The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the former Fort Ord Army Base with a “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” award. These awards recognize innovative thinking and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners and developers that has led to noteworthy restoration and reuse of federal facility Superfund sites. The base, which is managed by the U.S. Army and had been a training facility since World War I, closed in 1994. The closure created an opportunity to repurpose the 28,000-acre base. Its many new uses include:
- California State University Monterey Bay campus
- Fort Ord National Monument and Dunes State Park
- California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery
- Retail center, residential developments, and VA outpatient clinic
Burleson Consulting, Inc. has contributed to Fort Ord’s Site Reuse for more than ten years by providing biological support services. Habitat restoration and biological surveys are required following munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) cleanup operations. We provide biologists, restoration specialists, ecologists, statisticians, and watershed scientists to facilitate Army compliance with ESA requirements established under the Installation-Wide Multispecies Habitat Management Plan (HMP).
Since 2009, Burleson has conducted habitat restoration, biological monitoring, erosion control, team, agency and open house meetings, and other activities to support recovery of sensitive species and Central Coast Maritime Chaparral habitat at former Fort Ord.
We have completed habitat restoration within approximately 6,000 acres of Site 39 Inland Ranges, including propagation of several “hard to grow” native maritime chaparral plant species. Burleson has also performed vegetation surveys in areas pre and post controlled burn, performed special-status wildlife surveys (California Tiger Salamander, Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp), wetland vegetation surveys, hydrology surveys, erosion control installation, and post restoration survivorship monitoring and surveys. We support the Army every year at an Annual Meeting where we provide statistical recovery information to USFWS, CDFW, EPA, and DTSC for habitat recovery post-remediation.
“This national recognition is thanks to many professionals who have worked tirelessly to ensure the cleanup protects human health and the environment and supports the reuse identified by the local communities,” said Bill Collins, Fort Ord BRAC Environmental Coordinator, U.S. Army. “The Army appreciates the continued collaboration and cooperation among the EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Fort Ord Reuse Authority which have made the successful redevelopment and reuse of the former Fort Ord possible.”