Resource Planning & Management



	LSA HOME ABOUT LSA Locations Principals Clients Employment ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Environmental Analysis Biology and Wetlands Habitat Restoration Water Quality Air Quality Noise Cultural Resources and Paleontology GIS/GPS PLANNING Community and Land Use Planning Resource Planning and Management Transportation DESIGN Urban Design
				Population growth extends physical development into rural and suburban areas. The search for recreational opportunities reaches out ever farther into wild areas. Both of these trends threaten the viability of our natural resources and, as a result, resource issues are thrust to the forefront of public policy agendas throughout the West. The question is whether we can sustain resources in the face of ongoing and increasing demand. These natural places cannot remain untended when development pushes the limits. Examples are growing: increasing wildlife encounters at the suburban edge, wildfire hazards adjacent to housing, debates over the value and methods of grazing, conflicting demands on recreation areas, degraded water quality in wildlife habitats, and increasing efforts to restore previously logged, mined, or filled areas. Resource planning seeks to bridge diverse interests and achieve agreement where balance is needed. Toward that end, LSA works to develop concepts, practices, and in-the-ground solutions that sustain resources in an urbanizing environment. LSA tailors its services to the needs of its clients and draws on a wide range of specialists to provide both a broad perspective and diverse expertise. LSA's approach incorporates three guidelines: accurate technical information is the basis for sound decisions; resource protection and public access can coexist; and consensus results in more robust solutions. SERVICES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Baseline resource inventory: wildlife, soils, botany, entomology, herpetology, ornithology, marine biology, and cultural resources Habitat assessment: wetlands, forests, oak woodland, riparian, marine, grassland, desert Opportunities and constraints analysis Land use feasibility analysis Resource protection and management plans Cultural Resource Plans Habitat Conservation Plans Recreation and Open Space Plans: parks, trails, facilities Habitat Restoration Plans: wetlands, riparian woodlands, coastal dunes, oak woodlands Environmental education interpretation Preparation of mining reclamation plans
				REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS:
				Tolay Lake Regional Park Rangeland Biological and Cultural Resources Management Plans Sonoma County Regional Parks Department Sonoma County, California LSA conducted rangeland, biological, wetlands, and cultural resources studies of the newly acquired Tolay Lake Regional Park... continued
				East Bay Parks Wildfire Hazard Reduction and Resource Management Plan and EIR/EA East Bay Regional Park District Alameda and Contra Costa Counties LSA was selected by East Bay Regional Park District to prepare an updated and comprehensive Wildfire Hazard Reduction and Resource Management Plan... continued
				Puente Hills Resource Management Plan Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority Puente Hills, California LSA is preparing a Resource Management Plan for this 3,814-acre preserve in Puente Hills with a set of management goals and tasks to ensure the long-term protection of wildlife and their habitats... continued
				Folsom Lake Recreation Area General Plan/Resource Management Plan California Department of Parks and Recreation, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Folsom, California LSA is working with WRT Associates to prepare the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area General Plan/Resource Management Plan... continued
				Solano Project Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan Solano County Water Agency Solano County, California LSA provided technical assistance to the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) to implement the 1999 Solano Project Biological Opinion requirements and to develop a comprehensive Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The primary objective of the HCP is to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats in Solano County. LSA is preparing the HCP/Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCPP) in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish & Game to assure that municipal and industrial uses of project water and ongoing operations and maintenance activities for the SCWA and its member agencies in Solano County will comply with the provisions of the State and Federal Endangered Species Acts. LSA is serving as the primary consultant responsible for: Development of an extensive baseline habitat inventory and monitoring program Identification and evaluation of existing federal, State and private funding programs to protect and preserve valuable natural habitats/lands Development and implementation of interim/short-term protection plans and conservation measures for several special-status species Evaluation of various opportunities for public outreach and education programs Preparation of a Solano County threatened and endangered species manual Identification of best management practices to minimize the impacts of herbicide, pesticide, and rodenticide use within the SCWA service area.
				Castle Mountain Mine San Bernardino County, California Castle Mountain was considered to be one of the most environmentally controversial hard-rock gold mining projects in the western United States. The project was a proposed open-pit cyanide heap leach gold mine on 2,700 acres located in the East Mojave National Scenic Area of San Bernardino County. LSA prepared a third-party Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that has been referred to by regulating agencies as the prototype EIR/EIS for evaluation of hard-rock mining activities. The EIR/EIS consisted of the Draft, Supplement, and Final documents. At the time of the EIR/EIS preparation, major concerns were raised by environmental groups, including the Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club, regarding the desert tortoise, groundwater flow to Piute Spring, and the mine’s location in proximity to two Wilderness Study Areas and the proposed Mojave Desert National Park (which has subsequently become the Mojave National Preserve). The EIR/EIS for Castle Mountain analyzed a wide range of alternatives and included a detailed evaluation of cumulative impacts, considering both known and reasonably foreseeable future activities within the general area. The EIR/EIS content was based on scoping meetings conducted in both California and Nevada and in consultation with the BLM resource specialists in both California and Nevada. LSA interacted extensively with the agencies, the project proponent, and environmental groups on this project to reach mutually agreeable mitigation measures for this EIR/EIS. Agreements reached were successful in avoiding litigation once the Final EIR/EIS was filed.
				Eastshore State Park General Plan and EIR California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Coastal Conservancy, and the East Bay Regional Park District Alameda County, California LSA worked with WRT Associates to prepare the Eastshore State Park General Plan and Environmental Impact Report. LSA was responsible for preparing a Resource Inventory and Resource Element, assisting with the General Development Plan, and preparing the EIR for this 1,800-acre park along the eastern shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. The park comprises mostly contiguous waterfront and open space in Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond, extending from the Bay Bridge to the Shoreline Trail in Richmond. Existing park uses include hiking, jogging, biking, dog walking, bird watching, kite flying, kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing. Primary issues during the planning process included regional recreational opportunities, traffic accessing the park, potential impacts to wildlife and vegetation, and potential impacts to cultural resources. As the environmental consultant, LSA provided expertise in biological resources, cultural resources, traffic, air quality and noise. The General Plan provides a guiding overall strategy for management and future development of the park. The Resource Management Plan will be implemented over an approximately 20-year period, and the first implementation phase has been completed.
				Marin County Open Space District Environmental Planning Services Marin County Open Space District Marin County, California LSA is currently assisting the Marin County Open Space District with various planning projects. The most significant of these projects is the Inkwells Bicycle/Equestrian/Pedestrian Bridge crossing of San Geronimo Creek near the community of Lagunitas. The proposed project would implement the Marin Countywide Plan Trails Element and would be jointly built and maintained by the MCOSD and the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD). Significant issues include: access to State and MCOSD lands, wildlife habitat for coho salmon, California red-legged frog, and Northern spotted owl; and cultural resources of the adjacent historic railway alignment. LSA is assisting the District with the cultural and biological assessments, permit applications and CEQA review. Other MCOSD projects include interfacing with local communities and private developers to ensure land dedications and appropriate trail connections with existing MCOSD lands and trails. Back to top ^ © LSA Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.