Far Western now offers paleontological studies to protect non-renewable fossil resources. The Earth’s rich fossil record yields important information on plant and animal evolution, changes in regional climate and local environment, the shaping of our continent, and the dynamics of past landscape and ecological interaction. Construction projects risk disturbing these significant resources. Beginning at the planning and permitting stages, Far Western uses the highest industry standards for mitigating resource loss through fossil documentation, collection, and preparation.
We welcome Dr. Russell Shapiro, a federally recognized Qualified Paleontologist, to our team. Earning his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1998, Russell has worked on a wide variety of projects in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. His research has led him to excavations throughout the world, most recently to northern Alaska and South Africa. However, his heart will always stay true to the Basin and Range. This year, he was awarded the Distinguished Career Award from the Geobiology Division of the Geological Society of America.
Dr. Shapiro and the Far Western team are ready to develop pre-disturbance plans through close consultation with clients and permitting agencies. The plans are largely based on literature and museum records searches, as well as analysis of geological maps. If warranted, a field survey looks for exposed fossils. If documented during a survey or exposed during ground disturbance, Far Western professionally collects and prepares fossils for curation in museum collections.
We are proud of the role we play in supporting scientific discovery through our resource protection program and paleontological outreach and education.