Habitat Restoration, Conservation, and Land Management Services
ECORP is very experienced in providing Habitat Restoration, Conservation, and Land Management Services. Whether working on a restoration-oriented project or a construction project that requires habitat mitigation, ECORP manages projects through the entirety of their lifespan, conducts due diligence assessments and initial biological surveys, prepares associated permitting and permit compliance documentation throughout construction, and designs impact mitigation plans to protect sensitive resources such as wetlands and other aquatic resources, special-status species, and protected habitat types.
Riparian woodland and mulefat scrub plantings at Devil’s Gate before habitat restoration in 2021
and after habitat restoration 2022.
Habitat Restoration Services
ECORP plans, coordinates, and implements restoration projects to improve fish and wildlife habitats, restore native ecosystems, and mitigate impacts resulting from construction projects or new land-use operations. As a leader in the creation and re-establishment of vernal pool habitats, we work on a diverse range of restoration projects in habitats including coastal sage scrub in San Diego County, desert scrub in the Mojave Desert, oak woodlands and needlegrass grassland in the Central Valley, and anadromous fish habitat and riparian vegetation in the Feather River.
We offer Habitat Restoration Services for:
- Constructability review and feasibility studies
- Preparation of restoration/mitigation/enhancement plans that include planting palettes, performance standards, and monitoring methods
- Working with resource agency staff to obtain plan approval
- Working with or subcontracting restoration practitioners to implement the restoration plan
- Collection of native seeds or vernal pool inoculum for use in restoration
- Monitoring restoration success according to the restoration plan and preparing annual reports
- Coordinating with resource agency staff to obtain concurrence that restoration/mitigation is complete
We offer cutting-edge technology to augment restoration design and monitoring, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS/drone) photo and video collection, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial analysis including lidar-based watershed analysis, and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to non-invasively detect species presence in waterways.
Habitat Conservation Services
ECORP’s Conservation Services center around the protection of valuable natural habitats through legal mechanisms such as conservation easements and long-term management. We provide Conservation Services both to landowners who are seeking to earn income while protecting their property, ranch, or farm in perpetuity, as well as to project proponents seeking land for mitigation purposes.
We offer Habitat Conservation Services for:
- Assessing properties for conservation value in terms of habitat for special-status species and potential to serve as mitigation for project impacts.
- “Matchmaking” between project proponents seeking land for mitigation purposes and landowners seeking to sell conservation easements (turnkey mitigation)
- Preparation of preserve management plans (also called Long Term Management Plans, Operations and Management Plans, Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plans, or Natural Resource Management Plans)
- Drafting conservation easements and facilitating the conservation easement recordation process
- Preparing Bank Enabling Instruments for proposed mitigation banks, and managing credit sales
Land Management Services
After a conservation site (preserve, mitigation bank, or open space area) is established, ECORP provides the following Land Management Services:
- Monitoring according to management plans, and preparing annual reports
- Providing management recommendations regarding habitat restoration, invasive species management, special-status species, etc.
- Coordinating with contractors for maintenance of the preserve (e.g. for grazing)
- Facilitating turnover of preserves to Cities/Counties or land trusts for management in perpetuity
ECORP’s Relationships with Regulatory Agencies
Over the last 35 years of operation, ECORP has developed robust professional relationships with the resource agencies that review and approve restoration and conservation projects, including:
- CA Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW)
- California Coastal Commission
- California Energy Commission
- US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- US Bureau of Land Management
- US Forest Service
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
- Regional Water Quality Control Boards
- Local city/county/state government entities
Regional Habitat Conservation Plans and their implementing agencies, including:
- South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan
- Placer County Conservation Plan
- Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan
- San Joaquin Multi-Species Conservation Plan
- Western Riverside Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan
- San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program Plan
- Coachella Valley Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan
- Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
These agencies have a high level of trust and respect for our professional staff and work products, and know that all ECORP Project Managers are also biologists, with expertise in their relative fields.
Learn More about ECORP’s Habitat Restoration, Conservation, and Land Management Services
ECORP’s Habitat Restoration, Conservation, and Land Management Services can be provided as standalone services, but are most often performed after significant amounts of previous work on your project, including detailed habitat and biological surveys, permit applications, agency negotiations, and a deep understanding of regulatory and environmental compliance related to your project.
Contact ECORP today to discuss your project and learn more about our Restoration and Land Management Services.