Featured Projects
The San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project
The Invasive Spartina Project is a coordinated regional effort among local, state, and federal organizations dedicated to preserving California's extraordinary coastal biological resources through the elimination of introduced species of Spartina (cordgrass). Non-native cordgrasses are highly aggressive invaders that significantly alter both the physical structure and biological composition of our tidal marshes, mudflats, and creeks.
As part of its regional program, the ISP conducts annual bay-wide, and outer coast monitoring, to track and map the extent and rate of spread of nonnative Spartina, and to monitor the efficacy of the ISP’s Spartina treatment.
For more information, visit the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project website.
California Ridgway's Rail Monitoring Program
Olofson Environmental designed and implements an extensive long-term program to monitor the endangered California Ridgway's rail in the San Francisco Estuary. Our expert biologists conduct annual breeding season surveys for Ridgway's rails at 87 tidal marshes and prepare annual reports detailing population trends for state and federal agencies.
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Project
In collaboration with Area West Environmental, Olofson Environmental staff perform biological monitoring and environmental inspection duties, including environmental awareness training, pre-construction clearance surveys, construction monitoring, and reporting for project compliance with multiple state and federal permits (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board).
Other duties include conducting fish salvage during in-water work, pre-construction nesting bird surveys, and attending meetings onsite with agency personnel to discuss the implementation of measures and other compliance concerns. Project special-status species include salt marsh harvest mouse, California Ridgway's rail, California black rail, California red-legged frog, western pond turtle, burrowing owl, American badger, Central California Coast steelhead, and green sturgeon.
Bioregional Habitat Restoration (BHR) Program, Water System Improvement Project
Olofson Environmental provides a variety of services, including vegetation performance monitoring and reporting, invasive plant mapping, and technical oversight in support of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Bioregional Habitat Restoration Program as part of the Water System Improvement Program's mitigation plan.
Earthen Island Construction Project
In collaboration with H.T. Harvey & Associates and in association with the California State Coastal Conservancy's Invasive Spartina Project, Olofson Environmental provides USFWS-permitted California Ridgway's rail biologists to monitor construction of high tide refuge earthen islands throughout the San Francisco Bay.
Sheep Camp Creek Restoration Project
Olofson Environmental conducted mapping of invasive plants at Sheep Camp Mitigation Area (Koopman Ranch) in Sunol, in support of a habitat restoration project funded by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The scope of work included mapping invasive plants listed by the California Invasive Plant Council with a rating of Moderate or High for impact to native habitat, as well as by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board in Appendix I: Invasive Non-Native Species to Avoid in Wetland Projects in the San Francisco Bay Region.
