Projects

 

As consultant to Teichert Construction Inc., VESTRA prepared and implemented a Migratory Bird and Bat Protection Program (MBBPP) for the Caltrans Emigrant Gap project (Contract 03-2C8604), a multi-year project that is rehabilitating five bridge and overpass structures on a 7.3- mile segment of Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Truckee, California. The MBBPP was reviewed and accepted by Caltrans. As part of the MBBPP, VESTRA completed pre-construction surveys in 2010 and is continuing to provide ongoing monitoring, compliance with the Migratory Bird Act (Title 16 USC 703), and agency reporting. The construction phase of the project is expected to be completed in October 2012. Biological work included conducting surveys for migratory birds, bats, and their associated nesting and roosting habitats pursuant to Caltrans guidelines, and determining whether exclusionary measures were necessary to avoid impacts to nesting birds in the vicinity of the project. The use of exclusionary devices has thus far been avoided by monitoring nest sites and conducting work outside periods when birds are present. VESTRA biologists worked with Caltrans engineers and biologists to develop site-specific protection measures for each bridge or overpass structure affected by this project.