Biological Resources

San Diego, California

RECON prepared the Environmental Impact Report and biological studies for the 389-acre Meadowood Specific Plan located within the Fallbrook community of the county of San Diego. The project included 867 single- and multi-family units, an elementary school, a neighborhood park, pocket parks, multi-use trails, water and wastewater facilities, and extensive open space. This project involved complex biological issues that required frequent and consistent coordination across multiple agencies in order to obtain agency approvals. RECON successfully obtained agency permits including a Biological Opinion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Section 7 process), a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit, a Regional Water Quality Control Board 401 permit, and a California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1602 permit. RECON also supported mitigation planning for the project, including development of a Resource Management Plan, assisting with completion of the Conservation Easement, and providing management support to obtain a third-party entity to manage the open space and establish an endowment. RECON is also providing compliance monitoring and tracking to ensure that project construction and implementation satisfies all necessary requirements associated with the project’s biological permits and Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program.

San Diego, California

RECON prepared an Environmental Impact Report and technical studies for the Campus Pointe project, which entails intensifying an existing 463,791-square-foot scientific research and development facility by constructing up to three new buildings and up to three additional parking structures within the University Community Plan area in San Diego, California. In support of the Environmental Impact Report, RECON prepared a biological technical report in accordance with the City of San Diego biology guidelines. The report addressed potential adjacency issues to the City of San Diego’s Multi-Habitat Planning Area and involved processing both a boundary line adjustment and correction with the Wildlife Agencies as well providing a formal presentation to the University Planning Group to address concerns related to adjacency issues. Through successful negotiation of the boundary line adjustment process, RECON was able to obtain the necessary approvals for the project to expand its footprint while ensuring consistency with the City of San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program.

San Diego, California

RECON has been providing biological, restoration, and archaeological services for the City of San Diego’s La Media Road Improvement Project. The purpose of the project is to make improvements to La Media Road and Airway Road in the Otay Mesa community to ease traffic congestion and address water overflow issues that periodically affect these two roadways. RECON biologists and archaeologists worked closely with City of San Diego staff and the project engineering team to minimize environmental impacts and to support the permitting and approval of this important project. The project site supports a number of sensitive biological resources, including City of San Diego Multi-Habitat Planning Area preserve, wetland habitats, rare birds, and vernal pools containing endangered plant and wildlife species. RECON engaged in negotiations with various resource agencies to propose both onsite and offsite mitigation strategies and assisted the City of San Diego in obtaining necessary permits for project approval.

San Diego, California

The Otay Regional Trail Alignment Study was a multi-jurisdictional planning effort to ensure a coordinated and sustainable trail system over 70,000 acres in southern San Diego County. RECON assisted the County of San Diego staff in preparing a trails master plan, which involved a complex planning process to satisfy the requirements of agency partners including the City of Chula Vista, Otay Water District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, the City of San Diego, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. To support initial trail planning, RECON conducted an extensive constraints analysis of existing databases, studies, and other literature to identify potential resource constraints and developed trail siting and design criteria to ensure consistency with each agency’s policies related to biological resources and trail design. RECON also integrated agency and stakeholder input throughout development of the trails master plan by assisting in the planning and implementation of two public workshops to gather public input on the trail system and providing technical support at numerous meetings with agency stakeholders to assist with resource avoidance during design. Following the identification of conceptual alignments, RECON conducted biological surveys of selected alignments to document biological resource constraints and evaluate feasibility with design and construction. By integrating biological constraints analysis through each phase of the design, RECON was able to assist the County of San Diego and agency partners in meeting the project’s goal of providing a quality recreational experience while balancing the need to protect sensitive environmental resources.

Oceanside, California

RECON is providing biological and permitting services for the Coast Highway Bridge, a Federal Highway Administration-funded project in Oceanside, California. Due to the project’s location in the resource-rich San Luis Rey River, RECON biologists and teaming partners conducted a range of biological surveys to evaluate potential project impacts, including general biological surveys, vegetation mapping and focused surveys for rare plants, wetlands, and sensitive wildlife species such as tidewater goby, southern steelhead, least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, light-footed Ridgway's rail, and bat species. RECON also led preparation of a biological assessment to support Section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as preparation of a natural environment study to support review by the California Department of Transportation. RECON also prepared an Aquatic Resources Delineation Report which identified federal and state waters within the project area, including coastal wetlands. Using the results of the delineation, RECON assisted the client in evaluating different project scenarios and developing a permitting strategy to meet project goals.

Moreno Valley, California

RECON assisted Eastern Municipal Water District (District) by preparing an environmental constraints analysis of their Steeplechase Booster Pump Station project within the city of Moreno Valley, California. This included the preparation of an Environmental Initial Study covering four potential project sites and the subsequent preparation of a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the selected site. RECON biologists conducted surveys of each alternative and ranked each in terms of potential impacts and mitigation needs. By identifying potential environmental impacts early in the site selection and project design process, RECON was able to assist the District in avoiding the need for regulatory permits and support the District’s goal of increasing pumping capacity to provide system capacity and reliability.