Creating Mitigation Solutions Where Opportunities Were Limited

Project Summary

Establishing permittee–responsible mitigation sites, conservation, and mitigation banks in northern California. 

Integral has represented property owners in establishing multiple conservation sites that serve as compensatory mitigation, creating 133+ acres of protected habitat for state and federally listed species in response to severe mitigation shortages and prohibitive land costs on the Santa Rosa Plain. 

Location: Santa Rosa, California

Challenge

High mitigation costs and limited opportunities delay residential development in northern California. 

The purpose of compensatory mitigation is to reduce, or compensate for, the negative impact an action (such as housing construction) may have on a protected species or its habitat. The Santa Rosa Plain’s ecosystem is characterized by its unique vernal pools, seasonal wetlands, and grassland habitats; home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including the endangered California tiger salamander and several plant species. The Plain is also experiencing high demands for housing and infrastructure development. Integral supports this balance through establishing high quality mitigation consistent with regional species recovery plans.  

Our Role

We navigated complex multiagency coordination to establish new mitigation sites from initial site assessment to long-term management. 

Our team completed baseline habitat assessments, authored interim and long-term monitoring plans, completed endowment calculations, and prepared conservation easements for recordation. Strategic communication with USACE, USFWS, and CDFW kept the process moving despite the inherent schedule uncertainties of establishing new mitigation. 

What We Delivered

• Fulton West Preserve: 23-acre permittee-responsible preservation site 

• Beretta Preserve: 40-acre site

• Beretta Conservation Bank: 55-acre site

• Additional sites: Two more mitigation banks currently in development

• Habitat management plans for in-perpetuity protection
• Endowment calculations and legal protection framework 

The Result

Property owners gained a clear path forward, enabling multiple residential projects to achieve permit compliance and proceed to construction while contributing to long-term species recovery. 

The preserved sites protect seasonal wetlands, Sonoma sunshine populations, Burkes goldfield, Sebastopol meadowfoam, and California tiger salamander habitat. Developers can now satisfy permit requirements while contributing to species recovery on the Santa Rosa Plain.