Sarah J. Miller

Research Assistant
Penn State Cooperative Wetland Center

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center
302 Walker Building
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-2567
FAX: (814) 863-7943
email: sjm20@psu.edu

RESTORATION SPECIALIST

Entrix, Inc., Wilmington, DE

Conducted Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs) for oil spills in Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia. Used Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) to determine injury to wetland and riparian habitats and to scale restoration. Restoration efforts included identifying and screening potential projects, developing conceptual design plans and specifications, and preparing maintenance and monitoring plans. Supervised volunteers on riparian tree-planting project in New Jersey. Managed volunteer Adopt-a-Wetland program for office. Duties included preparing enhancement and monitoring plans, securing funding, and coordinating with state and federal resource agencies. Prepared proposals, budgets, and technical reports.

WETLAND ECOLOGIST

Wetlands Research Associates, Newark, DE

Assisted in the design and implementation of a forested wetland restoration project in Virginia. Developed monitoring protocols and supervised field crews during monitoring. Conducted reference studies for a 4,000-acre tidal salt marsh restoration project in southern New Jersey. Studies included predicting vegetation changes under post-project conditions, determining the most suitable elevational range of smooth cordgrass, and measuring the invasion of common reed in reference marshes. Designed planting scheme and supervised plant installation in three wetland basins in Delaware.  Conducted wetland determinations and delineations. Prepared proposals, budgets, and technical reports.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA

Conducted wetland inventory of Santa Monica Bay watershed and selected potential wetland restoration sites for Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project.  Evaluated success of over 20 wetland restoration projects for the California State Coastal Conservancy and made recommendations on improving project planning and implementation.  Conducted opportunities and constraints analysis and developed enhancement measures for two proposed wetland restoration sites in southern California.  Performed biological inventory and prepared vegetation map for a 7,000-acre site in Santa Cruz County. Assisted in the instruction of wetland delineation certification course for the California Department of Transportation. Prepared grants and technical reports.

BioSystems Analysis, Inc., Tiburon, CA

Analyzed impacts to wetland habitats from several proposed water supply alternatives for a water storage EIR/EIS.  Conducted feasibility study on constructing vernal pool wetlands in mined areas. Performed wetland delineations for the California Department of Transportation, East Bay Municipal Water District, Pacific Gas & Electric, and private landowners.  Supervised field crews in wetland surveys and habitat mapping.  Assisted in rare plant surveys.  Prepared technical reports and proposals.

November 1987 - May 1990:

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Louis Berger & Associates, East Orange, NJ and Washington, DC

Performed wetland delineations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina.  Conducted floristic surveys, habitat mapping, and HEP analyses. Representative projects include a delineation, floristic survey, and HEP analysis for an 8,000-acre site in New York and the delineation and vegetation mapping of a 1,000-acre site in northeastern Pennsylvania. Assisted in preparation of technical reports and Environmental Impact Statements.

Certified PADI Scuba Diver

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Chamberlain, S.J. Comparison of methods to control Spartina alterniflora in San Francisco Bay. Master's Thesis. San Francisco State University; 1995.

Cuffe, K.C.; Goodwin, P.; Josselyn, M.N.; Chamberlain, S.J. Medea Creek Enhancement Plan: reconnaissance study and recommended actions. Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project; Monterey Park, CA; September, 1994.

Josselyn, M.N.; Chamberlain, S.J.; Goodnight, K.; Hopkins, H.; Fiorillo, A. Evaluation of Coastal Conservancy enhancement projects: 1978-1992. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, CA; July, 1993.

Josselyn, M.N.; Chamberlain, S.J.; Goodwin, P.; Cuffe, K.C. Wetland inventory and restoration potential: Santa Monica Bay watershed. Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project, Monterey Park, CA; January, 1993.

Ziska, L.H.; Drake, B.G.; Chamberlain, S. Long-term photosynthetic response in single leaves of a C₃ and C₄ salt marsh species grown at elevated atmospheric C0₂ in situ. Oecologia 83:469-472; 1990.

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