About Liesel Fenstermaker: Malacologist & Project Manager
Liesel Fenstermaker serves as a malacologist and project manager at EnviroScience, where she supports the Malacology Team with survey planning, habitat assessments, and regulatory compliance for freshwater mussel projects throughout the Midwest and Appalachian regions. Since joining EnviroScience in 2024, she has contributed to a range of high-profile efforts, including mussel relocation, biological resource assessments, and compliance with 401/404 sections of the Clean Water Act.
Liesel holds survey permits for Ohio Groups 1 and 3 streams, as well as West Virginia Groups 1 through 4. Her work plays a critical role in helping clients meet state and federal environmental compliance requirements tied to construction, stream restoration, and water infrastructure improvements. She is known for her methodical approach in the field, ability to manage multi-phase endangered species relocation programs, and commitment to protecting sensitive aquatic species.
Areas of Expertise
Liesel’s technical background includes conducting qualitative and quantitative freshwater mussel surveys, habitat evaluations using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), and Stream Quality Monitoring (SQM) protocols, as well as the development and implementation of relocation strategies for threatened and endangered species. She brings field-based leadership to large-scale aquatic ecology consulting efforts, communicating findings clearly to regulatory agencies, clients, and stakeholders.
Her work regularly supports environmental documentation and permitting deliverables under the Clean Water Act. Liesel’s role reflects EnviroScience’s integrated team model, where biologists, GIS analysts, and permitting experts collaborate in-house to deliver efficient, regulator-trusted solutions.
Project Experience
Liesel has contributed to mussel surveys and relocation work in rivers and streams across New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. She led relocation planning and fieldwork for the Leavittsburg Dam Removal on the Mahoning River, managed post-season data compilation for the Ohio Large River Contaminants Project, and coordinated survey and salvage operations for infrastructure projects on Clearcreek and Big Darby Creek.
As part of the French Creek Bridge Replacement in Pennsylvania, Liesel assisted in the relocation of more than 7,000 live mussels, including the tagging of hundreds of threatened and endangered (T&E) individuals in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and state wildlife agencies. Earlier in her career, she supported the Columbus Metro Parks with multi-taxa biological inventories covering mussels, fish, macroinvertebrates, amphibians, bats, and birds.
These projects support both conservation goals and development timelines—balancing ecological integrity with infrastructure progress.
Education & Certifications
Liesel earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from The Ohio State University with a major in Animal Sciences and minors in Forestry, Fisheries & Wildlife, as well as Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. She is a USFWS-qualified mussel biologist and holds the following field and safety credentials:
- Ohio Mussel Survey Permit – Groups 1 & 3
- West Virginia Mussel Survey Permit – Groups 1–4
- HAZWOPER 40-Hour Certification
- OSHA 10-Hour General Industry
- QHEI Level 1c Certification
- Macroinvertebrate Level 1 Certification
- ODNR Chainsaw Safety Certification
- SDI Open Water Diver
- Red Cross First Aid and CPR
Professional Affiliations
Liesel is a board member of the Ohio Native Fish Coalition, where she leads outreach efforts that promote the conservation of native species through hands-on programming, agency collaboration, and community education.
When she isn’t working with native species, Liesel enjoys a variety of creative endeavors in her spare time—from painting to wood carving, glasswork, and everything in between.
Looking for freshwater mussel regulatory guidance?
Contact our nationally recognized Malacology Team today to discover how we can help you meet your aquatic resource goals and support your freshwater resource project—on time and in compliance.
Few environmental firms in the country retain EnviroScience’s degree of scientific know-how, talent, and capability under one roof. The diverse backgrounds of our biologists, environmental engineers, scientists, and divers enable us to provide comprehensive in-house services and an integrated approach to solving environmental challenges—saving clients time, reducing costs, and ensuring high-quality results.
Our client guarantee is to provide “Excellence in Any Environment,” meaning no matter what we do, we will deliver on our Core Values of respect, client advocacy, quality work, accountability, teamwork, and safety. EnviroScience was created with the concept that we could solve complex problems by empowering great people. This concept still holds true today as our scientists explore the latest environmental legislation and regulations and incorporate the most up-to-date technology to gather and report data.
EnviroScience expertise includes but is not limited to aquatic surveys (including macroinvertebrate surveys and biological assessments); ecological restoration; ecological services (including impact assessments, invasive species control, and water quality monitoring); emergency response; engineering and compliance services; endangered mussel surveys; laboratory and analysis; stormwater management; sustainability services; threatened and endangered species; and wetlands and streams (including delineation and mitigation). Further, EnviroScience is one of the few biological firms in the country that is a general member of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and offers full-service commercial diving services.