Central National Technology Support Center Staff

Matthew R. Judy

Ecologist,
Environmental Compliance Specialist

Updated 01/20/2009

Background

Born November 14, 1957 in Mesquite, TX

Education

BS- Forest Game Management,  Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX (1981)

Experience

• Soil Conservationist, NRCS, Tahoka, TX (1year)
• Forester, NRCS, Conroe, TX (3 years)
• Soil Conservationist, NRCS, Levelland, TX (1year)
• Area Biologist, NRCS, Temple, TX (7 years)
• Wildlife Biologist, NRCS, Northern Plains Region- Watershed Technical Team, Lakewood, CO (6 years)
• Water Program Leader, USFS Rocky- Mountain Regional Office, Lakewood, CO (Temporary assignment)
• Environmental Specialist, NRCS, National Water Management Center, Little Rock, AR (3 years)
• Ecologist, NRCS, Central National Technical Center, TX (Present)

Expertise

• Watershed and Area wide conservation planning
• Ecological processes
• Environmental analysis and document preparation
• Environmental policy
• Conservation practice standards maintenance and development

Bio

A native son of the Lone Star State, Matthew’s interest in the environment began at an early age while hunting, fishing, and exploring the Blackland Prairies on North Texas.

1981 graduate of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas with a degree in Forestry- major course of study in forest wildlife management.

Matthew began Federal service on the High Plains of west Texas with the USDA- Soil Conservation Service in 1982 as a Soil Conservationist at the Tahoka field office. From there, he served as a Soil Conservationist and Forester at the Conroe, Levelland, and Morton, Texas field offices.

In 1988, he relocated to Temple, Texas to serve as Area Biologist where he provided technical assistance to NRCS field offices in 42 counties in central Texas. Here he provided training, developed technologies, and transferred those technologies to NRCS personnel and landowners to conserve and manage terrestrial and aquatic habitats and the species associated with them. A considerable portion of the assistance provided focused on the conservation of endangered and threatened species including education on species life histories, the development of suitable management guidelines, and participating in consultations with the USFWS and landowners.

Matthew left Texas and moved to Colorado in 1995 to serve as the Wildlife Biologist on the NRCS- Northern Plains Regional Watershed Technology Team where he provided leadership and technical assistance to NRCS personnel and local watershed and riparian restoration groups in 7 states. He participated in the development of national training for the Interagency Stream Corridor Restoration Handbook, served as board member and president of the Colorado Riparian Association, and on a temporary assignment to the USFS as the Regional Water Program Leader, for the Rocky Mountain Region. It was here the Matthew became interested in environmental law and became involved in development of national environmental policies and strategies to guide NRCS into the future, in an era of increasing environmental awareness and regulation of NRCS activities.

Then in 2001, he relocated to Little Rock, AR to serve as the Environmental Specialist for the NRCS National Water Management Center. In this position he provided nationwide assistance to NRCS state watershed planning staffs in the development and review of environmental impacts analyses for the NRCS small watershed and watershed rehabilitation programs. He also served as principle editor for the development of the NRCS National Environmental Compliance Handbook and participated in the development of National Programmatic Environmental Assessments for Farm Bill programs administered by NRCS.

After a 10 year hiatus from the homeland, Matthew moved back to Texas in 2004 to join the NRCS National Technology Support Center in Fort Worth as an Ecologist. As a member of the national staff, he continues to provide technical support and training to NRCS national and state offices on environmental and policy issues affecting the nations working agricultural lands. He also assists with numerous special projects including national environmental analyses, programmatic endangered species consultations, and development and transfer of environmental technologies.

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