Cord's expertise includes: environmental planning and project permitting; aquatic and terrestrial ecological surveys; endangered species surveys; Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) under CEQA and NEPA; Biological Assessments and Environmental Assessments (EAs); environmental oversight/monitoring of construction projects; state and federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations; wetland delineation and permitting; and wetland mitigation. He has provided services to both the private and public sectors—including telecommunications, utilities, oil and gas, and residential and commercial development.

Cord has adeptly handled planning, permitting, and construction-monitoring projects throughout California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the northeastern United States. He has managed and prepared innumerable environmental documents required to satisfy local, state, and federal agencies. And he has consulted and successfully negotiated with a variety of agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

Particularly skilled in wetlands ecology, permitting, and mitigation, Cord is well versed in the ecology of wetlands in the western and northeastern United States, and he has proficiently prepared countless assessments and evaluations of these resources. He has produced numerous wetland permits and has been involved in several challenging mitigation projects.