Meet Our Team: Dave Hartesveldt
Dave Hartesveldt serves as Principal and Corporate Secretary at Live Oak Associates.
The founding of the company
Dave established Hartesveldt Ecological Consulting (HEC), a sole proprietorship, in February, 1995, in Oakhurst, California. Dr. Rick Hopkins joined his firm in 1999, establishing a branch office in San Jose that same year. Rick and Dave then incorporated what had been HEC into Live Oak Associates, Inc. in June of 2000.
Dave’s experience
Dave has been working in the ecological field for decades. His interests include among others the flora and vegetation types of California, wetland ecology, and regulatory issues related to the conservation of California’s natural resources. His training includes several courses and workshops related to the identification and delineation of jurisdictional wetlands in the state of California. He has been a key player in resolving jurisdictional wetland issues for his clients since 1986.
Before establishing his own business, he worked as a high school teacher, park ranger in Crater Lake National Park, as well as working as a consulting biologist, which led him to establish the company that would eventually become Live Oak Associates. Over the course of his two-plus decades with Live Oak Associates, he’s held the title of president, co-founder, secretary, senior botanist and wetland scientist.
Dave’s work at Live Oak Associates
Dave supervises projects involving general botany, the California flora, wetlands, wildlife issues, and threatened and endangered species, as well as many environmental regulations (CEQA, NEPA, CESA Clean Water Act, Fish and Game Code). On top of that, as one of two principals, Dave shares responsibilities for corporate management.
What Dave enjoys most about working at Live Oak Associates
Dave enjoys a day in the field collecting data related to natural resource issues our clients face. Over the years, he has particularly enjoyed collaborating on a variety of natural resource issues with the staff and business partners who have exposed him to various biological disciplines that he finds to be interesting and useful in the work he does.
While not at work Dave can be found hiking, birding, botanizing, gardening, and traveling both in the states and abroad.
Live Oak Associates provides a comprehensive range of biological consulting services to organizations throughout California. Partner with us to discover how our team can help you with your next project.