Projects

Our Completed Habitat Management Projects

Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit Riparian Habitat Restoration and Maintenance

For more than 10 years, ACS Habitat Management has been the primary contractor responsible for the removal and control of invasive plant species and native revegetation of selected areas within the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit. This management unit is comprised of seven watershed districts in northern San Diego County where we have:

Controlled invasive species throughout roughly 280 acres of riparian watershed areas encompassing Agua Hedionda Creek, Buena Creek, Buena Vista Creek, Encinas Creek, Escondido Creek, Loma Alta Creek, and San Marcos Creek
Successfully controlled Arundo, tamarisk, pampas grass, palms, and various other highly invasive riparian species
Coordinated with landowners to gain right of entry while being active in public outreach to inform landowners of non-native plants’ negative impact on the watershed ecosystem and the benefits of the invasive species program

San Nicolas Island Exotic Plant Control

We have been working on the Channel Islands of California for more than a decade. Part of that is our effort toward preserving San Nicolas Island’s unique and delicate habitat.

Our crew members and managers have intimate knowledge of the island’s unique geography and sensitive habitats as well as the non-native invasive plant species that threaten them. The tasks we have successfully performed on San Nicolas Island include:

More than 10 years of non-native invasive species control, including the near eradication of the once prevalent fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and diligent control efforts focused on the Saharan mustard (Brassica tournefortii)
Being the first to respond to the highly invasive and recently discovered carnation spurge (Euphorbia terracina)
Managing a native plant nursery refurbishment project on the island that allowed the propagation of locally collected seeds, which can be used for restoration efforts
Managing the installation of more than 1,300 native plants that propagated from locally collected seeds at the Thousand Springs restoration site

MCAS Miramar Vernal Pool Development and Enhancement

We have recently planned, installed, and managed two large-scale vernal pool mitigation projects at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. As mitigation for recent development on the installation, 13 vernal pools needed to be maintained and created or enhanced. We performed the following tasks associated with this project:

Mitigation site identification, preconstruction planning, site prep, and installation of vernal pools per the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) guidelines, including the rules surrounding upland vegetation restoration
Artificial filling to ensure water holding capabilities and inoculation of previously salvaged vernal pool species, including the endangered San Diego fairy shrimp
Long-term maintenance of pools, including erosion control and non-native invasive species management to ensure native vernal pool species become established and thrive

Santa Ana River Flood Control Project Mitigation

In 2011, we initiated a large-scale Arundo removal and restoration project in the Santa Ana River above Prado Dam for the USACE. The project targeted the removal of 250 acres of Arundo and other non-native invasive species, followed by a 5-year restoration period with a monitoring and maintenance regime to ensure successful site recovery. We were involved in the following tasks related to this project:

Baseline vegetation and biological monitoring to establish success criteria and continued monitoring throughout the project’s duration
Community outreach and education, which included holding town-hall-style meetings and reestablishing trails within and adjacent to the project area
Manual biomass reduction of Arundo throughout the 250-acre site
Aggressive herbicide and manual invasive plant species control throughout the 250-acre site
Active native plant restoration and comprehensive site maintenance for the duration of the five-year project

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Artichoke and Yellow Starthistle Control

We have been an integral part of Camp Pendleton’s weed control programs for more than 15 years. An example of this is the Artichoke and Yellow Starthistle Control Program.

Before, these thistle species could be found in concentrated numbers throughout the 100,000-acre installation. Today, only sparse populations remain and the control of these plants is becoming more targeted.

Our Contributions to the Project

We were the first firm to begin using GPS technology to map individually treated weed populations on the base.
Our team helped develop the current GIS geodatabase design that was used for tracking and managing the control program.
Comprehensive annual reports and GIS deliverables that we produced helped base personnel make land management decisions.