Project One
Myers Construction Solutions Inc. has prepared Migratory Bird and Bat Protection Plans (MBBPP) for several large transportation projects in Northern California including the Lincoln Bypass on State Route 65 in Placer County. This MBBPP was prepared for contractors for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The project is/was a proposed 11.7 mile, four-lane freeway around the City of Lincoln. The plan included meeting federal regulatory requirements of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA: 16 USC 703-704), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 50, Part 10, and California Department of Fish and Game Codes 3503, 3513 and 3800 regulating the take, possession, transportation, sale and import of wildlife.
During the course of the project, preventive measures were implemented and nesting bird surveys were conducted prior to vegetation and tree removal. Several special status species were observed nesting within a half-mile radius of the project and were closely monitored. When several nests containing eggs and chicks were located within active construction zones, it was quickly determined that the birds were not special status species and both the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were consulted. Ultimately, to avoid unnecessary project delays, the nests and chicks were carefully collected and transported to the Wildlife Care Association at McClellan Air Force Base.
Project Two
Myers Construction Solutions Inc. contracted with the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) on the Lower Scott's Flat Gauging Station Installation Project to assess four special status plant species (Brandegee's clarkia, Norris' beard-moss, Butte County fritillary and brownish beaked rush), and three special status wildlife species (California red-legged frog, northern goshawk and bald eagle) prior to the construction of a new gauging station several hundred feet downstream of the existing structure. Four separate vegetation surveys were conducted during blooming periods, California red-legged frongs were surveyed in three-day and five-night timetables, and two separate nesting raptor surveys, all within a half-mile radius of the project site. The goal of the combined surveys was to assess potential impact on these special status species during construction.
Protocol surveys were conducted for all species, field survey detection reports submitted to the California Natural Diversity Data Base and final reports submitted to NID and USFWS.
Project Three
Myers Construction Solutions and our chief biologist, George Visger, has teamed with The Ranchers Group and is currently engaged in the first of its kind, large-scale mitigation/restoration project with private landowners (over 200,000 acres) in two western states. Our Principal Wildlife Biologist is coordinating with Ducks Unlimited, California Department of Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Conservation and large agricultural operations in California and Oregon to prepare Habitat Management Plans and Grazing Plans, and facilitate funding for habitat restoration projects. These projects incorporate a holistic approach to not only create and restore native habitats, but increase ground water recharge, improve water quality and quantity while increasing Animal Management Units (AMU) per acre, thus increasing the ranches profitability. We are also coordinating with local municipalities and governments to conduct pre impact mitigation on local ranching operations to create additional revenue streams for the ranchers while protecting and enhancing critical habitats.
