ECORP is proud to be expanding our paleontological resources practice to include a group of professionally qualified individuals who are available to meet all our clients’ needs. Our staff is experienced with agency requirements on both state and federal levels, and we adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP). Our Principal Paleontologist meets the qualifications for Qualified Professional Paleontologist as defined in the Standard Procedures for the Assessment and Mitigation of Adverse Impacts to Paleontological Resources by the SVP.
Meet ECORP’s Principal Paleontologist – Niranjala Kottachchi, MS
Niranjala Kottachchi is a geologist with over 15 years of experience in paleontology. She specializes in conducting field surveys, construction monitoring, and fossil preservation and identification in both a field and lab environment. Her skills include preparation of plans and reports that identify, evaluate, and mitigate paleontological resource impacts in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act/National Environmental Policy Act (CEQA/NEPA) and SVP standards, and in compliance with various state and local agency standards. Her project experience is wide ranging, and includes urban development, transportation and energy infrastructure, renewable energy, communication, and waste management projects throughout California. Her most substantial work has been for Fresno State University, monitoring and supervising excavation and recovery of Pleistocene vertebrates at the Fairmead Landfill Fossil Site north of Madera, California. In addition to her experience with working with Pleistocene vertebrate fossils, she has worked with soft-bodied organisms and foraminifera (micro-fossils) in reconstructing past climates, environments, and geography of continents. She has conducted paleontological workshops for individuals looking to have cross-trained experience in archaeology and paleontology.
ECORP has established relationships with accredited state facilities qualified to conduct paleontological records searches and to house paleontological resources found on project sites, including the Western Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the University of California Museum of Paleontology Berkeley. In addition to local city and county municipalities, we have established strong relationships with federal and state agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and California Department of Transportation.
With offices in Chico, Rocklin, San Diego, Santa Ana, Redlands, New Mexico, and Arizona, we are well staffed to accommodate any paleontological service needed. Both our Rocklin and Santa Ana offices have labs equipped with the ability to prepare fossils once delivered from the field as well as the equipment needed to screen and pick for microvertebrates. We will take on all the needs of a project from the beginning and follow it through to the end in a timely and cost-efficiently manner.
- Museum Record Searches, Online Database Searches, and Literature Searches
- Geologic Map Reviews (California Geological Survey and United States Geological Survey)
- GIS Mapping of Paleontological Sensitive Areas
- Geological and Paleontological Pedestrian Surveys and Assessments
- Mitigation Plans in support of NEPA and CEQA
- Construction Monitoring
- Onsite Fossil Salvaging
- Fossil Preparation
- Fossil Curation
- Final Environmental Reporting
For more information, please contact Niranjala Kottachchi at (916) 708-5330
