San Marcos Unified School District Biological Mitigation
San Marcos Unified School District officials saw opportunity, rather than potential regulatory headaches, when they learned a new elementary school site harbored federally protected wetlands habitat and endangered flora. The district developed ambitious plans to preserve the wetlands and to translocate the plants to a 7.6-acre preserve surrounding the school on two sides.
Project Facts
- San Marcos Unified School District
- San Marcos, California
- 7 acres of wetlands, coastal sage scrub and grassland habitat restored
- 30,000 thread-leaved brodiaea plants translocated
The Challenge
Wetlands preservation and translocation of endangered thread-leaved brodiaea plants were necessary to construct a new elementary school. Obtaining permits became critical as the deadline neared for transplanting the endangered species while they were still in their dormant state. School construction would encounter significant delays if permits were not completed in time to transfer the plants.
The Solution
Dudek and Habitat Restoration Sciences (HRS), our native habitat construction subsidiary, were involved in all aspects of the environmental work. Dudek prepared an EIR, conducted biological surveys, processed permits, developed supporting reports and documentation, and prepared plans and specifications for the habitat restoration and rare plant mitigation in time for the scheduled groundbreaking. HRS implemented grading, plant salvage, transplanting, plant installation, and long-term maintenance. All components of the habitat restoration and rare plant mitigation were successful at the end of the 7-year monitoring period.
Your Success. Our Business.
This District received an Association of Environmental Professionals award recognizing the success of the solution for habitat restoration.
What We Did
- Biological Surveys
- CEQA
- GIS
- Habitat Conservation Planning
- Habitat Restoration and Construction
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
- Site Assessment and Remediation
- Wetlands Permitting
- Landscape Architecture
- NPDES Permitting
- Preserve Management
- Rare Plant Mitigation
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