Jim Burruss

Jim Burruss is a senior environmental scientist with Burns and McDonnell Engineering located in Salt Lake City, UT. Jim has over 30 years of diverse experience in environmental permitting, impact assessments and conducting avian risk assessments on a variety of energy generation and transmission projects including electric transmission and distribution lines, wind power, hydroelectric, and fossil-fuel projects. He has a BS degree in Wildlife Management from Utah State University.

Jim has particular expertise in applications of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and related state resource laws and regulations. Past affiliation with APLIC lead to the development and release of the 2005 Avian Protection Plan Guidelines and Suggested Practices for Avian Protection on Power Lines: State of the Art in 2006. He has also participated on sage-grouse conservation teams assessing impacts associated with construction and maintenance of electric distribution and transmission lines (tall structures). These efforts have resulted in the release of several publications on sage-grouse impact research, research protocol and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for construction and maintenance of “tall structures”.