B.S., Botanist
Mr. Kelsey is an agronomist and vegetation ecologist with over 20 years’ experience. His background includes botanical work, vegetation assessment, geologic work (specifically particle analysis and distribution in sedimentary deposits), soil assessments, and geo-morphologic descriptions including associated plant communities. Mr. Kelsey received his degree in Agronomy from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 1978.
Working as a botanist, Mr. Kelsey has conducted floristic surveys in conjunction with mined land reclamation plans, and rare plant surveys involving vernal pool, annual grassland, and oak woodland habitats in the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent Sierra foothills. Mr. Kelsey participated in the botanical field surveys for the ecological study of eastern Merced County’s vernal pool landscapes. Mr. Kelsey has prepared reclamation plans which have been approved under the State of California Surface Mine and Reclamation Act and continues to actively advise on such projects. Mr. Kelsey’s expertise in the area of biomorphology is a result of extensive fieldwork, since 1989, involving geologic assessments in the lower Sierra Nevada foothills, identification of their associated soil types, and plant inventories in those areas. He has worked with landowners involving grant proposals, habitat and land form characterizations, plant surveys, regional conservation planning, mitigation banking and conservation easements. In 1992, Mr. Kelsey founded Merced River Mining & Reclamation Corp., a company which specializes in aggregate production from dredge tailings, reclamation of mined ground, and botanical reports. He has worked with botanists conducting rare plant and floristic inventories and bio-geographic research projects involving yearly data collection at project sites.
Mr. Kelsey currently is a Director on the East Merced County Resource Conservation District. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Merced County Farm Bureau.