David L. Magney, President, is a Biologist/Certified Consulting Botanist/Certified Arborist and Physical Geographer with a thorough knowledge of the flora of California.   He has over 30 years of field experience in biological and botanical studies.   Mr. Magney has worked on and managed a large variety of projects throughout the Pacific Southwest.   These include biological resource inventories, vegetation mapping and classification, wetland delineations and restoration, wetland functional assessments (using HGM), rare plant surveys and ecological studies, fisheries habitat assessment and mitigation design, fisheries monitoring, small mammal trapping and surveys, biological impact analysis and mitigation, and construction and mitigation monitoring.   He has managed and worked on a variety of projects, including energy, residential, commercial, flood control, and landfill projects.   Mr. Magney has also worked on trail siting for off-highway vehicles, mining, electrical, transmission/pipeline, communication corridor, wind energy, transportation, restoration, and dam developments.   He has served as an expert witness on federal and local civil cases, focusing on botanical and wetland issues.   Mr. Magney formed DMEC after spending 2 years with Fugro West, 6 years with Jones & Stokes Associates, 3 years with Dames & Moore, temporary field survey work for the Los Padres National Forest, and part-time work at the UCSB Herbarium.   He has also worked with NOREAS and BioResource Consultants.   He is currently the Manager of the Rare Plant Program for the California Native Plant Society.

Mr. Magney has taught workshops on wetland plant identification (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2016) and native plant families (2014 and 2015) through the California Native Plant Society, and assisted with workshops on vegetation classification and mapping.

Mr. Magney has earned a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies (emphasis in botany) in 1985 from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   He also holds an A.S. in Landscape Horticulture and Certificate of Completion in Natural Resources (1975) from Ventura College, Ventura, California.   Mr. Magney has successfully completed training courses in wetland delineation (1989) and Federal wetland policy (1991) from the Wetlands Training Institute; training in the Corps of Engineers Hydrogeomorphic Assessment Methods (HGM); and courses on hydric soils, wetland hydrology, CEQA and NEPA, Endangered Species Acts, and vernal pools.   He has taught courses or given presentations on wetland impacts and mitigation, CEQA, Clean Water Act permitting, water quality, and wetland delineation methodology.   Mr. Magney has authored two floras in California and presented numerous papers on vegetation and water quality.   He currently serves on the Environmental Review Board for Los Angeles County Regional Planning and the City of Ojai's Tree Committee.   Mr. Magney is a Certified Arborist (#WE-7674A) by the International Society of Arboriculture.   He is also a Certified Consulting Botanist, CBC-0001, through the California Consulting Botanist Certification program administered by CNPS.   Mr. Magney holds a Scientific Collecting Permit (#801066-05) from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly CA Dept. of Fish and Game).

Professional Affiliations

• American Bryological and Lichenological Society
• American Society of Plant Taxonomists
• Association of State Wetland Managers
• California Botanical Society
• California Lichen Society
• California Native Plant Society
• Channel Islands Regional GIS Collaborative (CIRGIS, Inc.)
• International Society for Arboriculture (ISA), Certified Arborist, and Western Chapter of ISA
• Northern California Botanists
• Sespe Institute Founder
• Society of Wetland Scientists
• Southern California Botanists