This project has three components:
- a statewide review of mitigation practices,
- programming updates to Caltrans' existing database for mitigation practices along with data entry for the statewide information gathered, and
- an overview of agreement practices and the creation of a database of mitigation agreements.
In the first component, ICE investigated a minimum of 36 completed Caltrans mitigation projects to summarize outcomes and compare available cost data.
In the second component, ICE updated the existing BioMitigation (Access 97) database on the Caltrans Intranet, and made programming updates and/or changes as needed. All information gathered from the field, for a maximum of 48 projects, was entered into the database. Updated information includes data from a variety of projects involving a spectrum of species and habitats. Associated mitigation project documents include Biological Opinions, Monitoring Plans, and Mitigation and Monitoring Reports - all stored in a digital library. In the third component, ICE reviewed draft and finalized cooperative agreements and mitigation agreements collected from Caltrans. ICE worked with Caltrans staff and resource and regulatory agency partners to gather available sample mitigation and related agreements between other state agencies to compare and contrast with Caltrans’ agreements. Through this review, ICE created an agreement library that can be utilized by District personnel as examples of actual mitigation or cooperative agreements to reference for their own use. In addition, ICE created a periodic report/newsletter, Greenways, apprising districts of advanced mitigation research with updates of the UC Davis-Caltrans partnership.
