Public Sector

Beale Air Force Base (AFB) encompasses more than 20,000 acres of conservation lands in southeastern Yuba County, California. Much of the base is undeveloped and provides important habitat—including vernal pools—for many common and sensitive species of plants and wildlife. For more than 20 years, our staff has supported management of the base’s natural resources.

Led by principal of our Sacramento Valley office, Matt Wacker, the H. T. Harvey team has provided natural resources technical assistance and program support for the Beale AFB livestock grazing program. We have identified areas where vernal pool restoration could be conducted across the base, mapped invasive and rare plants over 1000s of acres, and developed conceptual habitat restoration designs for these areas. Our ecologists have conducted protocol-level surveys for a variety of sensitive wildlife species such as vernal pool branchiopods, burrowing owls, northwestern pond turtles, California red-legged frogs, anadromous salmonids, western spadefoot, and giant garter snakes per the Beale AFB Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan. Additional work included wetland delineations, CRAM studies, biological assessments for Section 7 consultations and NEPA support.