Tag Archives: Environmental Planning

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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Best Practices You Need to Know for Effective CEQA Public Noticing

Noticing is sometimes seen as the easy part of CEQA, but the CEQA public noticing process is an alphabet soup of categories and acronyms that isn’t clearly laid out in a single resource. In addition, it’s helpful to be familiar with case law that provides guidance on legally defensible notification, as well as with other

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5 Helpful Steps to Negotiate the Best Permit Conditions for Every Project

Construction delays, tied-up bonding capacity, and extraneous years of site mitigation, monitoring, and maintenance are just a few of the consequences of poorly considered and negotiated permit conditions. Conversely, a thorough, thoughtful permitting strategy can save you time and money. Dudek Habitat Restoration Practice Director Mike Sweesy offers five tips on how to tailor a

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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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7 Tips to Ace the AICP Certification Exam

The AICP certification exam is held twice a year and tests planners critical thinking skills and ability to foresee consequences and mitigate issues in the context of planning throughout the United States. The test covers five topics areas, including Fundamental Planning Knowledge; Plan Making and Implementation; Areas of Practice; Leadership, Administration, and Management; and AICP

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How to Recognize and Manage an Invasive Shot Hole Borer (ISHB) Infestation

Invasive shothole borer (ISHB) is a group of two species of ambrosia beetles that are native to Southwest Asia. Suspected to have first arrived in Southern California in 2003, the beetles were previously misidentified as a less aggressive pest until approximately 2012. Since then, thousands of trees in forests, cities, and residential areas have become

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