Biological resource assessment is a significant component of environmental impact assessment and permitting that is routinely required by both federal and State law to protect endangered and threatened species against "incidental take." Aspen conducts biological surveys and analyses of data for environmental impact assessments, performs endangered species consultations, and prepares biological mitigation and habitat restoration plans.

• Biological Assessments and Evaluations under State and Federal Endangered Species Acts (e.g., consultation and incidental take provisions of the Federal Endangered Species Act, Sections 7 and 10, and the California Endangered Species Act, Section 2080-2089)
• Surveys and mapping of special status plants, wildlife, and natural communities
• Analysis of biological and environmental data to define existing conditions and project changes due to proposed actions.
• Biological resources impact assessment and mitigation planning and monitoring
• Environmental Impact Statements and Reports in support of NEPA and CEQA, as well as NEPA Environmental Assessments and CEQA Initial Studies/Negative Declarations

• Vegetation Mapping
  

  Aspen has conducted vegetation mapping throughout the southwestern United Sates, including California and Arizona, over areas from as small as a few acres to vegetation communities over many square miles for impact assessments, resource management plans or long-term monitoring. We routinely apply remote sensing and georeferencing techniques and can define simple or complex data collection protocols depending on the objectives of the mapping effort.

  • Lower Colorado River Vegetation Mapping
  • Angeles National Forest Vegetation and Fuels Management
  • San Luis Rey River Vegetation Mapping
  • Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project
  • Whitewater Habitat Mapping
  • Prado Basin


• Biological Impact Assessment
  
  
  • Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project
  • Prado Basin, Reach 9, and Norco Bluffs SEIS/EIR
  • Simulation of Natural Flows in Middle Piru Creek EIR
  • Piru Creek Erosion Control and Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project
  • San Luis Rey River Biological Assessment
  • Phase 1: Murrieta Creek Flood Control/Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project
  • Seven Oaks Dam Biological Assessment, San Bernardino County, CA


• Habitat Evaluation and Functional Assessment (HGM)
  
  
  • Phase 1: Murrieta Creek Flood Control/Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project


• Sensitive Species Surveys

  Aspen has completed surveys and habitat evaluations for a number of special status species as evidenced by the following projects. Because the southwestern U.S. has a large number of special status species, Aspen has an established working relationship with a full range of species experts to complement the expertise of our staff.

  • Murrieta Creek Phase I Restoration Project, Temecula California
  • Piru Creek Erosion Control and Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project
  • Mojave Siphon and Silverwood Lake Arroyo Toad Survey and Habitat Assessment
  • Angeles Forest Vegetation and Fuels Management
  • Bull Trout and Sediment Analysis
  • Tanque Verde Creek, Tucson, AZ
  • Border Lighting, Fencing, Roadways Final Environmental Assessment
  • Spineflower Surveys, Seven Oaks Dam


• Biological Mitigation Development and Monitoring

  Aspen has prepared several EISs and EIRs where sensitive biological resources were a pivotal issue and has developed a range of biological mitigation measures and implementation monitoring protocols.

  • Level 3 Communications Infrastructure Project
  • PG&E Line 401 Capacity Loops Project
  • Phase 1: Murrieta Creek Flood Control/Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project
  • SCE Valley-Auld Transmission Line Project
  • Northeast San Jose Transmission Reinforcement Project
  • Tri-Valley Capacity Increase Project
  • Kinder Morgan Carson-to-Norwalk Pipeline
  • Fort Irwin, CA Mitigation Implementation Plan
  • Twenty-nine Palms MCAGCC Waterline Construction Tortoise Mitigation
  • Gaviota Marine Terminal SEIR/EIS
  • Pacific Pipeline Project


• Interdisciplinary Documents and Technical Appendices:

  Aspen prepared and reviewed biological resource sections for numerous environmental documents pertaining to major pipelines, transmission lines, and power plant assessments for the California Energy Commission and successfully designed mitigation to reduce biological impacts to a less-than-significant level using measures field-tested under our extensive mitigation monitoring programs.