James Featherston
Mr. Featherston has been employed by M&E since 2014 and is considered the planning specialist with M&E. Mr. Featherston spent 11 years as Agricultural Economist, Water Resources Staff, Temple, TX. Agricultural Economist, Water Resource evaluating costs and benefits; Supplemental Environmental Evaluations, Assessments, and Impact Statements Principal, Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Intent submittals. Led development of over 11 Supplemental Watershed Plans as Economist and Assistant Planning Leader for the NCRS.
Mr. Featherston has a total of 36 years with SCS/NRCS. During his time there he performed economic analyses for water resource projects funded through NRCS in TX. Economic analyses included initial planning for construction of single and multiple purpose floodwater retarding structures (FRS) as well as planning for rehabilitation of existing FRS. Lead staff member regarding the preparation of Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Evaluations (EE) for rehabilitation projects. Prepared annual funding budget requests for all water resources related projects. Funding requests included technical assistance (salaries and benefits of NRCS staffs – water resources, design, and construction) and financial assistance (construction costs). Annually maintained and updated benefits database of all NRCS watershed projects in Texas (about 145 projects consisting of over 1,900 FRS as well as multiple grade stabilization structures and many miles of channel work). Annually maintained and updated construction costs of all NRCS watershed projects in Texas. Served on a national team assigned to prepare a benefit/cost analysis of the Conservation Security Program (CSP), a program created by the 2002 Farm Bill and administered nationwide by NRCS. CSP was designed to reward successful farm and ranch managers who had a proven history of being good stewards of the nation’s natural resources, in particular soil, water, and air quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and grazing lands. Analyses included quantifying to the extent possible the beneficial and adverse impacts of on-farm practices and systems recommended by NRCS and consequential effects to the previously mentioned resources.
Larry Geortz, PE
Mr. Geortz has been employed by M&E since 2006 and is M&E’s H&H expert. Mr. Geortz was previously employed with NRCS (SCS) for 37 years. While employed by NRCS he gained experienced with NRCS watershed planning procedures, computer programs, Programs, H&H analysis for planning and design, watershed water yield studies, and hydrologic evaluation of the performance of dams. Numerous HEC-RAS steady-flow models have been developed or reviewed. Mr. Geortz also reviewed the hydrologic and hydraulic design of more than 20 NRCS-assisted new or rehabbed dams. Provided hydrologic and hydraulic technology transfer, including presentations at HEC-RAS workshops. While employed by NRCS he has held the position of Hydraulic Engineer for the National Design Construction & Soil Mechanics Center and he was the State Hydraulic Engineer.
Tom Brown, PE
Mr. Brown was employed by the NRCS National Design Construction and Soil Mechanics Center (NDCSMC) in Fort Worth, TX where he served 8 years as a Geotechnical Engineer and 9 years as a Design Engineer. At the NDCSMC he led and participated in independent design reviews of complex engineering work, participated in updating design criteria, and agency training. Prior to coming to the NRCS, served for 26 years with the Bureau of Reclamation in various dam safety, design and geotechnical engineering positions. Mr. Brown has been employed by M&E since 2018 primarily reviewing dam rehabilitation or new dam designs.
Dennis Clute, PE
Mr. Clute joined the M&E team in 2018. Mr. Clute was previously employed with SCS/NRCS for 38 years. While employed by SCS/NRCS he held the position as Project Engineer in Temple, TX for 10 years where he served as government representative or contracting officer’s representative on 52 construction contracts with many of them being multi-site contracts. Mr. Clute also served 18 years as construction engineer on the NRCS – National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics (NDCSMC) staff in Fort Worth, Texas. In this capacity he was responsible for reviewing designs for constructability and writing and maintaining national directives such as the NRCS National Specifications for Construction Contracts and the NRCS Construction Inspection Handbook. He also served as technical coordinator for construction and contracting related courses administered by the National Employee Development Center (NEDC) in Fort Worth. Mr. Clute has been a member of ASTM International since 2000 where he served as secretary and chairman of Subcommittee C09.45 on Roller Compacted Concrete.
Dwight Head, PE
Mr. Head has worked as a field engineer for M&E since 2010. He has conducted dam safety inspections for 78 dams in central Texas required by NRCS dam assessments. His previous work experience as an NRCS employee proved valuable in working with local NRCS and sponsors. The dam safety inspection services and field survey were completed on the same field trip which provided an opportunity for him to work with and direct the survey crew. He was on the survey team that collected deign surveys for Olmitos Garcias Site 7. Prior to joining M&E, Mr. Head worked for NRCS/SCS for 35 years as an Engineer and District Conservations. As zone engineer in Corpus, he was Involved in the flood control programs required formal inspections of high hazard dams and review of hazard classifications of all flood control dams in the zone.
Steve Uselton
Mr. Uselton has a total of 39 years with SCS/NRCS before joining the M&E team in 2014. Mr. Uselton was the NRCS Planning Specialist in the state office at Temple, TX. Provided leadership for all ecological field investigations, environmental studies, and preparation of reports for assigned hydrologic units, and related water resources activities in Texas. Was the principal writer in preparing preliminary, draft, and final resource plans, supplements, environmental assessments, and environmental evaluations. Provided planning assistance in the rehabilitation of aging dams. Prepared and presented Power Point Presentations on Rehabilitation projects at public meetings. Assisted in preparing Final Plan Supplements and Environmental Assessments for seven Floodwater Retarding Structures (FRS) for Sponsoring Local Organizations. Coordinated and edited inputs from multiple disciplines to develop concise and cohesive technical documents. Prepared correspondence and coordinated Inter Agency review for Watershed Plans and Supplements. Prepared and submitted documents to TCEQ for Notice of Intent for watershed construction projects in Texas. Prepared Environmental Fact Sheets. Prepare FONSI and Notice of FONSI for publication in the Federal Register. Prepared information and assisted in holding public meetings to obtain public input regarding the rehabilitation of aging dams. Developed new O&M Inspection Report form for use by project sponsors. Assisted in conducting environmental evaluations and prepared necessary documents for the repair of multiple FRS projects funded by stimulus program. Prepared notice of FONSI and FONSI for Federal Register.
James Moore, PE
Mr. Moore retired from NRCS in 2014 as the Team leader of the interdisciplinary watershed rehabilitation planning team for the National Water Management Center in Little Rock, AR. He provided national leadership and support for the civil engineering aspects of water resource planning, training to state/regional specialists in planning, engineering techniques, peer review of over 150 watershed plans (many in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Virginia). He provided leadership in revising the National Watershed Program Manual and National Watershed Program Handbook. Prior to the Team Leader position in Little Rock, he had 10 years of SCS/NRCS experience as design and H&H engineer in Louisiana.
David Heffington
Mr. Heffington served as the NRCS national technical expert on ecological aspects and environmental compliance for complex water resource and rehabilitation projects. He provided technical expertise and guidance to NRCS State Conservationists and their staff regarding environmental documentation and developed and presented watershed training to NRCS state staff and contractors nationwide. Training: Developed and revised national program regulations, policy, and guidance related to water resources planning, ecology, natural resources management, and environmental compliance for NRCS programs. Authored several revisions to the National Watershed Program Manual and Handbook, the National Environmental Compliance Handbook, the NRCS CPA-52 (Environmental Evaluation Worksheet), and Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations 650 – NRCS NEPA regulations, including several of the NRCS NEPA “Categorical Exclusions”, Worked closely with the NRCS National Environmental Coordinator on the preparation (writing and editing) the Farm Bill Program National Programmatic EAs, including the 2016 NRCS National Programmatic EA for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), the 2016 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the 2009 Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP). Authored two “Records of Decision” for NRCS adoption of Corps of Engineers EISs Awards: Received numerous rating-based and other performance awards with the NRCS and was a USDA Leadership Essentials Program Graduate. While with the Corps, received the U.S. Department of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Bronze Award, Outstanding Performance and Special Act Awards from 1990-1999, and the USACE Southwestern Division Outstanding Planning Achievement Team Award, and was a Corps Leadership Development Program Graduate.
Stanley Mathis, PE
Mr. Mathis was the PE for the dam safety inspection and survey for the NRCS 16 dams Assessments in Arkansas in 2016. As part of this effort, he met with NRCS & watershed sponsors to review O&M records, previous dam safety reports, and auxiliary spillway flow records. He performed the onsite 5-year dam safety review and provided guidance to survey crew on survey of the dam embankments, spillway, and downstream road crossing for input into HEC-RAS breach models. Prior working with M&E, Mr. Mathis retired from AR NRCS after 29 years serving as both Construction & Area engineer.
Lee Ann Moore, PE
Mrs. Moore has served as a field engineer, design engineer, soil mechanics engineer during her career with NRCS. She was the head of NRCS’s Soil Mechanics Lab at the National Design Construction and Soil Mechanics Center (NDCSMC) at Fort Worth, TX for 10 years. She managed a staff of engineers and technicians that performed soil testing and developing soil mechanics report for project across the United States. She was also a design engineer for 5 years on the NDCSMC staff and provided review and technical expertise for projects across the United States.