Burrowing Owl Regulatory Compliance Plan
The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) needed a protocol to comply with burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) regulations during construction and maintenance. Dudek developed a comprehensive compliance plan and other training resources to support the District’s operations while protecting the owls.
Project Facts
- Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
- Riverside County, CA
- Compliance plan addresses burrowing owls, currently a candidate species for threatened or endangered status in CA
- Includes survey protocol, a WEAP training module, and covers 2,700 square miles
The Challenge
The District needed to carry out essential activities like vegetation clearing, grading, mowing, and erosion control, all of which posed risks to burrowing owl populations. The project’s goal was to create a plan that enabled these necessary operations to proceed without harming the owls.
The Solution
Dudek biology and compliance experts developed a comprehensive plan including guidance for field staff and managers on how to identify burrowing owl habitat, a time- and cost-effective survey protocol, and a worker environmental awareness program (WEAP) training module.
The Impact
Given the burrowing owl’s candidacy for threatened or endangered status in California, this compliance plan is crucial. It ensures that maintenance staff can work within owl habitats while adhering to regulations, and it provides targeted training to staff to identify and protect burrowing owls.
What We Did
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