Habitat Restoration, Open Space Planning and Land Management Marin County Open Space District - Vegetation Mangement Plan Development: May & Associates worked with staff to develop program-wide procedures to more efficiently and effectively manage Marin County’s 34 open Space preserve system encompassing 15,000 acres. May & Associates synthesized current resource and planning information; developed Standard Operating Procedures, Best Management Practices; and developed a project prioritization system to assist MCOSD staff with vegetation management decision-making at a programmatic level. The vegetation management planning will standardize, streamline, and simplify management of these lands. This project also included developing a list of possible projects, and providing a system for assessing and ranking projects to develop top priorities for vegetation management. (2009-2010). Town of Hillsborough - Open Space Vegetation Management: May & Associates worked extensively with the Town of Hillsborough to develop vegetation management guidelines for use on its open space lands. The vegetation management planning effort included assessing each parcel for its biological and recreational use potential; assessing fire management, infrastructure, and other public uses and issues; and identifying Best Management Practices to streamline and simplify management of these lands. This project also included developing a list of possible projects, and providing a system for assessing and ranking projects to develop top priorities for vegetation management. Under this project, we also conducted two training sessions intended to get staff familiar with vegetation management issues, and with project prioritization procedures. (2007-2008). Long Term Planning for Trail and Habitat Restoration, the Coastal Trail, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties (Phases 1 and 2): The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (Parks Conservancy) requested that May & Associates, Inc. assist the Trails Forever project team (i.e. the Presidio Trust, National Park Service, and the Parks Conservancy) with developing a long-term (10 year) plan for identifying, prioritizing, and providing detailed descriptions and cost estimates for the top priority trail and habitat restoration activities in the Marin Headlands, Presidio Bluffs, Lands End, and Mori Point sections of the Coastal Trail. This portion of the Coastal Trail totals over 15 miles and encompasses approximately 4,100 acres. This interesting project included developing a multidisciplinary team that could evaluate and identify top restoration priorities along this vast area. Once priorities were set, May & Associates collected and prepared necessary background information (i.e. GIS data sets for social trails, invasive plants, native habitats, human uses, cultural resources, wildlife resources, planned trail improvements, and forest management layers).We facilitated the group in deciding priority areas, then prepared detailed cost estimates, schedules, and site plans for over 25 Priority tree removal, habitat restoration, invasive species control, trail construction and social trail revegetation (for decommissioned trails) projects within the study area. The product of this study was a 10-year Habitat and Trail Restoration Guide that allowed the Parks Conservancy to apply for, and receive multiple grants totaling missions of dollars to conduct the priority restoration work. May & Associates is currently writing additional work plans for the Parks Conservancy, and will be assisting the project team with managing and overseeing the implementation of these projects. (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Parks Service, and Presidio Trust (2005 to 2008). UC Berkeley - Richmond Field Station, Stege Marsh Habitat Restoration: May & Associates, Inc was retained by UC Berkeley to assist in the long term planning and monitoring of the Stege Marsh habitat restoration effort located at the Richmond Field Station, Richmond, CA. This interesting project was initiated with the remediation and re-grading of the marsh, and the subsequent long-term restoration of tidal marsh, ecotone, and coastal prairie habitat, as well as habitat for the California clapper rail, a special-status species. For this project, May & Associates is assessing 4 years of past revegetation work, and collaboratively developing maintenance and management recommendations to help make sure the project remains in compliance with project goals and objectives and conditions of the Biological Opinion. May & Associates is conducting vegetation monitoring, including detailed GIS spatial analysis of the spread of key native and invasive plant species, and crafting management actions to enhance natives and control invasives. 2007 to 2009. Guidelines for Vegetation Management, San Mateo County Parks: May & Associates, Inc. developed a comprehensive Guide to Vegetation Management of the entire San Mateo County Parks System. The Guidelines were intended to standardize vegetation management practices, including protection and enhancement strategies for sensitive plant and wildlife resources, and control of invasive plant species. The Guidelines also helped establish procedures to assess, prioritize, and rank system-wide, and individual parks into a comprehensive program that could change over tie with available funding and staffing. The document included a “How to” section on planning, implementing, and monitoring a variety o common vegetation management activities such as establishing fuel and firebreaks, managing weeds, recycling green water, and other common park projects. The Guidelines also included a layperson’s identification guide to the sensitive plants and weeds in each park to facilitate identification by park personnel and contractors. As a result of this ambitions project, the County of San Mateo Parks and Recreation District is launching a system-wide GIS database development, and intends to assess, rank, and select priority actions from over 177 separate activities that have I the past been proposed within the parks system. The Count also intends to focus future management on the invasive plants and sensitive species management activities that were identified as priorities in the Guidelines report (2005-2006). SFPUC Habitat Reserve Program Development: May & Associates has provided ongoing assistance to SFPUC with developing a list of potential projects and locations to conduct compensatory mitigation in support of the Hetch Hetchy water system improvement program. This innovative project was intended to take a holistic look at habitat restoration throughout SFPUC owned-lands and other nearby high value parcels. (2007 to 2009). The Headlands Institute Campus Expansion Project: May and Associates, Inc. in partnership with Kamman Hydrologic Engineering, developed several project alternatives for daylighting a creek that currently runs through the Headlands Institute Campus in the Marin Headlands. Project alternatives included using the creek for interpretive education, as well as stabilizing the original natural hydrological functioning of the creek and related downstream estuary system. (2008-2009) Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, Golden Gate Bridge Mission Blue Butterfly Habitat Restoration Project: May & Associates, Inc. planned, permitted, and implemented an 18-acre habitat restoration program for an endangered species, the Mission blue butterfly. Also conducted Section 7 consultation with USFWS and ensured project compliance with the Biological Opinion, coordinated with the project sponsor (the National Park Service), prepared site management plans, conducted large-scale weed removal of French broom and Monterey pine, and collected native seeds and installed native plantings. Subsequently conducted photo documentation and vegetation monitoring to assess project success. Subconsultant to The Duffey Company. (1995 to 2002). City and County of San Francisco - Golden Gate Park, Lakes Rehabilitation Program (Implementation Phase): May & Associates, Inc. was retained in summer 2002 to assist with the construction phase of this project. May & Associates, Inc. biologists provide preconstruction clearance of wildlife that inhabit the lakes and surrounding work area; provide outreach and education to the public and construction workers; and undertake as-needed wildlife protections during construction. The construction-related work is ongoing. This interesting project will include the relocation of nonnative turtles and fish, native turtles, and protection of native and nonnative mammals, songbirds, and nesting raptors. Following construction, the lakes will be enhanced for wildlife values, resulting in a net benefit to wildlife species that inhabit Golden Gate Park. (1997-2004). City and County of San Francisco, Palace of Fine Arts Phase 1 Rehabilitation Project: May & Associates, Inc. assisted the City of San Francisco with planning for the protection of biological resources at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The lagoon at the Palace of Fine Arts supports and extraordinarily high number of wildlife including nesting black crowned night heron, hawks, turtles, fish, and domestic swans (introduced during the world’s fair). Phase 1 improvements included restoring the lake edge, improving lake water quality, dredging the lake, and landscaping the surrounding grounds in a manner consistent with retaining biological resource values. (1996 to 1997). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Warm Springs Unit Vernal Pool Preserve: Assisted San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge with developing a series of stand-alone monitoring plans for vernal pool vegetation and Contra Costa goldfields, upland annual grassland, invasive plant species, and residual dry matter to assess the effectiveness of the grazing program. Following plan development May & Associates Inc. conducted field training for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel using the sampling methods proposed in the plans. (2002). Return to list of projects Home   |   About Us   |   Our Services   |   Clients   |   Contact Us   |   Resources