Situation

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), District 1, began the construction of a new freeway to bypass the city of Willits, California. The project footprint runs through environmentally sensitive floodways and wetlands habitat. For the project to continue construction and for use beyond the opening, mitigation measures needed to be taken and continued on any sensitive species, plant, or animal, affected by the construction. Mitigation of affected species is ongoing through Caltrans-owned property with suitable conditions to be used for the mitigated species. 

Action

Soar Environmental conducts annual monitoring surveys for the mitigation areas of the project. These surveys include wetland and rare plant surveys, riparian and oak woodland surveys, and invasive species surveys. 

Results

The surveys conducted by Soar biologists has helped to keep the project in compliance with CEQA/NEPA guidelines and regional and local regulations, as well as to ensure that the sensitive species placed in these mitigation areas experience no adverse effects to their insertion into the mitigation area.