HELIX Environmental Planning (HELIX) is currently providing environmental consulting services to the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department (PUD), under a five-year as-needed contract. Many of PUD’s facilities—including nearly 3,000 miles of sewer pipeline—are located in environmentally sensitive locations (including the City’s Multiple Species Conservation Plan [MSCP] Preserve) with constrained access, and/or near residences or other noise-sensitive receptors. HELIX has provided a range of services to the City under this contract with an emphasis on biological resources and environmental compliance. Task orders have been largely focused on assisting PUD in carrying out its planned activities in a manner that minimizes or avoids harm to the resources present at its project sites and/or restores sensitive biological habitats unavoidably affected by project construction. Work has included multiple, concurrent task orders and immediate response to address emergency infrastructure repairs.

 
Under this contract, HELIX has provided surveys/mapping for vegetation and sensitive species (rare plants, fairy shrimp, light-footed clapper rail, coastal California gnatcatcher), jurisdictional delineations, construction monitoring, and planning and monitoring of habitat restoration nd revegetation projects. As part of our previous as-needed environmental services contract with the PUD, HELIX conducted delineations and functional assessments, bioassessments (benthic macroinvertebrates and benthic algae), historical background research; monitoring for biological, archaeological, and paleontological resources during construction; noise analysis and monitoring; preparation of wetland permit application packages; preparation of on- and off-site, upland and wetland conceptual restoration plans and restoration construction documents; and monitoring of habitat restoration and revegetation projects. HELIX also conducted biological monitoring of existing rare plant populations within preserve areas located in Mission Trails Regional Park, Del Mar Mesa, Black Mountain, Rancho Peñasquitos, Otay Lakes, and other open space parks and preserve areas, in fulfillment of its MSCP obligations.