Projects
CRE clients consist of private individuals, corporations, and public agencies such as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Mateo County Parks Department, Port of San Francisco, City and County of San Francisco Public Works Department, Pacific Gas, and Electric, San Mateo County Public Works Department, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mission Blue Butterfly and San Bruno Elfin Butterfly Monitoring Program, SFPUC Watershed, CA
CLIENT: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
CRE biologists conduct annual monitoring for Mission blue butterfly and San Bruno elfin butterfly on the SFPUC Peninsula watershed. CRE staff conduct egg, larval, and adult surveys throughout the watershed from February to July each year, starting in 2017 to the present. Surveys involve surveying over 150 host plant locations within the San Francisco Peninsula Watershed for the presence of Mission blue butterfly, and approximately 10 known host plant locations for the San Bruno Elfin. The data from these surveys is used to gain an understanding of the population status of both species and guide management decisions.
On-Call Professional Services, San Mateo County Parks
CLIENT: San Mateo County Parks Department
As part of the On-Call Professional Services for the County of San Mateo Parks Department, Coast Ridge Ecology has provided a variety of biological monitoring services including monitoring nesting peregrine falcons at Devil’s Slide, surveys for bats and monitoring of California red-legged frogs at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and restoration planning and monitoring of coastal meadow habitat restoration at Pigeon Point Bluffs. In addition, CRE has conducted monitoring for California red-legged frog, San Francisco garter snake, and San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat for culvert repair and replacement projects along Sawyer Camp Trail and in San Pedro County Park.
On-Call Professional Services, San Mateo County Public Works
CLIENT: San Mateo County Public Works Department
CRE conducted pre-construction surveys and monitoring for the removal of an inactive service road and the installation of a new 0.9-mile segment of the Crystal Springs Regional Trail for the Crystal Springs Regional Trail (CSRT) South of Dam Project. CRE conducted pre-construction assessments for special status species, including California red-legged frog, San Francisco garter snake, and western pond turtle; submeter GPS mapping of San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat middens, active bird nests, and populations of Crystal springs lessingia, and monitoring for special status species during brush clearing, grubbing, and trail construction activities.
Eelgrass Surveys, San Francisco, CA
CLIENT: Port of San Francisco
CRE biologists conducted eelgrass surveys for the Port of San Francisco in the shallow waters surrounding Heron's Head (India Basin and Lash Lighter Basin) in accordance with NOAA's 2014 California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy and Implementing Guidelines (CEMP). Surveys were conducted in accordance with the US Army Corps of Engineers 2018 Components of a Complete Eelgrass Delineation and Characterization Report (Tier 1 Surveys). CRE biologists conducted shoreline and shallow water transect surveys at low tide, documenting the spatial distribution of eelgrass habitat in accordance with the CEMP. Data included: percent eelgrass cover, turion density, and the average height of eelgrass shoots.
Pacific Rod and Gun Club Site Remediation Project, Lake Merced, San Francisco, CA
CLIENT: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Coast Ridge Ecology, LLC conducted a wetland delineation, nesting bird surveys, acoustic bat surveys, and air quality monitoring for a site remediation project on the southern shore of Lake Merced. The project area was used as a skeet and trap shooting location for several decades and resulted in elevated levels of lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic, and other heavy metals in the site soils. The SFPUC conducted a site cleanup of upland portions of the project site, which involved the removal of contaminated soils. CRE biologists identified trees with active bird nests, and trees with potential bat roosts, and assisted with the preparation of a wetland delineation, and conducted daily air quality monitoring of the site during the initial phase of soil removal.
Tah.mah.lah Sustainable Home Building and Habitat Restoration Project, Portola Valley, CA
CLIENT: Linda Yates and Paul Holland
CRE conducted a long-term wildlife monitoring project for a LEED Platinum Certified home building project in Portola Valley, California. Monitoring consisted of monthly timed searches for birds, amphibians, and reptiles, camera trapping for terrestrial mammals, and acoustic surveys for bats on a 2-acre property and surrounding areas. The project used species diversity measures to compare pre-project to post-project conditions after habitat restoration had been completed.
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve LCP Biological Assessment, Moss Beach, CA
CLIENT: San Mateo County Parks
CRE conducted a biological assessment including a CNDDB records search and a field assessment to determine the impacts of a parking lot upgrade on biological resources at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in compliance with San Mateo County’s Local Coastal Program Policies.
Environmental Permitting and Monitoring for California red-legged frog and San Francisco Garter Snake for Mirada Surf Coastal Trail Extension, Half Moon Bay, CA
CLIENT: San Mateo County Parks Department
CRE prepared a Natural Environment Study (NES) for the Mirada Surf Coastal Trail project in Half Moon Bay, California (2009). CRE also conducted preconstruction surveys and daily biological monitoring for California red-legged frog and San Francisco garter snake for the duration of the project. No San Francisco garter snakes were detected on site, however, five Coast garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans terrestris), a non-listed species, were detected and moved a safe distance outside of the project area.
Endangered Butterfly Monitoring, San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan, San Mateo County, CA
CLIENT: San Mateo County Parks Department, TRA Environmental Sciences
As a subcontractor to TRA Environmental Sciences/ MIG (2015-2017), CRE conducted larval count surveys for the San Bruno elfin butterfly using a stratified random sampling design within the San Bruno Mountain HCP Area. Additionally, CRE conducted transect surveys for Mission blue butterfly and Callippe silverspot butterfly in accordance with the Habitat Management Plan monitoring protocol. Additional tasks included in-field training of County Park staff in how to identify and survey for the federally endangered Callippe silverspot, Mission blue and the San Bruno elfin butterfly on San Bruno Mountain. The training consisted of instruction on transect survey methods for adult Callippe silverspot and Mission blue butterfly, and point counts for San Bruno Elfin larvae. As a subcontractor to Nomad Ecology, on the previous San Bruno Mountain On-Call contract (2017-2020), CRE also conducted endangered species surveys on San Bruno Mountain for San Bruno elfin larvae, Callippe silverspot, and Mission blue butterfly.
Port of San Francisco, America’s Cup Yacht Race, Pier 19, San Francisco, CA
CLIENT: Port of San Francisco
CRE provided marine mammal observers during impact pile driving operations as part of the Port of SF’s preparation for the America’s Cup yacht race. Pursuant to the America’s Cup’s Incidental Harassment Authorization issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service, marine mammal observers were required to be on-site during impact pile driving and some vibratory pile driving to make sure that no marine mammals were adversely impacted by the sound generated during pile driving operations. Pile driving operations took place as part of the apron replacement along the south side of Pier 19 in San Francisco.
CRE has conducted wetland delineations and botanical surveys, in conjunction with Nomad Ecology, at various project sites throughout the SFPUC’s Peninsula Watershed in San Mateo County in 2009. Surveys for protected animal species as specified by the MMRP including: California red-legged frog, California Central Coast steelhead, San Francisco garter snake, San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat, mission blue butterfly, nesting birds, and roosting bats. CRE participated in the capture and relocation efforts of approximately 200 California Central Coast steelhead from San Mateo Creek below the Lower Crystal Springs Dam prior to the dewatering of the creek. Fish were captured via electrofishing, dipnetting, and minnow traps and were released downstream, including the federally threatened California Central Coast steelhead, prickly sculpin (Cotus asper), three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis).
