NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 11, 2022 / Edison International:
Biodiversity, Natural Habitat & Cultural Resource Protection
Biodiversity, natural habitat and cultural resource protections are key considerations for SCE as we modernize and update our grid infrastructure and execute on our Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Most of SCE's service area falls within the California Floristic Province (CFP), one of over 30 areas in the world recognized by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot, with significant levels of biodiversity threatened by human habitation. The CFP has over 3,000 species of vascular plants, 60% of which occur only in California. In addition, California has more federal- and state-listed threatened and endangered species than any other state, except Hawaii. Approximately 40% of SCE's utility corridors are located in areas that support threatened or endangered wildlife or plants and have become de facto wildlife corridors in many areas due to the surrounding urban development.
Protecting Endangered Species
SCE works year-round with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other wildlife resource agencies to minimize impacts to endangered species. A few examples are as follows:
- Yosemite toad is an endangered amphibian found in the Sierra Nevada region, home to SCE's Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant. SCE scientists work with field personnel to put minimization and avoidance measures in place when performing work in the Yosemite toad's habitat.
- Desert tortoise, California's official reptile, has seen its population shrink 90% in the last century. SCE developed a first-of-its kind programmatic raven management plan, in coordination with wildlife and land management agencies, to address issues of raven predation on the desert tortoise.
- Pacific pocket mouse, a tiny, endangered burrowing mammal endemic to the immediate coast of Southern California, has been restricted to two locations due to urban development. The largest population is found on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where SCE has consulted with USFWS to protect Pacific pocket mouse habitat within SCE's transmission easement. The Biological Opinion also protects three other Endangered Species Act-listed species - arroyo toad, California gnatcatcher and least Bell's vireo.
- Western Joshua tree, one of the most iconic and abundant plants of the Mojave Desert, is a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. SCE has implemented strict measures to avoid impacts to the Western Joshua tree and has been working closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to obtain permits authorizing trimming required to reduce the risk of wildfire from SCE electrical facilities.
SCE is committed to protecting special status species, their habitats, ecosystems and cultural resources where we operate. Efforts to protect and preserve cultural and tribal resources while supporting fire-hardening activities are part of larger programmatic permitting initiatives to streamline the environmental compliance process. In 2021, we began permitting with the USFWS and the CDFW for the San Bernardino Valley habitat conservation plan and long-term 2081 incidental take permits. SCE has also protected, enhanced or restored nearly 5,500 acres of land throughout our service area.
We use local, state and federal standards applicable to our service area to assess impacts on biodiversity. SCE implements best management practices (e.g., good housekeeping, crew trainings, covering tire tracks to discourage unauthorized re-entry, etc.) and resource-specific protection measures to minimize impacts to the natural environment. In some cases, SCE exceeds minimum regulatory requirements.
Every mitigation and restoration project has a detailed, project-specific approach to monitoring and assessment. Our assessment methodologies are based on the best available science and developed in partnership with resource agencies and other interested stakeholders to ensure their effectiveness. Mitigation and restoration efforts continue on every project until all qualitative and quantitative project performance and success criteria are achieved.
SCE's primary goal is to avoid impacts to natural and cultural resources. Our Environmental Resources division works with hundreds of consultants and environmental experts, including more than 100 nonprofit partners, to identify species and habitat resources, analyze potential effects, develop best management practices and conduct restoration efforts across our operational footprint. Additionally, SCE identifies and maps vegetation communities and sensitive ecosystems and uses avoidance measures to ensure the protection of wetlands, streams and riparian habitats, as well as other sensitive habitats. SCE minimizes unavoidable environmental impacts and consults with regulatory agencies to mitigate them and restore affected areas.
Our Environmental Services Department is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to emergencies. When a large wildfire occurs in SCE's service area, biologists and water-quality specialists are called out, along with crews to ensure that impacts to endangered species and their habitats are avoided or reduced, as well as to ensure agency coordination and that the correct permits are acquired to work in the area.
SCE's biologists are dedicated to protecting species, habitats and ecosystems where the company operates and are engaged in efforts to protect species and streamline agency approval processes. We are also exploring the use of nonoperating properties for species conservation opportunities to offset impacts from projects and maintenance activities.
For 34 years, SCE's avian-protection program has protected endangered, migratory and other birds from electrocution, while also preventing power outages that can be caused by birds. In 2021, we developed guidance and provided training for our employees and contractors to protect nesting birds while performing important inspections of our infrastructure using unmanned aerial systems, also known as drones.
Community Engagement
SCE collaborates with local communities to identify and protect environmentally and culturally sensitive areas. We conduct environmental reviews and stakeholder engagement to identify potential biodiversity and community impacts and seek input from residents, businesses, landowners, tribal communities, local governments and other stakeholders to address and mitigate concerns. SCE participates in multistakeholder collaboration groups, such as the California Native Plant Society's Botanist Certification Advisory Group and the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative, which are designed to improve biodiversity. Through Edison International's philanthropic funding, we also support programs in the communities we serves. Learn more about Community Investments.
Forestry
SCE manages 20,000 acres of Sierra Nevada forestland near Shaver Lake and Dinkey Creek, east of Fresno. For more than 40 years, SCE's forestry staff have fostered and maintained a healthy forest.
At SCE's Shaver Lake forest, we use historic information and leading research in forestry and ecology to help us restore the forest to a native structure, when fire was a natural part of the forest's ecology. SCE's goal is for the forest to become resistant to disease, bark beetles and catastrophic blazes that have become increasingly frequent and devastating in California due to increased fuel usage and climate change. The ongoing forest management practices of SCE's forestry team to maintain a healthy, resilient forest helped to deflect the devastating Creek Fire in 2020 and support firefighting crews.
SCE developed a plan in coordination with San Bernardino National Forest to manage fuel load related to SCE's vegetation management activities on U.S. Forest Service land. SCE's efforts focus on healthy, diverse, wildfire- resilient forest conditions and helping wildlife populations to thrive.
Forest Management Program
SCE's forest management program includes methods to reduce the threat of wildfires, increase forest resiliency and support healthy forest growth.
- Strategically planting native trees and plants
- Building firebreaks to help stop fires on or near utility land
- Conducting prescribed burns to rid overgrown brush, small trees and dead material that could otherwise serve as fuel for a wildfire
- Implementing an uneven-aged approach to forestry, where SCE removes mature trees, leaving room for young trees to grow
View the full 2021 Sustainability Report here.
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SOURCE: Edison International