Restoration of vernal pool, quino checkerspot, and burrowing owl regional habitat in Otay Mesa, California

Paper Title: Restoration of Vernal Pool, Quino Checkerspot Butterfly, and Burrowing Owl Regional Habitat in Otay Mesa, California

Lindsey P Cavallaro and Jesper K Pietsch, EDAW, Inc. 1420 Kettner Boulevard, Suite 620, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA, 619/233-1454, Fax: 619/233-0952, Email: Lindsey.Cavallaro@edaw.com and Jesper.Pietsch@edaw.com.

State Route (SR) 125 South is a new highway and toll road being constructed in the Otay Mesa region of San Diego County, California.  As mitigation for the project, a 52-acre vernal pool and Quino checkerspot butterfly habitat restoration site has been established.  Restoration activities have included topographic site reconstruction, mima mound and vernal pool creation, installation of salvaged biological resources, and vernal pool inoculation.  Once initial restoration activities were complete, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game requested use of a portion of the site for creation of burrowing owl nesting habitat, separate from the SR 125 South project.  The burrowing owl is a sensitive species covered under the San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Program and the wildlife agencies’ goal was to passively and actively relocate the species from the rapidly developing Otay Mesa. The site presented a unique opportunity to provide preserved habitat for this sensitive species.  The challenge was installation of 21 artificial owl burrows and numerous escape tunnels within an already established restoration site without disturbing the restored sensitive biological resources.  Challenges encountered, solutions developed, and lessons learned during the restoration effort to date are discussed.