What Ecosystem Services does

Ecosystem Services, LLC (operating as "ecos") is a privately held ecological consulting firm headquartered in Erie, Colorado, with a branch office in Longmont, Colorado. Founded in 2008 by restoration ecologists Grant Gurnee and Jon Dauzvardis, the firm delivers a design-build service suite spanning habitat assessment, regulatory compliance and permitting (Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act), ecological master planning, stream and wetland habitat design, bioengineering-based bank stabilization, construction oversight, native plant installation, habitat monitoring, and conservation/mitigation banking. Technical differentiators include soil bioengineering and biotechnical methods for slope and bank stabilization, thalweg and deep pool development for year-round fish habitat, and negotiation of conservation banking instruments with the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The firm serves landowners, guest ranches and resorts, developers, municipalities, counties, watershed coalitions, and state agencies — primarily across Colorado and the broader Intermountain West and Great Plains states (Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, California). Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on direct client engagement, professional association memberships, the quarterly newsletter "The Thalweg," and referrals. Delivery is executed through a small core team supported by a formalized associate network of nine specialty partners covering water resource engineering, wildlife biology, botany, landscape architecture, aquatic assessment, and construction. A flagship strategic partnership with Restoration Systems, LLC positions ecos as ecological consultant on the Front Range Umbrella Mitigation Bank, a channel into large-scale conservation banking for wetlands, streams, and threatened/endangered species including the Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

Revenue mechanics are professional services-based: project-quoted, scope-defined engagements on multi-year contract cycles, with no standardized public pricing. The firm is owner-operated, has no institutional funding, and operates without subsidiaries or a parent company.

Name

Ecosystem Services

Legal name

Ecosystem Services, LLC

Website

https://ecologicalbenefits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecosystem Services, LLC is an Erie, Colorado-based ecological consulting firm founded in 2008 that provides design-build stream, wetland, and riparian habitat restoration, bioengineering, regulatory permitting, and conservation banking services to landowners, ranches, developers, and government agencies across the Intermountain West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Restoration Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK)

Keywords

• Ecological restoration services
• Stream restoration consulting
• Wetland mitigation services
• Habitat design services
• Conservation banking consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ecological Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including habitat assessment, regulatory compliance and permitting, ecological master planning, and expert witness testimony for complex regulatory cases.
2. Stream and Wetland Habitat Design Services: Design services for stream, wetland, and riparian habitat restoration and enhancement projects. Includes concept design through construction-ready specifications.
3. Construction Oversight Services: Active oversight during construction to ensure plans, specifications, design intent, and installation meet quality standards.
4. Native Plant Installation Services: Seasonal planting crew management for native planting projects including earth work coordination, material ordering, and installation oversight.
5. Conservation/Mitigation Banking: Partnership-based mitigation banking where landowners can create and sell mitigation credits. ecos serves as ecological consultant performing optimization analyses, assessment, design, and regulatory negotiation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ecosystem Services, LLC delivers professional ecological consulting for the assessment, planning, design, regulatory permitting, construction oversight, native plant installation, and monitoring of stream, wetland, riparian, and wildlife habitat restoration projects. The firm also operates a conservation/mitigation banking practice that creates and manages mitigation credits for wetlands, streams, and threatened and endangered species, primarily serving landowners, government agencies, developers, and guest ranches across Colorado and the Intermountain West.

Product overview

Ecosystem Services, LLC (ecos) is a ecological consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of habitat restoration and conservation services. The company operates as a service-based business with no software platform or modular product architecture. Core service offerings include Habitat Assessment, Regulatory Compliance and Permitting, Ecological Master Planning, Stream and Wetland Habitat Design, Bank Stabilization (Bioengineering), Construction Oversight, Native Plant Installation, Habitat Monitoring, Conservation Recreation and Sporting Ranch Services, and Conservation Banking. These services work together as an integrated consulting approach — from initial habitat assessment and ecological planning through regulatory permitting, design, construction oversight, and long-term monitoring — providing turn-key solutions for stream restoration, wetland creation, and wildlife habitat enhancement projects primarily in Colorado and the Intermountain West.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Habitat Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of bank treatment remained intact after 100-year flood event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Restoration Systems, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational mitigation banking firm partnered with ecos to establish the Front Range Umbrella Mitigation Bank for wetlands, streams, and T&E species including the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. ecos serves as ecological consultant performing optimization analyses, assessment, design, and regulatory negotiation. This is a flagship partnership for large-scale conservation banking across Colorado's east slope watersheds.
• Bioterra Constructors, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStream, wetland, landscape construction and excavation contractor. Robert (BJ) Urbiztondo, P.E., Owner.
• Western States Reclamation, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSoil science, seeding, planting, remote irrigation systems and construction. David Chenoweth, President, Owner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inter-Fluve: River and wetland restoration consulting firm combining geomorphology, ecology, and engineering for stream and floodplain projects. Highly comparable to ecos on technical scope, project types, and government/developer client mix.
• River Design Group: Specialty river and stream restoration practice offering design, permitting, and construction oversight. Overlaps directly with ecos on stream restoration, bioengineering, and habitat design services for municipal and private clients.
• Biohabitats: Ecological restoration firm offering stream, wetland, and watershed design and construction oversight for public and private clients. Closely comparable to ecos in service mix (assessment, design, bioengineering, monitoring) and in targeting government, conservation, and developer clients.
• Heartland Restoration Services: Wetland and stream mitigation design, construction, and monitoring provider serving the Great Plains and Midwest. Direct comparable to ecos on mitigation banking, regulatory permitting, and habitat design.
• Sustainable Streams: Ecological restoration firm focused on stream and riparian habitat design and construction, including bioengineering methods. Comparable to ecos in service line, methodology, and Western US project footprint.
• Wildlands Engineering: Specializes in stream, river, and wetland restoration with in-house design-build capabilities and bioengineering methods. Direct comparable to ecos in service model, technical approach, and customer segments (municipalities, developers, conservation buyers).

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: International consulting and engineering firm with strong water resources, environmental, and ecological restoration practices. Competes with ecos on large federal, state, and municipal environmental and infrastructure RFPs across the Western US.
• Stantec: Global engineering, environmental, and design firm with extensive ecological restoration and water resources practices. Competes with ecos for integrated municipal, watershed, and developer contracts that bundle planning, engineering, and ecology.
• SWCA Environmental Consultants: Large national environmental consulting firm providing ecological surveys, permitting, restoration, and compliance services. Competes with ecos on government and developer RFPs at the multi-disciplinary, multi-state level.

Emerging players

• Restoration Systems, LLC: National mitigation banking firm and ecos's actual partner on the Front Range Umbrella Mitigation Bank. Comparable as a buyer of ecological consulting services and a developer of conservation banking instruments, though a counterparty rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecosystem Services