Paul Wagner – Senior Environmental Scientist

Professional Summary

Paul Wagner has over 30 years of experience as a professional fish biologist, conducting work throughout the Columbia Basin, as well as in other anadromous waterways in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Canada. His duties have also included securing federal and state permits to conduct fish sampling in the waters of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Paul has been supervising and managing large-scale field operations for more than 20 years. Recently, he supervised field crews conducting Effectiveness Monitoring of Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) projects throughout Southeastern and Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon and for Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) in Eastern Oregon.

Currently, Paul serves as the EAS Aquatic Resource Director/Senior Environmental Scientist supporting the Public Safety and Resource Protection (PSRP) program at the Hanford Site. The PSRP program at Hanford is being directed for the U.S. Department of Energy by the Mission Support Alliance (MSA). Paul’s role includes developing monitoring plans for aquatic species and the management plan for aquatic species listed under the Endangered Species Act; and participating in field surveys. He provides senior-level guidance and oversight of aquatic projects conducted under the Environmental Surveillance and Ecological Monitoring and Compliance components of the PSRP.

During 2010 and 2011, Paul assisted in the evaluation of the British Petroleum Mississippi Canyon 252 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico, working as the lead data manager on NOAA Research Cruise Vessels. Specific work included: direct coordination with NOAA/NRDA (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) representatives and with the NOAA Chief Scientist to ensure that data collected was database compatible and legally defensible; transfer of field samples and data to central Sample Intake Centers; conducting extensive quality assurance of samples and data/documents in preparation for litigation; uploading field data to a central NOAA/NRDA database; implementing daily Standard Operating Procedures; preparing field samples for transfer to laboratories; and implementing standard Chain of Custody procedures. This work required daily coordination with state, federal, and British Petroleum field representatives and was conducted throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Paul has written or contributed to more than 100 technical reports, and has presented his work to a variety of audiences at conferences, workshops, and technical meetings.

Areas of Specialization

  • Aquatic Biologist
  • Methodology development and implementation
  • Project management
  • Field and office staff Supervisor
  • Project reporting
  • Database management
  • Project budgeting
  • Presentation to diverse audiences, including Stakeholders, Tribes, and Regulators
  • Interaction with clients and stakeholders

Relevant Work Experience

2011-2012: Supporting PSRP as Lead Scientist developing monitoring plans and the management plan for aquatic species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Also conducting and providing senior-level oversight of aquatic field studies on the Hanford Site. This work is part of the successful transition of the PSRP program to MSA.

2010-2011: Assisted in the evaluation of the British Petroleum Mississippi Canyon 252 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico on behalf of NOAA/NRDA. This work included quality assurance of samples and data/documents in preparation for litigation, as well as data management on research vessels. The work was conducted throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

2010: Oversaw all operational and technical aspects of Remedial Investigation Fish Sampling Campaign on the Columbia River.

2008-2010: Field and lab supervisor of 480 fish sample collections, sample preparations, and sample shipping for a DOE prime contractor (Washington Closure Hanford) on the Hanford Site.

2000-2007: Lead Scientist developing Status and Trends Monitoring Programs for salmonid habitat enhancement programs throughout the Pacific Northwest.

From 1987 through 2000, Paul was the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife project leader for the Smolt Monitoring Program, Gas Bubble Trauma Assessment Program, and COE Juvenile Salmonid Transportation Quality Control Program at McNary, Ice Harbor, and Lower Monumental hydroelectric projects located on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. During this same time period, he developed PIT tag studies, and served as project leader, to assess migration timing and survival of wild juvenile fall Chinook from the Hanford Reach. He developed and led an evaluation of wild juvenile fall Chinook stranding on the Reach. Paul also was responsible for integrating EPA's EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program)-based sampling protocols into a Status and Trend Monitoring and Evaluation Program for the Okanogan sub-basin on behalf of the Colville Tribes. Further, he provided technical and field support for the implementation of this project.

Education/Training

  • B.S., Fishery Management, University of Washington, 1983
  • CPR/First Aid
  • HAZWPR Training
  • Budget management
  • Boating safety
  • Contract management
  • Gas Bubble Trauma assessment
  • Microcomputer application to fisheries biology
  • Biostatistical analysis

Professional Affiliations

  • One of five technical experts selected in the U.S. and Canada to review the 2000 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion for Operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System on behalf of the American Fisheries Society and the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians.
  • American Fisheries Society Member
  • Hanford Stranding Evaluation Technical Committee Co-Chair
  • AFS Pallid Sturgeon Propagation and Genetics Sub-committee Member
  • Fish Transportation Oversight Team Representative
  • Yakima Basin Growth Management Act Scientific Advisory Group Member
  • McNary Water Temperature Assessment Committee Member
  • Vernita Bar Monitoring Team Member