developed search protocols for deer,
moose, birds, and other wildlife. Client base included federal and state governments.
Part time, 10 - 30+ hours / week / year round. Manage business development, contracting, field
data collection, client contact.
Supervisor: Walter Holloway, President, AirScan, Titusville, FL
Ogden Environmental and Energy Services. Ms. Bernatas served as Senior Project Manager /
Program Manager for Natural Resources, managing projects across the U.S. and Europe. She
worked with teams of natural resources, GIS, and other specialists within Ogden and other
agencies and entities to bring sound natural resources analysis, assessment, and planning
capabilities as required meeting the needs of the project. On all projects she worked conducted
agency and public communications; hired and trained field staff; coordinated biologists and other
personnel both within Ogden and other agency/consulting firms. Some example projects include:
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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Susan Bernatas
Ms. Bernatas was responsible for a 3-year study on the effects of military jet overflight on bighorn
sheep. She coordinated the team of researchers, which include Ogden’s biological and acoustical
analysis staff and professors from three universities, and was responsible for coordinating and
implementing agency liaisons.
She has developed and initiated a study to evaluate the use of aerial surveys from fixed-wing
aircraft using infrared (IR) with natural color camera technology to determine population levels, sex
ratios, and group size of California bighorn sheep in Idaho. This technique has a proven capability
of 89.4 % sightability for this application. A sightability model was developed from this project.
Ms. Bernatas development and implemented the Oases of Biological Diversity project which is
designed to answer questions about how land management practices or uses effect biological
diversity on military training ranges. The goal of this ecosystem analysis was to identify factors
contributing to biological diversity as well as factors that may be contributing to loss of biological
diversity. This analysis provides information on how various land management activities impact
diversity. This analysis was conducted in two areas: Dare County Range, North Carolina and
Saylor Creek Range, Idaho.
Ms. Bernatas was asked to continue the monitoring effort to examine the minimum population
viability and extinction probability of a Lepidium davisii (Davis' peppergrass) for the Air Force. She
used this information to develop a management plant for this Mountain Home Air Force Base for
the protection of this species develop a management plan to protect this species.
She managed a xeric-landscape demonstration project designed to encourage the use of xeric
plants for landscaping and enhance invertebrate and bird habitat on the Mountain Home Air Force
Base.
She also managed a four year sagebrush-grassland restoration study on Saylor Creek Air Force
Range for Mountain Home Air Force Base that she designed and initiated.
Ms. Bernatas conceived and implemented the development of an interactive computer program on
CD-ROM for natural and cultural resources training base personnel and to provide information to
the general public entitled “Defending the Planet”- The Environment and Mission at Mountain Home
Air Force Base. This program received recognition from Thomas W.L. McCall, Jr., Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health). A companion
web page was also constructed. She was project manager for a similar program for the Goldwater
Range for the Luke Air Force Base.
Ms. Bernatas was the Principal Investigator for Biological Resources section of numerous
Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements including the Proposed
Relocation of the 34th Bomb Squadron to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, for the U.S. Air Force and
the Environmental Assessment for the proposed Military Training Route Modification for the 124th
Wing for the National Guard Bureau. She has been called on by the Air Force to review natural
resource project reports and develop special projects.
Full time, 40 + hours / week / year round. Hire and manage personnel. Manage business
development, contracting, project design and analysis.
Supervisor: Kevin Peter, Office Manager / Patrick J. Mock, PhD, CSE, CWB®
Senior Project Manager / Principal Scientist,URS Corporation. 858-812-9292 x 1535
Pat and I worked on several research projects together while at SAIC and Ogden Environmental.
Science Applications International Corporation. Managed, as Senior Biologist and Principal
Investigator. She was responsible for hiring and training staff, public involvement, agency
coordination, and field data collection. Some example projects include:
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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Susan Bernatas
Conducted a 2-year program of multi-seasonal biological studies for the proposed Idaho Training
Range EIS for the Air Combat Command (ACC) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE).
Starting with an extremely remote and poorly documented area in southwest Idaho, Ms. Bernatas
worked with state and federal agencies, local experts, and a team of SAIC biologists to devise and
implement a series of field studies and analysis for threatened and endangered species, wildlife,
vegetation, and wetlands. Over 20 categories of wildlife, from amphibians to raptors, were
thoroughly documented in over 300,000 acres relative to the proposed action. These studies,
which were described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as among the most thorough
they had reviewed, formed the basis for compliance with the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water
Act and state wetlands regulations, and state wildlife policies, as well as NEPA and the Federal
Land Policy Management Act. In performing the studies and analysis, Ms. Bernatas managed
multiple teams of biologists, ecologists, and GIS personnel to meet schedule and budgetary
requirements.
She managed a 2-year ecosystem study in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy for the
Mountain Home Air Force Base and Saylor Creek Range in southwestern Idaho. An ecosystem
approach was applied to define the interrelationships among the various biological resource
elements in the study area. Site specific surveys were conducted for wildlife, vegetation, wetlands,
fire history, and grazing use. She was principal investigator for a series of baseline wildlife surveys
on the Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to provide information for compliance and planning efforts.
Ms. Bernatas managed a 5-year project in cooperation with Idaho Conservation Data Center and
The Nature Conservancy to examine the minimum population viability and extinction probability of a
Lepidium davisii (Davis' peppergrass) for the Air Force. This work was designed to provide
information for use in a management plan for this species.
She designed a 5-year sagebrush-grassland restoration effort on the Saylor Creek Air Force
Range, Mountain Home Air Force Base and implemented the first-year effort.
She implemented a California bighorn sheep carrying capacity study in the Owyhee Uplands in
southwestern Idaho.
Ms. Bernatas was Principal Investigator for a 2-year pronghorn antelope population study in the
Owyhee Uplands. This study was designed to provide information for a species/habitat
management plan.
Ms. Bernatas was the Project Manager for a 2-year bald eagle prey utilization study for the Bureau
of Reclamation in eastern Washington. This study was designed to meet Endangered Species Act
compliance.
She was selected by the U.S. Forest Service for Expert Vascular Plant Panel for the Eastside
Ecosystem Assessment. As principal investigator, she prepared sections of numerous EAs and
EISs for the COE and Bureau of Reclamation. Ms. Bernatas has demonstrated her expertise in
addressing a broad variety of biological resource issues throughout the U.S., ranging from
consideration of endangered aquatic mollusks in the Snake River in Idaho, habitat and vegetation at
Rickenbacker ANG Base in Ohio, enhancement programs for salmon in central Washington and
central Oregon, and bald eagle foraging studies in Washington for the US Bureau of Reclamation.
Full time, 40 + hours / week / year round. Hire and manage personnel. Manage business
development, contracting, project design and analysis.
Supervisor: Kevin Peter, Office Manager
The Nature Conservancy. As Public Lands Coordinator, she managed TNC's efforts to preserve
biological diversity and develop long-term conservation strategies on public lands, in Idaho. Her
responsibilities included ecological studies, natural areas and species management plans,
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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Susan Bernatas
fundraising, program management, and consultation and coordination with all state and Federal
agencies. She performed field inventories, site evaluations, and contributed toward agency
management plans for areas recommended for inclusion in the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Research Natural Area (RNA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Area of Critical Environmental
Concern, and National Park Service (NPS) National Natural Landmark programs. She coordinated
efforts with Regions 1 and 4 of the USFS, BLM, FWS, NPS, and the Department of Defense, and
various state agencies within Idaho to ensure the protection of biological diversity.
She performed biological inventories in a range of vegetation types (alpine, wetlands, forest, shrubsteppe, and steppe) and numerous rare plant surveys. She wrote numerous technical reports
including contributions to ESA Status Survey reports, species management plans, and USFS RNA
Establishment Records. Ms. Bernatas coordinated volunteers for protection projects on RNAs.
Ms. Bernatas designed and implemented long-term monitoring research in two RNAs to monitor the
effects of catastrophic disturbance (wildfire in the Yellowstone ecosystem - Targhee National
Forest; and Douglas-fir bark beetles in old growth Douglas-fir - Caribou National Forest).
In addition, she initiated and organized an interagency conference on Idaho's natural area.
Obtaining funding from private and public sources, wrote and co-produced a multi-image slide show
on Idaho's Natural Areas. Ms. Bernatas was the Data Manager for the Idaho Natural Heritage
Program (presently the Idaho Conservation Data Center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game).
She directed the flow of information into the map, manual, and computerized component of the
Heritage data system.
Full time, 40 + hours / week / year round. Professional position with client coordination, field data
collection, analysis, report preparation.
Supervisor: Craig Groves, Program Manager, craig_groves@tnc.org 406-586-2781
U.S. Forest Service. As District Botanist (GS-9) for the Wallowa Valley Ranger District, WallowaWhitman National Forest, Ms. Bernatas performed rare plant inventories and developed monitoring
studies and mitigation measures. She wrote species management plans.
PUBLICATIONS
Ms. Bernatas is the author of 100s research and technical reports and a contributor to more than 60
EAs and EISs and species and habitat management plans. She served as primary author of the
700-page Biological Resources Technical Support Document and Biological Assessment for the
proposed Idaho Training Range's NEPA analysis. She co-authored several research papers
including the Vascular flora of Kane Lake Cirque, Pioneer Mountain, Idaho in the Great Basin
Naturalist and the Site Variables Affecting Fuelwood Collection Timber Harvest in the Journal of the
Idaho Academy of Sciences. She has given numerous presentations at natural resource symposia
within the United States, Canada, France, Greece and China. She developed and co-produced two
multi-image slide shows on: the types and values of natural areas titled Idaho's Natural Areas; and
Splendid Trees: Idaho's Native and Urban Forests. Ms. Bernatas has peer-reviewed papers both
vegetation and animals subjects. She has published on the use of FLIR for wildlife surveys
including:
O’Neil, T.A., P. Beltinger, B.G. Marcot, B.W. Luscombe, G.T. Koelm, H.J. Bruner, C.
Barrett, J.A. Pollack, and S. Bernatas. 2005. Applications of Spatial Technologies in Wildlife
Biology. Pages 418-447. In C.E. Braun, Editor. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
(Remote sensing of animals – Forward – looking infrared (FLIR) 439 – 442.)
Bernatas, S. and L. Nelson. 2004. Sightabilty model for California bighorn sheep in
canyonlands using forward – looking infrared (FLIR), Wildlife Society Bulletin 32(3)”638-647.
Bernatas, S., P. R. Krausman, J. M. Peek, and P. Mock. 1998. Military overflight effects on
free-roaming California bighorn sheep. Proceedings of the 23rd Congress of the International Union
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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Susan Bernatas
of Game Biologists. Gibier Faune Sauvage 15:879-888.
Bernatas, S., R. Spauling, P.J. Mock, and D. King. 1999. Infrared survey of Sonoran
pronghorn on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. Pronghorn Antelope Workshop 18: 101.
GRANTS FOR RESEARCH
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Award from the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative – Mammal Detection Project: Enhanced large
mammal detection and real-time mapping through the use of FLIR and high definition camera
and improved geo-mapping system. This was in cooperation with the Robotics Vision Lab at
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.
Award for Expeditionary Research, the Explorer's Club and Foundation for Glaciological
Research, for the Glacial Geomorphology of Salla Lake, Juneau Icefields, AK.
U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Research Station for Monitoring the Recovery Process
Following Catastrophic Natural Disturbances in Research Natural Areas.
Legacy Program, Department of Defense for Lepidium davisii (Davis peppergrass) monitoring
on the Small Arms Range, Mountain Home Air Force Base.
904 E Washington St, Boise, ID 83712 208-841-9566 wildlife@visionairresearch.com
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