Welcome to West Fork Environmental. We're a Pacific Northwest firm with broad scientific expertise in natural resource conservation and management.
We are dedicated to collecting original field data and applying rigorous methodologies to address complex research and management issues. We are convinced that our involvement in these activities supports sustainable management of natural resources, promoting economic stability in the communities that depend on them.
Phil Peterson started Forest & Channel Metrics in 2005, which became West Fork Environmental in 2012. Phil is a professional fisheries biologist with thirty years experience in Pacific Northwest water and land use issues.
He has a broad applied background in fish biology and stream and riparian forest interactions. His interdisciplinary work with geologists has resulted in the understanding of several important process-based habitat interpretations that have been used successfully to develop conservation and restoration strategies for streamside forests and floodplain surfaces.
His observations into the association of aquatic vertebrate communities and lithology and topography (lithotopo) units provided the scientific landscape basis for a 50-year Federal Habitat Conservation Plan in the Southern Olympic foothills that covers 31 aquatic species. Peterson’s experience in Washington and Oregon on both sides of the Cascade Range in research, conservation and management, at project and program levels in both the private and public sectors makes him uniquely qualified to assist partners in resolving complex natural resource challenges.
West Fork Environmental includes a diverse group of professionals who work full time to provide a variety of services for our partners. At West Fork Environmental, we relish the hard work required to develop good information, and pride ourselves on performing under difficult environmental conditions. We believe that learning takes place in the field, on the land, and springs from asking insightful questions, and seeking answers through careful observation and deliberate analysis of data.
Safety is a top priority at West Fork Environmental. All staff maintain up-to-date first aid training and participate in weekly safety briefings. The many miles we drive on unimproved forest roads represent a significant safety exposure. One way we mitigate this exposure is through ownership and operation of well-maintained vehicles, capable of safe travel under any environmental and road conditions.