Quinton Epps Email & Phone Number

2020 Hampton Street

-Oversee and coordinate grant management staff who implement grants received and award grants for the following:• Grants received include 1) Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resource Conservation Service – National Award for Soil Health; 2) United States Environmental Protection Agency Section 319 Grants – 25 Mile Creek enhancements, Owens Field Stormwater and Trail, and Gills Creek Restoration for water quality protection efforts.• Grants awarded include 1) Annual Historic Preservation and Community Conservation Grants -$250,000-Manage staff for the Richland Soil & Water Conservation District and the Richland County Conservation Commission (RCCC) to implement their missions to conserve and promote natural resource and historic conservation through grant awards, conservation easements, land acquisition, educational outreach efforts.-Developed and implemented largest mitigation bank in the State using transportation funds and grants reducing permitting delays and saving millions for county projects.-Work as liaison for the RCCC to help direct Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Funds, Flood Mitigation Grant Program, and Community Block Development Grants for the October 2015 flood and subsequent floods.-Directed and oversaw the acquisition of nearly 3,000 acres of floodplain and 300 acres of easements for conservation purchases.-Began program to develop and implement eco-tourism in Lower Richland area as an avenue for economic development tied to conservation programs.-Collaborated with Planning Department to develop Green infrastructure Model for entire county in order to direct and organize conservation efforts based on landscape level analysis.-Oversee staff and contractors who manage all aspects of over 3,000 acres of conservation land and easements as well as 2 county parks including ponds, rivers access, walking trails, forestry operations, road and building maintenance, leases to outside parties and other items.

Richland County, Sc

-Responsible for overall management and operation of the Stormwater Program at Richland County-Began development of largest mitigation bank in the state.-Managed $3.1 million annual budget and 12 Capital Improvement Projects-Worked extensively to increase coordination with constuients and organizations leading to the award of three 319 Grants for cooperative projects to enhance water quality-Developed and coordinated the approval of a 25-year Road Map to improve planning and allocation of funding for increased efficiency and effectiveness of stormwater spending and programming.

2020 Hampton, Columbia, Sc

-Managed the Floodplain Management Program for Richland County -Dropped community rating in the Community Rating System from a Class 9 to a Class 8 saving county residents nearly $200,000 in annual insurance rates-Reviewed and issued all Floodplain Development Permits and Letter of Map Changes (LOMR-F, LOMR, and LOMA) in the county-Worked with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) in 2010-Updated county Floodplain Ordinances to meet new FEMA requirements for map update-Conducted construction inspections as Code Enforcement Officer for compliance and enforcement actions-Consulted and managed county environmental programs for 2 proposed mitigation banks and several other projects underway in the county using stream restoration and assessment techniques

Columbia, South Carolina Area

-Managed and developed environmental programs for Mulkey Engineers and Consultants in South Carolina (SC), including mitigation banking, compliance monitoring, stream, wetland and floodplain assessments; water resources permitting; plan development, review and design; and construction administration and oversight including environmental compliance. -Developed and permitted 4 mitigation banks (3 in SC and one in Georgia (GA)) that enhanced, preserved or restored over 56,000 linear feet of stream and 80 acres of wetlands as well as several site specific mitigation sites in Georgetown and York Counties totaling over 120 acres of wetlands.-Managed and/or implemented jurisdictional determinations, natural resource and endangered species surveys, Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) 404 permits, 401 Certifications, Critical Area Permits, SC State Navigable Waters Permits, floodplain assessments, environmental monitoring, and no rise studies for numerous roadway and development projects including Andrews Bypass (SC), SC 5 and SC 133 Bridge replacements (SC), Hwy 17 Corridor Study (NC), Valambrosa Mitigation Plan (GA), Hickory Top Delineation (SC), Styx Fish Hatchery Construction Permits and delineation (SC), Whitehouse Road Tract Delineation (SC), Hawes Tract Delineation (NC), and Cutter Bay Monitoring (NC).-Developed a GIS tool to inventory proposed projects statewide and determine the potential impacts or benefits of the projects and a list of mitigation opportunities. -Worked with Sumter City/County Planning Department to develop a watershed report and GIS layers to be used in the development of ordinances and other planning initiatives.

2600 Bull St, Columbia, South Carolina

-Managed a team of six environmental managers who evaluate proposed/permitting projects with respect to environmental, political, financial, and/or policy aspects related to the issuance of 401 Water Quality Certifications for ACE 404 Permits and State Construction in Navigable Waters (SCNW) Permits and other environmental reviews. This included the management of the statewide certification/permit workload, pre-application consultations, grant applications and implementation, evaluation of applications, and monitoring of certification/permit compliance and enforcement.-Also managed one staff person who develops and maintains State Water Quality Standards and Classifications, 303(d) listings, 208 Conformance and Consistency Checks; one staff member who develops, submits and implements grants to fund State Wetland programs, and one part time person who facilitates activities in all the above areas-Coordinated with South Carolina (SC) Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to add a position and improve turn around time on SCDOT certifications and permits-Served on Mitigation Banking Review Team (MBRT) in SC which is currently re-writing the ACE Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for compensatory mitigation-Collaborated with BW management and certification/permitting staff to implement procedural changes that have reduced certification/permitting process times-Served as a liaison with BW staff, resource and regulatory agencies, and the public on a daily basis to determine and clarify certification/permitting and water quality standards/classification issues

2600 Bull St, Columbia, Sc

-Evaluated proposed/permitting projects with respect to environmental, political, financial, and/or policy aspects related to the issuance of 401 Water Quality Certifications for ACE 404 Permits and SCNW Permits and other environmental reviews. This included a certification/permit workload, pre-application consultations, evaluation of applications, and monitoring of certification/permit compliance and enforcement.-Developed, wrote, and implemented grants and other programs related to water quality and wetland protection issues in the State totaling over $700,000 -Managed a team of three that developed a system to facilitate permit tracking, data entry and project evaluation on a watershed scale-Served as chairman of a resource committee consisting of watershed stakeholders who developed recommendations for resource management strategies for the Savannah-Salkahatchie watershed

2600 Bull St, Columbia, Sc

-Evaluated proposed/permitting projects with respect to environmental, political, financial, and/or policy aspects related to the issuance of 401 Water Quality Certifications for ACE 404 Permits and SCNW Permits and other environmental reviews. This included a certification/permit workload, pre-application consultations, evaluation of applications, and monitoring of certification/permit compliance and enforcement.-Managed an environmental project that collected data for natural resource planning initiatives, potential regulation changes and compliance issues-Chaired a technical advisory committee representing varied interests established to recommend amendments to State environmental regulations that balance natural resource conservation and economic activities-Wrote and managed grant proposals for approximately $300,000 in environmental planning initiatives

177 Hobcaw Rd, Georgetown, Sc

-Managed ponds and hatchery for all research projects-Identified and conducted research and extension activities related to economic, environmental and regulatory issues within the aquaculture and marine fisheries industries in the southeastern United States.-Collected and analyzed field data and facilitated the development and implementation of SCAMPI training programs, short courses, and research projects

Dzangha-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic

-Managed remote gorilla and botany research camp, organized supplies, finances and transportation for 5 research workers-Designed and conducted surveys that collected data on environmental and economic concerns within the reserve fishery and presented a paper on this research work at an international conference on conservation education in Arusha

Yaloke, Central African Republic

-Established demonstration projects for farmers in collaboration with CAR based Non-Governmental Development Organizations-Provided technical assistance for the construction of over 30 ponds, operation and management of 60 ponds and farms, and the operation of 3 small poultry farms-Managed a 10 week extension worker training for new extension workers, designed and coordinated motorcycle riding and maintenance training for community health agents, a training for exceptional farmers for the CAR's western districts and conducted extensive cost benefit analyses for poultry and fish farming in CAR, and coordinated with local farmers and wage earners to establish a credit union to provide a local, independent source of capital for small enterprises

Masters In Environmental Resource Management, Wetland And Stream Restoration And Mitigation, Water Quality, And Storm Water

Microbiology, Biology And Pyschology