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Project 8
Wetland Restoration and Monitoring Plan and
Vegetation Monitoring Plan
Former Fort Ord, California
Burleson was retained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop updated plans for Vegetation Monitoring and Wetland Restoration and Monitoring at the former Fort Ord army installation. Project activities included site visits, team meetings, report and data review, and plan preparation.
Vegetation Monitoring Plan. Burleson reviewed vegetation monitoring data collected at remediation sites since 1995 and compared the data to successive species characteristics to develop success criteria for recovery of maritime chaparral and special status annual species following remediation. Vegetation at the former Fort Ord is generally cleared from areas prior to conducting remediation activities by burning or cutting. Monitoring had generally been occurring before vegetation clearing then following remediation after two years, four years, and annually thereafter, with no endpoint specified. Burleson reduced the sampling frequency significantly (1, 2, and 5 years for special status annual species) and established success criteria to reach an endpoint.
Wetland Monitoring and Restoration Plan. Burleson updated the Wetland Monitoring and Restoration Plan that provides measures to minimize impacts on wetlands during munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) and contaminated soil remedial actions. The plan detailed reasonable and prudent measures established by the USFWS to protect California Tiger Salamanders (CTS) as well as measures to minimize wetland disturbance to be followed during remediation activities. The plan detailed monitoring activities to be conducted for any disturbed wetland to evaluate functional characteristics addressing hydrology, species diversity, and wildlife usage. Corrective action measures were also presented in the event that performance standards were not met.
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