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UC San Diego East Campus Housing Wetland Restoration

UCSD East CampusHELIX prepared environmental- and biological resources-related documents in connection with the construction of the East Campus Graduate Student Housing project on the University of California San Diego (UCSD) main campus. Documents included a project description, Draft EIR (DEIR), technical studies, a native grassland mitigation plan, and CEQA findings/Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). HELIX also attended meetings and conducted biological monitoring of the geophysical investigation to ensure that all activities occur within the approved area and that impacts to sensitive habitats are minimized during the project’s construction. The project involved the construction of 400 two-bedroom apartment units (in four residential buildings), a residential services building, a parking structure, a perimeter service road, and internal open spaces on a roughly 8.5-acre site within the southeast portion of the main campus. The project was located in a semi-perennial drainage area so HELIX incorporated erosion control into the habitat restoration design. HELIX also removed the highly invasive, non-native giant reed (Arundo) and installed cuttings taken from existing on-site plant material and seed procured from the project vicinity. As a part of the long-term management plan, HELIX conducted biological monitoring and long-term maintenance. HELIX also provided additional environmental and biological consulting services, including preparing the Final EIR and conducting coastal California gnatcatcher surveys.