Chester Anderson received his B.A. in Ecology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his M.S. in Entomology from Cornell University. He has conducted consulting work for more than 15 years in water quality and agricultural systems and is adept at finding water quality solutions that enhance the efficiency and productivity of the farm while satisfying regulatory requirements. Chester has experience in a broad geographic area with involvement in numerous stream monitoring and research efforts in Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Utah, and for the Pine Lands Commission in New Jersey. In 1995, he created B.U.G.S. Consulting, a full service bio-assessment and water quality monitoring firm with a range of clients from tribes, states, farmers, stakeholder groups and municipalities to partner consulting firms in the private sector. Chester has personally overseen the development of aquatic bioassessment protocols in order to quantify the effects of nutrient enrichment on stream ecosystems and the effects of remediation of mine sites and farm systems on stream ecosystems. 

 In 2004 Chester co-founded the La Boca Center for Sustainability, a non-profit dedicated to sustainable agriculture, which was located on an 180 acre farm and ranch in southwestern Colorado. The non-profit oversaw a number of projects designed to reduce the impacts of grazing, crops, and other agricultural systems on water quality. He administered an intern program as well as numerous grants and recently graduated from a soil-food web class with Dr. Elaine Ingham. Through the ‘La Boca as a Growing Partner’ program, Chester oversaw the development of a Food Security Assessment for La Plata County, CO.

 Email: chester@bugsconsulting.com