Martin Rasnick

Martin Rasnick was a brilliant biologist, a compassionate leader, and an advocate for doing impactful work with an emphasis on quality and doing the work right. In Martin’s tenure with FCS, his impact was immediate and will be long lasting.

Martin brought more than 26 years of professional experience in project management, regulatory permitting/support, and jurisdictional delineation services to FCS. He was well versed in various federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations, including CEQA and NEPA, proficient in environmental entitlements, mitigation monitoring, and mitigation design. An expert in preparing regulatory permits, developing a range of environmental reports and assessments, and conducting site investigations, habitat analysis, and biological surveys, Martin supported a range of projects requiring wetland delineations, CEQA documentation, entitlement processing, and mitigation and construction monitoring throughout Southern California municipalities in Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties, as well as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Washington. 

Martin also conducted mitigation monitoring in freshwater marsh, riparian wetlands, vernal pools, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland habitats, and prepared habitat restoration plans and designs, having supported the implementation of various restoration projects. He was an expert in a wide variety of technical biological work, supporting projects that require coordination with agencies including the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the California Coastal Commission, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). He conducted Section 7 consultations, and prepared and processed numerous permit applications, modifications, and amendments pursuant to Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act, Section 1602 of the CDFW, and Section 13260 of the California Water Code.

Martin was never afraid to ask questions; always learning and looking for opportunities to improve himself and FCS. Despite often being the smartest guy in the room, he conducted himself with humility and humor, always approachable and always happy to break things down for those not as close to the subject matter as he was. Whether educating our teams about mitigation banking, telling a story about his beloved dog, talking with pride about our growing Natural Resources team, or reminiscing about trips to South America, time with Martin was time well-spent. His passion was contagious.

We have an opportunity to learn from the examples Martin set and honor his legacy with the highest regard, fostering our personal relationships, taking pride in our impactful work, and smiling.