Category Archives: Resource Management

Western Joshua Tree Listing Status under the California ESA

On February 8, 2023, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) considered several items, including the petition to list the western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s status review report; and comments received to potentially determine whether listing the tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) is

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How Studying Paleolakes Can Help Us Understand Climate and Cultural Change

The arid lands of western North America contain many dry lake beds that typically hold water for only a few weeks or months of the year. However, at various times in the past, when precipitation was more abundant and evaporation was less severe, these areas (paleolakes) were inundated to create large and relatively stable inland

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Bumble Bees May Soon Be Eligible for Listing under the California Endangered Species Act

What is the current listing status for California bumble bees? On May 31, 2022, the Third Appellate Court District in California ruled that “…a terrestrial invertebrate, like each of the four bumble bee species, may be listed as an endangered or threatened species under the [California Endangered Species Act],” under the definition of ‘fish.’ This

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3 Reasons you Need a Protected Species Observer to Ensure Marine Project Success

From November 1 through March 31, manatees migrate south from along the Eastern Seaboard, seeking warmer waters off the coast of Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico. During these five months, manatee presence in the area increases significantly, so many in-water construction activities must be halted. In 2021, an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) was

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7 Tips to Help You Manage Spring Biology Surveys this Year

Every spring biology survey is slightly different. While some species—plants and butterflies to name two—have variable survey seasons, others have well-established or federally mandated survey seasons. Missing a survey window can adversely impact a project’s schedule. Working closely with project biologists can help identify biological constraints early in the process, helping a project stay on

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Buena Vista Creek Restoration Improves Ecosystem Services and Fosters Community Stewardship

Throughout California, riparian habitat and water resources are threatened by the effects of climate change and continued population growth. Buena Vista Creek in Oceanside, California is one such place. The creek has been highly fragmented due to development and contains engineered creek segments, which has degraded native habitat, decreased native riparian and freshwater wetlands, and

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Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog Listing Status under the California and Federal ESA

On December 28, 2021, the USFWS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register listing four of six Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) under the Endangered Species Act. This follows the 2020 listing by the California Fish and Game Commission of five of six clades of the foothill yellow-legged

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Hermes Copper Butterfly Listed as a Threatened Species: What that Means for Your Projects

On December 21, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officially published the final listing rule for the Hermes copper butterfly (Lycaena [Hermelycaena] hermes), designating it as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As the species is endemic to San Diego County and northern Baja California, Mexico, the final rule designates

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Protecting Plants while Protecting the Planet: Approaches to Bolster Narrowly Endemic Plant Species

To address and reverse global effects caused by a rapidly changing climate, various industries have emerged that are leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions though alternative energy production. However, sometimes alternative energy projects which are focused on issues global in scale, run into issues protecting sensitive narrow endemic plant species at the local scale

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