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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10_25_22 Canyon Loop Trail Daily Biomonitoring Report.docx.pdfEndemic Environmental Services DAILY BIO-MONITORING REPORT Date:10/25/22 Day:Tuesday Project/Stage of Project:Diamond Bar Canyon Loop Trail Improvement, beginning Name of Bio-monitor:Karly Moore Location:Diamond Bar Location Description:Coastal Sage Scrub and Coast Live Oak Woodland behind residential area Map # (If applicable):N/A Bio-monitoring Activity Start Time:0630 End Time:1545 Bio-monitoring Notes: ●At the start of work activities there were two pieces of equipment in use simultaneously.The biomonitor stopped Danny and informed only one can be operational at a time. ●Approximately 690 sq ft of vegetation was cleared. Debris was piled along the side of the trail. ●An area was excavated for the second gabion wall. ●All sensitive biological resources were monitored and no adverse impacts occurred. ●There was no secondary containment under the staged equipment: skid steer, mini excavator. Weather Conditions Conditions:Dark at the start of work, sunny during the day Temperature:52 Humidity:41%Wind:ENE 4 mph Cloud Cover %:0 Temperature:76 Humidity:%Wind:SW 9mph Cloud Cover %:0 Endemic Environmental Services Construction Activity Name of Contractors Performing Work:DD Systems Relevant Person(s) in charge of construction:Danny Start Time:0700 End Time:1545 Is project work activity compliant?Yes Construction Activity Notes/Equipment Used:Mini excavator,skid steer Mini excavator at a pad working on excavating the slope for the gabion placement.Some of the spoils were stockpiled behind the cut,while others were used to fill in the downhill portion of the trail and level the pad.The mini excavator was used to remove a few plants that were too hard to dig out. Skid steer was temporarily used for trail grading work in the morning but it coincided with the use of the mini excavator. The crew was informed they were only allowed to operate one piece of equipment at a time. Endemic Environmental Services Biological Resource Findings Were there any listed species observed on or near site?Yes If yes, then: Was listed species impacted due to work?No Species Common/ Scientific Name:California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) Time of Observed Listed Species:1236 GPS Location of Listed Species (if applicable):11S 426573; 3762871 Description of Listed Location:Along trail from staging area by the homes to the trail closure sign.Just past a lattice power tower right before the oaks trees start. The bird was observed on a buckwheat. Bio-monitor Notes:The California gnatcatcher was observed outside the trail improvement area.The location was between the staging area behind the homes and the trail closure sign. Endemic Environmental Services Species Take Section Was there a take of any listed or regulated species?No If yes, then: What type of take occurred? Species Common Name/ Scientific Name: Age/Class: Gender: Did take occur due to project work activity? GPS Location of Take (if applicable): Description Location of Take: Bio-monitor Notes Endemic Environmental Services Nest Findings Were there any nests observed on or near project site?No If yes, then: Were nests active or non-active? Nest(s): Species (If identifiable): Time Observed:Nesting Status: GPS Point of Nest: Location Description of Nest: Biomonitor Notes: Other Nest Notes: Endemic Environmental Services Nest Removal Section Were there any Nests removed?No If yes, then: Was the MBTA Nest active or non-active? Time of Nest Removal? Why was the nest removed?: Species Scientific/ Common Name: GPS Location of Removed Nest (If applicable): Bio-monitor Notes: Endemic Environmental Services Wetlands and Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. Are Wetlands or Jurisdictional Waters of the United States Present?No If yes, then: What Watershed? Were Wetlands or Jurisdictional Waters of the United States impacted by project work activity?No What type of impact occurred? Bio-monitor Notes: Endemic Environmental Services Vegetation Impact Section Was vegetation impacted by project work activity?Yes If yes, then: Habitat Type:Disturbed California sagebrush Type of Vegetation Impacted:Black Sage (Salvia mellifera),mustard sp., fiddleneck sp., What type of impact occurred?Removal, clear and grubbing before excavation. Square Footage of Impacted Area:roughly 690 sq ft Bio-monitor Notes:The workers did vegetation removal with shovels at the location for the second gabion wall.The crew was going 5 ft off the trail into the vegetation and roughly 90 ft down the trail,they then crossed another portion of the trail and cleared another stretch about 40 ft long.The removed vegetation was pushed to the downslope side of the trail. Endemic Environmental Services Non-Listed Species Section Were there any non-listed species observed?Yes If yes, then: Species Common/ Scientific Name: Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus),Wrentit (Chimaea fasciata),American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura),American robin (Trudus migratorius),Say’s phoebe (Sayornis saya),Black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans),Common raven (Corvus corax),Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis),House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus),Cooper ’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii ),California whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris), Side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana) Bio-monitor Notes:The equipment was staged further down the trail than the identified staging area behind the homes.There was no secondary containment under the staged equipment:skid steer,mini excavator and cherry picker.I spoke with the foreman Danny about having the crew who attended yesterday's WEAP training sign the sign in sheet.He told me it is one company and there will be many different workers.I told him each new person needs to be trained. The mini excavator started down the trail to the pad cut yesterday.Then Danny got in the skid steer.I told him one piece of equipment at a time.He said the excavator was going to be stationary and the skid steer was going to be used to fix the trail.I contacted the Endemic PM Alex Eagleton who re-iterated only one piece operating at a time.That initially the contract only included one piece of equipment and the excavator was an addition approved by USFWS under the stipulation that one piece of equipment operates at a time.I told Danny that only one piece of equipment can operate at one time.Danny spent a few more minutes fixing the trail before stopping. Two pieces of equipment simultaneously operated for roughly 10 minutes. At the pad the crew worked on the layout for the first gabion.They continued work excavating and stockpiled the spoils behind the cut on native soils and some on vegetation.The spoils will be used for backfilling behind the gabion.Some material was used to even put the pad and smooth the trail down to the second excavation location. At lunch I mentioned to the operator that there is supposed to be flagging marking the work limits.He said he didn’t have flagging but had spray paint.I mentioned that there is a limited amount of permanent impacts to vegetation. After lunch the workers started marking veg clearing areas.Vegetation clearing and grubbing occurred before the excavating began on the second gabion wall.Spoils may be exceeding the work limits but the work limits aren’t marked and Figure 4 doesn’t show work limits. Endemic Environmental Services Some removed vegetation remained in the center of the trail (not pictured because my phone died).MMRP measure AES-1 mentions keeping debris piles staged and screened from public view.Nothing mentions hauling the material off site. Again, they were pushing the removed vegetation to the trail’s edge on the down slope side. Endemic Environmental Services Photos Section Figure 1.The skid steer working on the trail. Endemic Environmental Services Figure 2.Layout for the first gabion. Endemic Environmental Services Figure 3.Excavating and stockpiling spoils at first gabion location. Endemic Environmental Services Figure 4.Vegetation cleared 5 ft from the trail,the excavator starting excavation on the second gabion. Endemic Environmental Services Figure 5.Photo facing the cleared and grubbed area for the second gabion.