Applied Science Solutions
Ecological & Geospatial Services
Compass Ecospatial, LLC (Compass) is a West Coast-based, woman-owned, and managed, small business environmental consulting firm specializing in ecological and geospatial services. We cross-pollinate our expertise and diverse experience to provide our clients with pragmatic, applied science-based solutions informed by high-resolution, data-driven analyses tailored to meet their unique needs and requirements. We regularly partner and work with Indigenous People and Tribal Nations to support and collaborate on biocultural restoration of their traditional lands and resources, acknowledging the Native Peoples and Lifeways that live with the land and water, flora, and fauna - past, present and future.
Compass is lead and staffed by local people with nationally recognized expertise; we believe in the power of curiosity, passion, scientific inquiry, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and innovation to drive positive change. We are a triple bottom-line company – balancing the needs and benefits for people, places, and profit.
At Compass, we are committed to using a practical, collaborative science-based approach informed by deep expertise to provide quality services and workable solutions to our clients’ most pressing natural resource and environmental regulatory challenges. We seek solutions that weave together multiple benefits – increasing transparency and predictability in environmental permitting and regulatory compliance, improving, and conserving nature and promoting biodiversity across the spectrum of habitats on land and in waters, and increasing the social and biocultural fabric to help solve some of the most confounding issues for our clients.
Compass is actively growing, and has staff in Western States/West Coast, where we work on ecosystem restoration and compensatory mitigation projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Hawaii. Come collaborate with us!
Our Services
Ecological & Biological Services
Compass scientists and natural resource specialists provide field studies, applied research, and impact assessments of marine, estuarine, fluvial, and other aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Our team uses the latest remote sensing and field survey techniques and methods to conduct assessments of species occurrence, biodiversity, habitat quality, and ecological health. We also provide restoration ecology and restoration project opportunity identification, prioritization, and development services to enhance environmental conditions of degraded systems.
Compensatory Mitigation Project Services
Compass provides a range of technical services to support clients with mitigation needs analysis, land monetization studies, feasibility assessments, owners’ representation, and process guidance, site identification and selection, project due diligence, alternatives analysis and concept development, design, permitting, construction oversight, monitoring, and reporting. Our team of experts has extensive experience in compensatory mitigation projects and provide technical support at every stage of the project, from planning to implementation and monitoring. Compass staff have worked on all aspects of the development and management of compensatory mitigation projects for wetlands, other aquatic resources and similar mitigatable impacts, including permittee-responsible and turn-key mitigation, mitigation banks, and habitat and species conservation banks. We understand the intricate regulatory landscape and possess the expertise to guide our clients through the entire process with strategic guidance and experience-based knowledge.
Restoration Project Grant Technical Review, Policy & Program Support
Compass staff assist our clients to make strategic decisions regarding funding for ecosystem restoration and natural resource management projects through grant technical review, and program support. Our team has extensive experience in grant technical review, and program support for federal and state grant funds.
Watershed & Habitat Assessments
Compass provides comprehensive analysis of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, including assessment of water quality, habitat functional assessments, ecological services, life stage habitat needs and biodiversity. Our team of experienced scientists conduct field studies using advanced geospatial technologies and experienced, keen observation skills to gather data to assess the overall health and sustainability of ecosystems throughout the Western United States and Hawaii. Our assessment reports provide detailed analysis and recommendations for mitigation strategies and habitat restoration opportunities and treatment measures.
Geospatial Data Collection & Management
Compass staff are innovators in ecology-forward geospatial-driven design. We provide precise data collection on topography, bathymetry, and project features using state-of-the-art equipment and expert technicians. Compass utilizes technologies like LiDAR, remote sensing, and advanced post-processing to create accurate topographic and bathymetric maps. These maps find applications in geodesign, floodplain mapping, environmental monitoring, and natural resource management. We offer GIS consulting services for analyzing and interpreting complex spatial data.
GIS Services
Compass is a trusted provider of GIS consulting services, specializing in data analysis and mapping solutions for environmental and natural resource management projects. Our expert GIS staff utilize the latest software and data collection tools to manage, analyze, and interpret complex spatial data while integrating geodesign principles to create sustainable solutions. With a proven track record of creating custom maps, conducting spatial analyses, and providing data visualizations, Compass supports informed decision-making and helps clients achieve their resource management goals.
Our Clients
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HDR & US Navy (NAVFAC)
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Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office
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US Navy (NAVFAC)
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Catholic Charities CYO of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
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City of Middleton
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Smith Court LLC
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Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Our People
Kelley Jorgensen | Founder, Owner, & Principal Ecologist of Compass Ecospatial
Kelley is an experienced professional with over 30 years of experience in applied science, bringing pragmatic solutions to environmental and natural resource management. She specializes in aquatic and terrestrial restoration ecology and has managed a variety of environmental projects and programs. Kelley’s expertise includes compensatory mitigation, ecological restoration, water-dependent infrastructure permitting, and project development. Kelley has held several leadership positions, including President of Conservation for a private landowner developing Washington State’s first multi-resource and multi-credit type fish, wetland, and Oregon white oak habitat mitigation and conservation bank and is a current member and past chairperson of the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board technical review panel.
Her extensive experience with environmental regulations and her strong relationships with key regulators have helped her clients navigate complex permitting processes and paved the way for highly visible and complex projects to take shape. She is skilled at working with diverse stakeholders and facilitating productive conversations among team members to ensure that all project challenges and needs are addressed responsibly, and all perspectives are considered.
Kelley has recently joined the National Small Business Association Leadership Council, bringing her skills and knowledge of conveying lived experience to advocacy for small and emerging businesses. Kelley has experience advocating for compensatory mitigation policy reform and program resourcing to improve regulatory process predictability for permittees and reduce risk for mitigation providers and end-users of mitigation services.
Chris Watson | Founder & Principal, GIS Analyst GISP, & Field Geologist
Chris has over 25 years of environmental and geospatial work in the Pacific Northwest and currently leads the Compass team as a project manager with hydrologic modeling and GIS analytical capabilities. Chris utilizes spatial data to solve complex and often multifaceted problems. His skill set includes project management, GIS analysis, geodesign, geologic evaluation and exploration, technical writing, public education support, litigation support, computer simulations and modeling, and database design. His experience includes work for or on habitat restoration, compensatory mitigation, wind, natural gas, storm water, watershed and basin delineation, federal highways and bridges, state and municipal infrastructure, hazardous waste, landfills, mines, ports, CERCLA, and NERC CIP. Chris solves complex and often multifaceted problems using spatial data and analyses to serve his clients and support the Compass team.
Victoria Fischella | Environmental Scientist
Victoria is an environmental and riverine scientist with experience in freshwater, wetlands, forest and upland environments, and human dimensions of natural resources. Her passion for protecting water quality, habitat, and ecosystem services brought her to the Compass team as a field scientist. Victoria’s skill set encompasses fish & wildlife habitat establishment, geospatial analysis, in-stream & riparian restoration, water quality monitoring, and natural resource management. Her enthusiasm for positive human-environment interactions shapes her approach to understanding and developing solutions that work for people, fish, wildlife, and the landscape.
Stephanie Whitson | Office & Administrative Manager
Stephanie is a master organizer and talented people person skilled in project management systems, project administration, contracting, accounts receivable, human resources, and day-to-day company planning. She is our dedicated technical editor and applies her background as a paralegal to her editing and contract management roles. She is responsible for documentation, meeting management, monitoring project budgets, using her time management skills to keep systems and projects on track, managing team and program schedules, tracking assignments and communicating progress on projects and programs.
Natalie Edwards | Senior Regulatory Specialist
Natalie has 20 years of experience of permitting projects in the southeast and pacific northwest as a former Regulatory Project Manager with the US Army Corps of Engineers. She enjoys collaborating with prime engineering firms, government entities, and stakeholders to come up with solutions for their projects that are least harmful to the environment. Natalie has experience with permitting complex projects and authoring mitigation bank proposals / mitigation bank instruments. Natalie enjoys creating innovative solutions with Compass Ecospatial and their clients.
Keston Kuechel | Business Strategist & Development Coordinator
Keston is a business strategist and development coordinator with experience in market research, data analysis, branding, digital marketing, and social media management. His rigorous education, complemented by his consulting experience has provided him with a variety of successful experiences informing business strategy and driving growth.
Gerrit Bass | Hydrologist
Gerrit has a background in working with conservation districts to assess the success of soil and water conservation practices and has a particular passion for rivers and the way they interact with their watersheds. His skill set includes both field-based data collection of environmental parameters as well as data analysis and reporting back in the office. His field duties have included water quality monitoring, soil sampling, riparian habitat assessment, surveying, and drone-based data collection. In the office, he enjoys taking this data and figuring out the story it’s trying to tell with the help of R programming and other analysis tools.