Brian Boroski, Ph.D.

Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, Unincorporated San Bernardino, California — As principal-in-charge of avian and bat monitoring for a concentrating solar energy project, led efforts to obtain U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California Energy Commission, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) (collectively composing the Technical Advisory Committee [TAC]) approval of the project’s Avian and Bat Monitoring and Management Plan, which described the scientific methodologies by which data would be collected, analyzed, and reported for the 3,500-acre project.

Oversaw implementation of all aspects of the plan, gained TAC approval to implement novel ways to improve data collection efforts, analyzed and reported on impacts that had never been quantified before at this scale, and responded to TAC questions regarding the results and inferences that could be made to inform management actions to reduce impacts.

Invited annually to share scientific expertise about the project and its impact with senior staff at USFWS and BLM, in Washington, DC.

California Valley Solar Ranch Biological Assistance, San Luis Obispo County, California — As the principal-in-charge, serves as the lead biologist for the 250-MW California Valley Solar Ranch project in San Luis Obispo County. Responsibilities included assessing impacts and providing mitigation in compliance with CEQA, ESA, CESA, Clean Water Act, Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement (LSAA) permitting; construction and operations compliance monitoring and reporting; and the identification and vetting of mitigation lands (>9,000 acres), recordation of conservation easements, and land management. Conducted and managed multi-year field surveys for special-status species, including San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and golden eagle. Led the development and implementation of the Avian and Bat Protection Plan, which included a multi-year avian fatality monitoring plan that has been recognized as being one of the best data sets available.

The approximately 1,700-acre project site encompasses habitat for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and giant kangaroo rat. The endangered giant kangaroo rat was the key biological issue of concern facing the project developers. Oversaw the completion of the project in a manner that fully mitigated impacts on all of the listed species and continues to do so during operation of the facility. Authored numerous assessments and plans encompassing the project site and more than 9,000 acres of habitat to be preserved and managed in perpetuity for these species. Novel approaches to mitigation were implemented, which included relocating animals into state-of-the-art protective artificial burrow complexes, monitoring the relocated giant kangaroo rat to document their survival, conducting scientific analysis of the genetic makeup of the relocated populations, and managing the species’ conservation lands.

California High-Speed Rail Environmental Services (Fresno-Bakersfield Section), Fresno, Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for biological services to support California High Speed Rail (Fresno-Bakersfield Section). Since 2017, has served as the principal-in-charge for numerous project tasks for the California High Speed Rail Project. Oversees compliance and regulatory issues, permitting and mitigation planning, regional species assessments, and surveys of special-listed species. Continues to direct geotechnical investigations involving pre-activity surveys and monitoring; an assessment of aquatic and upland habitat suitability for California tiger salamanders (CTS) at mitigation sites; and range and habitat assessments for CTS, San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin antelope squirrels, and giant kangaroo rats in support of permit compliance, and permit amendments or reinitiation efforts pertaining to the biological opinion. Led the development of decision frameworks to guide survey work and “take” assessments in support of state and federal permitting and is the primary author of the wildlife crossing monitoring plan for the Merced to Bakersfield and Fresno to Bakersfield segments of the California High Speed Rail Project to assess the efficacy of the monitoring structures.

California Department of Transportation District 6 & 10 Environmental Generalist Services, Multiple Counties, California — Served as principal-in-charge for biological resources consulting for California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 6 and 10 on-call services covering 13 counties in Central California, from the eastern Sierra Nevada to the southern San Joaquin Valley. Services ranged from conducting trapping surveys for sensitive kangaroo rat species to performing construction monitoring and bird nesting deterrence, and from delivering environmental training programs to drafting natural environment studies and biological assessments that adhere to Caltrans standards.

Topaz Solar Farm, Unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for the development, and implementation over 8 years, of long-term habitat management plans and monitoring programs, a targeted grazing plan, and a comprehensive weed assessment and control program covering two conservation land areas across more than 12,000 acres near the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The program implemented targeted grazing and weed control programs to maintain or enhance habitat values for threatened and endangered species. Successfully transitioned perpetual management of those land to a non-profit land manager.

Route 5 Vehicle Detection System Installation Project: Small Animal Trapping, Kern, Kings, and Fresno Counties, California — Oversaw a project and directed a team that conducted protocol-level trapping surveys for the endangered giant kangaroo rat and Fresno kangaroo rat along 10 miles of I-5 in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Reviewed the biological assessment and the Caltrans natural environment study (NES), which thoroughly analyzed the potential for the project to affect three sensitive plant communities, the endangered San Joaquin woollythreads, Indian Valley bush-mallow, and numerous sensitive wildlife species beyond the kangaroo rats, including San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, American badger, western mastiff bat, nesting migratory birds, burrowing owl, mountain plover, tricolored blackbird, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, western spadefoot, coast horned lizard, San Joaquin coachwhip, and California glossy snake.

PG&E Panoche Land Management Plans, San Benito and Fresno Counties, California — Served as principal-in-charge of the development of the biological impact and mitigation section of the environmental impact report (EIR) for the 420-MW Panoche Valley Solar Farm. The project area encompasses habitat for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, giant kangaroo rat, and CTS. It is also located in an area designated as an Important Bird Area of global significance. An innovative approach was required to address impacts in an area identified by a USFWS Recovery Plan for endangered and threatened species, at a time when the scientific community was in the early stage of understanding the interaction of wildlife species and utility-scale solar energy facilities. The EIR won an Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document award from the Association of Environmental Planners.

California Flats Solar Project, Unincorporated Monterey County, California — As principal-in-charge, supported an updated analysis of the effects of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) authorization for the applicant to construct, operate, and maintain the project, including effects on the giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and CTS. Efforts have included surveys on eight sites in and adjacent to project land; the surveys identified both the number and location of active giant kangaroo rat precincts in each area. This information was presented to USFWS and USACE in a detailed memorandum that supported the issuance of an updated biological opinion.

California Valley Solar Ranch Biological Assistance, San Luis Obispo County, California — As the principal-in-charge, serves as the lead biologist for the 250-MW California Valley Solar Ranch project in San Luis Obispo County. Responsibilities included assessing impacts and providing mitigation in compliance with CEQA, ESA, CESA, Clean Water Act, RWQCB and LSAA permitting; construction and operations compliance monitoring and reporting; and the identification and vetting of mitigation lands (>9,000 acres), recordation of conservation easements, and land management. Conducted and managed multi-year field surveys for special-status species, including San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and golden eagle. Led the development and implementation of the Avian and Bat Protection Plan, which included a multi-year avian fatality monitoring plan that has been recognized as being one of the best data sets available.

The approximately 1,700-acre project site encompasses habitat for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and giant kangaroo rat. The endangered giant kangaroo rat was the key biological issue of concern facing the project developers. Oversaw the completion of the project in a manner that fully mitigated impacts on all of the listed species and continues to do so during operation of the facility. Authored numerous assessments and plans encompassing the project site and more than 9,000 acres of habitat to be preserved and managed in perpetuity for these species. Novel approaches to mitigation were implemented, which included relocating animals into state-of-the-art protective artificial burrow complexes, monitoring the relocated giant kangaroo rat to document their survival, conducting scientific analysis of the genetic makeup of the relocated populations, and managing the species’ conservation lands.

California High-Speed Rail Environmental Services (Fresno-Bakersfield Section), Fresno, Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for biological services to support California High Speed Rail (Fresno-Bakersfield Section). Since 2017, served as the principal-in-charge for numerous project tasks for the California High Speed Rail Project. Oversees compliance and regulatory issues, permitting and mitigation planning, regional species assessments, and surveys of special-listed species. Continues to direct geotechnical investigations involving pre-activity surveys and monitoring; an assessment of aquatic and upland habitat suitability for CTS at mitigation sites; and range and habitat assessments for CTS, San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin antelope squirrels, and giant kangaroo rats in support of permit compliance, and permit amendments or reinitiation efforts pertaining to the biological opinion. Led the development of decision frameworks to guide survey work and “take” assessments in support of state and federal permitting and is the primary author of the wildlife crossing monitoring plan for the Merced to Bakersfield and Fresno to Bakersfield segments of the California High Speed Rail Project to assess the efficacy of the monitoring structures.

California Department of Water Resources Pearblossom Solar Project Pre-construction Support, Los Angeles County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for work with a solar developer to build the Pearblossom solar project. Work included CEQA and NEPA documentation and compliance, CDFW and USFWS agency consultation in Ventura County regarding desert tortoise, and protocol surveys for Mohave ground squirrel.

California Public Utilities Commission Control Silver Peak Biological Services, Inyo County, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for a project to prepare the biological components of an EIR for the California Public Utilities Commission for Southern California Edison’s proposed Control-Silver Peak Project. This project will replace aging 55 kV conductors and upgrade wood poles to steel poles along 58 miles of a transmission system extending from Owens Valley through the White Mountains east to the Nevada border.

Central Camp and Marina View to Bass Lake Cable Installation NEPA and ESA Compliance Assistance, Madera County, California — As principal-in-charge, led a team in assisting two telephone companies with NEPA and ESA compliance for four fiber-optic cable installation projects near Bass Lake in the Sierra National Forest in Madera County, achieving consistency with multiple USFS plans and directives. Work included botanical surveys, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife biological evaluations and assessments, riparian conservation objectives consistency analyses, management indicator species reports, and evaluations of Migratory Bird Treaty Act compliance.

PG&E Biotic Reports, Santa Cruz County, California — As a subconsultant, serves as principal-in-charge and senior wildlife ecologist for biological support for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) utility work on privately and publicly owned lands within the California Coastal Zone in Santa Cruz County. To date, work included four biotic reports in the county: support for emergency response activities following the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) Lightning Fire; PG&E Community Pipeline Safety Initiative; Wildfire Wood Management Program in the county’s Coastal Zone; and undergrounding distribution lines on the Point Moretti distribution circuit.

Delta Lands Reclamation District 770 Warren Act Contract Biological Assessment and CEQA Documentation, Fresno, Kings, and Kern Counties, California — Served as project manager and eventually principal-in-charge of work with Delta Lands Reclamation District and the Bureau of Reclamation to provide surveys and documentation in support of CEQA, NEPA, and ESA compliance for the potential transfer of 300,000 acre-ft of floodwater from river and stream discharges in the Sierra Nevada to downstream users. The documentation, including a biological assessment for federally listed species, assessed the impacts of the disposal of flood water to entities with convenience features along the Friant-Kern Canal south to the Kern River, along the Kern River to the California Aqueduct, and south through the California Aqueduct to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Badger Forest Fire Station Replacement, Tulare County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for fieldwork and an initial study/mitigated negative declaration (IS/MND) for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s proposed project to relocate fire station facilities in southern Tulare County. Analyzed the potential impacts of the project on aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality (including greenhouse gas emissions), biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreations, transportation and traffic, and utilities and service systems. Project included posting notices for public review and comment, compiling and preparing responses to comments, and preparing a final IS/MND and mitigation monitoring and reporting plan.

Azalea Hybrid Power Project, Kern County, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for the ~640 acre solar facility, including photovoltaic modules and trackers, inverters and medium voltage transformers, direct current collection, onsite substation, battery storage, telecommunications, meteorological data collection, lighting signage, access roads, and generation tie lines. Provided coordination with client, construction team, agencies, and biologists. Also provided permitting guidance for the incidental take permit (ITP) and habitat conservation plan (HCP) resulting in federal and/or state permits for San Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, and burrowing owl.

Chalan Solar and Storage Project, Kern County, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for the permitting and construction of the solar project, which consists of ~409 acres, including four solar arrays, laydown and storage area, onsite substation, and a battery energy storage system. Provided permitting guidance for the ITP and HCP, resulting in federal and/or state permits for San Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, and burrowing owl.

PG&E Panoche Land Management Plans, San Benito and Fresno Counties, California — Served as principal-in-charge of the development of the biological impact and mitigation section of the EIR for the 420-MW Panoche Valley Solar Farm. The project area encompasses habitat for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, giant kangaroo rat, and CTS. It is also located in an area designated as an Important Bird Area of global significance. An innovative approach was required to address impacts in an area identified by a USFWS Recovery Plan for endangered and threatened species at a time when the scientific community was in the early stage of understanding the interaction of wildlife species and utility-scale solar energy facilities. The EIR won an Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document award from the Association of Environmental Planners.

California Flats Solar Project, Unincorporated Monterey County, California — As principal-in-charge, supported an updated analysis of the effects of USACE authorization for the applicant to construct, operate, and maintain the project, including effects on the giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and CTS. Efforts have included surveys on eight sites in and adjacent to project land; the surveys identified both the number and location of active giant kangaroo rat precincts in each area. This information was presented to USFWS and USACE in a detailed memorandum that supported the issuance of an updated biological opinion.

California Valley Solar Ranch Biological Assistance, San Luis Obispo County, California — As the principal-in-charge, serves as the lead biologist for the 250-MW California Valley Solar Ranch project in San Luis Obispo County. Responsibilities included assessing impacts and providing mitigation in compliance with CEQA, ESA, CESA, Clean Water Act, RWQCB and LSAA permitting; construction and operations compliance monitoring and reporting; and the identification and vetting of mitigation lands (>9,000 acres), recordation of conservation easements, and land management. Conducted and managed multi-year field surveys for special-status species, including San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and golden eagle. Led the development and implementation of the Avian and Bat Protection Plan, which included a multi-year avian fatality monitoring plan that has been recognized as being one of the best data sets available.

The approximately 1,700-acre project site encompasses habitat for San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and giant kangaroo rat. The endangered giant kangaroo rat was the key biological issue of concern facing the project developers. Oversaw the completion of the project in a manner that fully mitigated impacts on all of the listed species and continues to do so during operation of the facility. Authored numerous assessments and plans encompassing the project site and more than 9,000 acres of habitat to be preserved and managed in perpetuity for these species. Novel approaches to mitigation were implemented, which included relocating animals into state-of-the-art protective artificial burrow complexes, monitoring the relocated giant kangaroo rat to document their survival, conducting scientific analysis of the genetic makeup of the relocated populations, and managing the species’ conservation lands.

California High-Speed Rail Environmental Services (Fresno-Bakersfield Section), Fresno, Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for biological services to support California High Speed Rail (Fresno-Bakersfield Section). Since 2017, served as the principal-in-charge for numerous project tasks for the California High Speed Rail Project. Oversees compliance and regulatory issues, permitting and mitigation planning, regional species assessments, and surveys of special-listed species. Continues to direct geotechnical investigations involving pre-activity surveys and monitoring; an assessment of aquatic and upland habitat suitability for CTS at mitigation sites; and range and habitat assessments for CTS, San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin antelope squirrels, and giant kangaroo rats in support of permit compliance, and permit amendments or reinitiation efforts pertaining to the biological opinion. Led the development of decision frameworks to guide survey work and “take” assessments in support of state and federal permitting and is the primary author of the wildlife crossing monitoring plan for the Merced to Bakersfield and Fresno to Bakersfield segments of the California High Speed Rail Project to assess the efficacy of the monitoring structures.

California Department of Water Resources Pearblossom Solar Project Pre-construction Support, Los Angeles County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for work with a solar developer to build the Pearblossom solar project. Work included CEQA and NEPA documentation and compliance, CDFW and USFWS agency consultation in Ventura County regarding desert tortoise, and protocol surveys for Mohave ground squirrel.

PG&E General Habitat Conservation Plan Support, East Bay, San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley, California — Serves as principal-in-charge for work for the development of multiple long-term preserve habitat management plans, all of which included livestock grazing as management tools and long-term grassland/livestock grazing monitoring programs, for Pacific Gas & Electric Company mitigation sites encompassing thousands of acres of habitat across the East Bay, San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento Valley. The preserves protected and managed habitat for numerous species, including California red-legged frog, CTS, burrowing owl, vernal pool branchiopods, valley elderberry longhorn beetle, San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, and various species of rare plants.

Santa Nella Community Specific Plan EIR, Mitigation Planning, and HCP, Merced County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for the preparation of an HCP to provide for the incidental take of the federally listed San Joaquin kit fox on four parcels of land in the Santa Nella Community Specific Plan Area in Merced County. The HCP is unique in that the single plan and its associated NEPA documents cover three separate ESA Section 10(a) applicants who own the four parcels. In addition, the plan recognizes the relationship of these projects to a broader HCP process being considered for the entire Specific Plan Area, totaling approximately 2,700 acres. The HCP, while fully meeting the requirements under ESA, also serves as a bridge to the broader planning process.

Topaz Solar Farm, Unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for the development, and implementation over 8 years, of long-term habitat management plans and monitoring programs, a targeted grazing plan, and a comprehensive weed assessment and control program covering two conservation land areas across more than 12,000 acres near the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The program implemented targeted grazing and weed control programs to maintain or enhance habitat values for threatened and endangered species. Successfully transitioned perpetual management of those lands to a non-profit land manager.

Dye Creek Preserve Integrated Management Plan, Tehama County, California — Provided senior wildlife expertise to a team assisting The Nature Conservancy with preparation of an Integrated Management Plan for the 37,500-acre Dye Creek Preserve in Tehama County. The plan guides future land uses related to conservation and protection of natural resources and sustainable land uses as an income source. It provides specific recommendations for cataloging resources; enhancing and restoring sensitive habitats; improvements to ranching and hunting; developing and replacing facilities; improving operations and maintenance; and enhancing public outreach and research opportunities.

Central Camp and Marina View to Bass Lake Cable Installation NEPA and ESA Compliance Assistance, Madera County, California — As principal-in-charge, led a team in assisting two telephone companies with NEPA and ESA compliance for four fiber-optic cable installation projects near Bass Lake in the Sierra National Forest in Madera County, achieving consistency with multiple USFS plans and directives. Work included botanical surveys, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife biological evaluations and assessments, riparian conservation objectives consistency analyses, management indicator species reports, and evaluations of Migratory Bird Treaty Act compliance.

Delta Lands Reclamation District 770 Warren Act Contract Biological Assessment and CEQA Documentation, Fresno, Kings, and Kern Counties, California — Served as project manager and eventually principal-in-charge of work with Delta Lands Reclamation District and the Bureau of Reclamation to provide surveys and documentation in support of CEQA, NEPA, and ESA compliance for the potential transfer of 300,000 acre-ft of floodwater from river and stream discharges in the Sierra Nevada to down-stream users. The documentation, including a biological assessment for federally listed species, assessed the impacts of the disposal of flood water to entities with convenience features along the Friant-Kern Canal south to the Kern River, along the Kern River to the California Aqueduct, and south through the California Aqueduct to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Los Banos Parcel Wetland Due Diligence, Merced County, California — Performed a delineation of wetlands and other waters for a private commercial development within Los Banos, in Merced County. A total of 28.50 acres were surveyed for jurisdictional waters (wetlands and other waters) that may be subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act administered by USACE. The primary surveys were conducted by the wetland specialist in April and May, the months comprising the end of the wet season. Additional data from three hydrology monitoring site visits in January, February, and March were used to further support the findings of the delineation, which confirmed approximately 7.13 acres of potentially jurisdictional waters (Section 404 wetlands) on the project site.

State Route 17 Resiliency and Adaptation Plan, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, California — Principal-in-charge, overseeing a team of ecologists that are completing analyses of wildlife habitat connectivity and providing recommendations that include considerations of the planned crossing structures in D4 and D5 and their effects on habitat connectivity in the SR 17 corridor.

State Route 17 Resiliency and Adaptation Plan, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, California — Principal-in-charge, overseeing a team of ecologists that are completing analyses of wildlife habitat connectivity and providing recommendations that include considerations of the planned crossing structures in D4 and D5 and their effects on habitat connectivity in the SR 17 corridor.

State Route 17 Resiliency and Adaptation Plan, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, California — Principal-in-charge, overseeing a team of ecologists that are completing analyses of wildlife habitat connectivity and providing recommendations that include considerations of the planned crossing structures in D4 and D5 and their effects on habitat connectivity in the SR 17 corridor.