The USDA Forest Service (USFS) has awarded GeomorphIS a multi-part task order under the Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR) BPA to conduct botany surveys and wildlife surveys as part of the Plumas National Forest (California) Community Protection Projects. The goal of these projects is to reduce risk of wildfire on communities, evacuation corridors, critical infrastructure, and natural resources through a variety of vegetation treatments combining mechanical treatments, hand treatments, grapple piling, mastication, prescribed fire, pile burning, herbicide application, dead tree removal, reforestation, and road maintenance. The resource survey work scoped under these contracts will provide data sufficient for informing management decisions and facilitate the implementation of the Community Protection Projects. The results of surveys will be used to identify appropriate measures to mitigate disturbance to a variety of natural and cultural resources within the boundaries of the projects. GeomorphIS is teamed with a number of our long-time partners including Pyramid Botanical Consultants (PBC), Siskiyou BioSurvey (SBS), and Elliott Environmental Consulting (EEC) for the botany surveys; and Tanner Environmental Services (TES) on the “wildlife surveys” (i.e., California spotted owl and northern goshawk surveys), on this multi-year project.

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) has issued GeomorphIS a task order under the Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide survey, analysis, and documentation using Public Law No. 117-58, section 40806 (Fuel Break Categorical Exclusion) for the proposed Cooper Ridge fuel break on Chelan and Methow Valley Ranger Districts, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington. GeomorphIS team partner Hamer Environmental will lead the NEPA planning aspects of the project, as well as prepare a Biological Assessment / Biological Evaluation and other resource assessments needed to determine the appropriateness of using the Categorical Exclusion. GeomorphIS team member Siskiyou BioSurvey will conduct a botanical survey of the proposed fuel break area in support of the environmental documentation.

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) awarded the GeomorphIS-Harris Environmental Group team a task order under the Land Management Integrated Resources (LMIR) BPA to inventory 2,300 acres within the Powerline pasture within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Arizona. The survey includes recording isolated occurrences and new sites, and monitoring or re-recording previously recorded sites within and adjacent to the survey area on project area. An inventory report, GIS data collection, site
record and map creation, and data entry into the Heritage NRM Database will be required for this survey.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Boise District, has tasked a GeomorphIS-Pyramid Botanical Consultants team to conduct surveys of Downingia insignis (Harlequin calicoflower) and Downingia bacigalupii (Bach’s calicoflower) in W Idaho during 2023.  There are a total of 42 element occurrences (EOs) on the Boise District with high potential for additional populations. Both species are threatened from livestock grazing and climate change/drought. Downingia sp are riparian obligates, often occurring in ephemeral pools or livestock ponds. Actions are necessary to assess the condition/health of the known EOs, identify potential habitat and inventory for new populations, and better understand the habitat requirements and distribution for these species. This project proposes to visit known EOs and collect plant and habitat information. This will be compared against baseline data to assess trend for each EO. Additionally, potential habitat would be surveyed for potential occupancy.