Horizon is assisting the County of San Mateo’s Public Works Department and Parks Department to develop a countywide routine maintenance program to facilitate long-term programmatic permitting and CEQA coverage. The County’s primary maintenance activities include vegetation management; culvert repair/replacements; bank stabilization and roadside slipout repairs; sediment and debris clearing along roads, ditches, swales and green infrastructure features; trail and road repair and maintenance; streamside and other creek erosion repairs; bridge maintenance; and other activities.

Horizon’s services have included habitat and species evaluations and wetland delineations at maintenance sites; developing impact avoidance, minimization, and best management practices; drafting a comprehensive maintenance manual; developing permit applications and Biological Assessments; coordinating with regulatory agencies to obtain permits; and developing the CEQA Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Horizon assessed the potential for occurrence, status, and distribution of virtually every special-status plant and animal that could occur in any Public Works Department or Parks Department facility where routine maintenance activities may take place. This countywide assessment of special-status species provides an excellent basis for evaluating potential maintenance impacts or considering future restoration activities.