Rebekah Jensen

Senior Project Manager | Staff Ecologist

Since joining the Live Oak Associates team in 2011, Rebekah has led, performed, or assisted with nearly every type of service the company provides.

Although she is an experienced field biologist, having designed and conducted surveys for numerous wildlife taxa in varied habitats, Rebekah’s niche is in analyzing, packaging, and presenting the data that fieldwork yields. Trained as both a biologist and writer, she conducts a wide range of biological studies and prepares associated deliverables. Her portfolio includes numerous biological evaluations prepared in support of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, in-depth studies of focal species and habitats, and various other products. Whether contemplating small-scale utility upgrades or city-wide general plan updates, Rebekah’s studies are accurate and thorough, responsive to client needs, and well-documented with technical reports and graphics.

Rebekah also has experience with natural resources permitting, having prepared application packages for Clean Water Act Section 404 and 401 permits, California Fish and Game Code (FGC) Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreements, and FGC Section 2081 Incidental Take Permits, as well as Biological Assessments and Habitat Conservation Plans for Endangered Species Act compliance. She prepared a programmatic Biological Assessment for long-term resource management on the Tule River Indian Reservation, and was commended by the Tule River Tribe, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the quality of the report and its treatment of endangered species issues. She continually works to improve her understanding of the regulatory environment, and to track changes in natural resources law and its interpretation.

Since 2017, Rebekah has been working remotely – first while traveling the country with her son and now from her home in Washington State. She successfully manages her projects from afar, planning and coordinating any required fieldwork, and working closely with the project team to ensure the delivery of all contracted services. With fieldwork no longer part of her daily activity budget, Rebekah has more time for deliverables. She is often asked to assist with her coworkers’ reports and technical documents, and also serves as Live Oak Associates’ unofficial copy editor, frequently reviewing deliverables for style, content, and technical accuracy.

  • • M.S. Forestry / Conservation Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. 2009.

    • B.A. Biology / Zoological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. 2004.

    • B.A. English / Creative Nonfiction Writing, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA. 1998.

  • Wildlife biology, wildlife/habitat relationships, Geographical Information Systems

  • • Live Oak Associates, Inc., Oakhurst, CA. Staff Ecologist and Project Manager, 2011 to Present.

    • Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project, Pacific Fisher Team, Oakhurst, CA. Biological Technician, 2010 to 2011

    • University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Research Assistant, Black Bear Ecology, 2006 to 2008

    • University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Teaching Assistant, Dendrology, 2007

    • University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Teaching Assistant, Multiple Resource Silviculture, 2007

    • University of Montana, Missoula, MT. Biological Technician, 2005 to 2006

    • Biomimicry Guild, Missoula, MT. Technical Writer, 2003 to 2004

    • Bureau of Land Management, Salem, OR. Assistant Biological Technician (Volunteer), 1995

  • • California Nationwide Permits, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, Virtual Regulatory Program Workshop, 2021.

    • Public Training on Implementation Guidance for the State Wetland Definition and Procedures for the Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State, State Water Resources Control Board, Webcast, 2020.

    • NEPA Essentials Workshop, Association of Environmental Professionals, Fresno, CA, 2016

    • Section 404 Permitting Process, Association of Environmental Professionals, Fresno, CA, 2015

    • Rare Pond Species Survey Techniques Workshop, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, March 23-24, 2013

    • Fifty Families in the Field: Introduction to Keying, Jepson Herbarium, Berkeley, CA, March 24- 25 and March 31-April 1, 2012

    • Advanced CEQA Workshop, Association of Environmental Professionals, March 12, 2012

    • CEQA: A Step by Step Approach, U.C. Davis Extension, September 30, 2011

  • Rebekah lives in a backwoodsy, mountainous region of eastern Washington, and can’t get enough of being outside. She hikes, backpacks, climbs mountains, trail runs, cross-country skis, snowshoes, camps, birdwatches, gardens, cuts firewood, pulls weeds, and just generally loves the world outside of four walls. When she is inside, you might find her cooking, processing garden fare, reading, singing along to Spotify, looking out the window, or some combination thereof.

“I like the variety of my job. The wide range of assignments that cross my desk keep me learning, engaged, and improving my skill set. I also love who I work with. My coworkers are also my family and friends.”
— Rebekah