BBS Receives a Meritorious Award at the 2014 AEP Awards Event!

October 10th, 2014

SX-PQ AEP Award20141002_201251On October 2, 2014, Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS) was honored to receive a meritorious award in the category of Outstanding Technical Document at the 2014 San Diego Chapter Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) Awards Event for the Biological Technical Report (BTR) we prepared for SDG&E’s Sycamore Canyon to Penaquitos Substation 230 kV Transmission Line Project. The work that went into this BTR played a major contribution in helping SDG&E & TRC Solutions, Inc. (TRC) also receive an award for Outstanding Environmental Analysis – Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND)/Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA) prepared for the same project. These awards were given to agencies and/or firms which published an outstanding environmental documents in 2013 or 2014.

The proposed project will provide a 16.7 mile 230kV transmission connection between its Sycamore Canyon Substation located
on USMC Air Station Miramar and the Penasquitos Substation in the Torrey Hills Community in San Diego, Ca.  The project will include, in part, replacement of existing wood structures with steel when possible, installation of new 230 kV steel poles, utilization of existing structures within SDG&E’s existing right-of-way and installation of new underground lines in SDG&E’s franchise position along Carmel Valley Road.  The proposed project was initially a California Independent System Operator (ISO) policy driven project but has also been identified as necessary to ensure grid reliability by a task force set up by Governor Brown investigating the Southern California electrical grid in the absence of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

The jurors provided the following comments on our BTR:

“It is a complex project described in an easy-to-understand way. The graphics are extremely helpful and easy to understand. This is a high-profile project with lots of information – they did an excellent job of pulling everything together in a cohesive, easy-to-read document.”

We’d like to thank the jurors for providing their positive feedback. We worked so hard to make sure the report was written well and on par with a bigger company, so this positive feedback is wonderful to hear. We’d also like to thank Elisha Back at TRC for taking a chance on us and giving us this opportunity! We really appreciate all the support from TRC and SDG&E, more than words can say! We look forward to more opportunities like this in the future!

Thanks again!

 

BBS Selected as Finalist for 2014 AEP Awards

September 29th, 2014

We are excited to announce that Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS) has been selected as a finalist in the category of Outstanding Technical Document for the 2014 San Diego Chapter AEP Awards Event being held at Scripps Seaside Forum this Thursday, October 2! The Biological Technical Report (BTR) we prepared for SDG&E’s Sycamore Canyon to Penaquitos Substation Transmission Line Project is an extremely complex technical document that covers the existing biological resources along the entire approximately 17-mile (1,060-acre) 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line alignment; the potential impacts to these biological resources; and the proposed avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures that will be used to assure impacts are below a level of significance.

This was BBS’ first opportunity to contract directly with TRC Solutions, Inc. (TRC) and to provide SDG&E with a technical document prepared solely by BBS. The preparation of the BTR was a challenge because the project was “fast tracked” by SDG&E, which meant that instead of having 4 to 5 months to complete the project, BBS had only 6 weeks to conduct the background research; conduct the vegetation mapping, special-status plant surveys, and special-status wildlife surveys; coordinate with Environmental Intelligence, LLC (EI) to obtain the wetland data; analyze and integrate all survey data into the report; and finalize the draft BTR. With this tight schedule, BBS developed a creative approach to an ongoing review process by coordinating with and providing draft portions of the document to TRC and SDG&E as these portions were completed for review and comment. Thus, the completed draft document had already incorporated many of the revisions, which significantly streamlined the preparation of the Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA) and submittal to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Although BBS is a small firm, we worked creatively, efficiently, and cooperatively with our clients within a narrow time frame to provided an exceptionally thorough and complete document that has received high compliments from both TRC and SDG&E.

 

Project Spotlight: “Coastal California Gnatcatcher 2014 General Inventory and Breeding Status Assessment Study on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California”

August 15th, 2014

Back right 2Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS) is currently entering the final data review and reporting stage for the “Coastal California Gnatcatcher 2014 General Inventory and Breeding Status Assessment Study on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California”. This marks the second time that BBS has participated in this large scale, Basewide study; the first was during 2010.

The objectives of this study were to conduct a habitat assessment to identify potentially suitable Coastal California Gnatcatcher (CAGN) breeding habitat, to conduct a presence/absence survey for CAGN, and to monitor a target of 50 CAGN nests to assess survival and productivity within the approximately 125,000-acre base. BBS served as the technical lead for this study retained by Tetra Tech Inc.  The survey team was composed of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)-permitted CAGN surveyors and nest monitors primarily from BBS and the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM), as well as other USFWS-permited independent biologists.

The project began during the fall of 2013 with a pre-breeding habitat assessment of approximately 45,000 acres of potentially suitable CAGN breeding habitat identified from Base Geographic Information System (GIS) vegetation map layers. During the habitat assessment, the potentially suitable CAGN breeding habitat was further refined to identify approximately 20,000 acres that would require presence/absence surveys and nest monitoring for CAGN.

The CAGN surveys and nest monitoring were conducted during a 5 month period between approximately February 15 and July 15, 2014. All surveys were conducted according to the USFWS Coastal California Gnatcatcher Presence/Absence Survey Protocol for participants in the Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP), requiring no more than 100 acres of suitable habitat be surveyed per day during three replicate surveys of each area. CAGN nests were monitored temporally and spatially on Base to assess survival and productivity. Nest data were analyzed using the Mayfield method for calculating nest success, which uses the period of time a nest was observed and the time of exposure to loss to calculate nest survival.

The Base has been conducting these CAGN surveys since 1989 and Basewide surveys are conducted approximately every three to four years. Results from this Basewide survey effort aid the Base in supporting natural resource conservation; compliance with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations; military readiness activities; and with Department of Defense policies, instructions, and guidance.

“Profiles in Success: Busby Biological Services , Inc.” – 2013 SDG&E Annual Report

April 1st, 2014

Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS) has been included as a “Profile in Success” in the 2013 SDG&E Annual Report for Diverse Business Enterprises. Please read on to find out how BBS has benefited from SDG&E’s diverse business programs.

Profiles in Success: Busby Biological Services, Inc.2013 SDGE Annual Report Cover

Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS), a small, woman-owned business enterprise, has benefited greatly from SDG&E’s diverse business programs. Two programs in particular – the Environmental Forum and the Mastering Business Growth program – provided BBS with amazing opportunities in 2013.

Melissa Busby, Owner and Principal Biologist at BBS, was invited to attend the SDG&E Environmental Forum. Immediately following the presentation portion of the forum, a prime contractor approached Melissa to discuss a potential teaming opportunity on a SDG&E project. BBS joined the prime contractor’s team and successfully implemented this project, which is BBS’ largest individual

project to date. Both SDG&E and the prime were pleased with BBS’ performance, especially given the fast-tracked schedule. The team is currently working with the prime on a large 230 kV transmission project with SDG&E.

2013 SDGE Annual Report ArticleDuring the Environmental Forum, SDG&E discussed various other outreach programs offered by SDG&E for DBEs, including courses that provided guidance for small business owners. Melissa was fortunate to obtain a place in the Mastering Business Growth program, which included a series of 10 course modules that provided a toolkit for business planning and smart business growth. The course provided a great introduction to many parts of owning, managing, and growing a business, while also providing insight on how to work with SDG&E. It also provided excellent opportunities to network with other DBE firms to find teaming arrangements within our group. BBS is currently looking into opportunities to work with several of the other course attendees.

“BBS appreciates SDG&E’s efforts to establish and maintain relationships with diverse businesses, while also supporting non-DBE businesses that provide subcontracting opportunities to DBEs,” explains Melissa Busby, Owner and Principal Biologist at BBS. “Because of these opportunities, we were able to significantly increase our 2013 revenue and grow our business. Thanks to SDG&E, 2013 was our most successful year!”

 

Laurie Gorman Joins BBS Team as Senior Biologist/Project Manager

November 1st, 2013

Head Shot Laurie GormanDuring one of our busiest Fall seasons to date since Busby Biological Services, Inc. (BBS) established in 2009, Laurie Gorman joined our expanding team as a full-time Senior Biologist/Project Manager in September 2013. Laurie’s skills and experience as a well rounded biologist complement the comprehensive list of services we provide. Laurie has over 9 years of experience as a biologist and project manager in the environmental consulting industry. She has managed and performed biological surveys, monitoring, and compliance services for a variety of small- and large-scale projects. Her diverse biological skill set includes permits and qualifications to perform focused habitat assessments, surveys, and monitoring for a variety of species, including Quino checkerspot butterfly, Santa Ana sucker, Santa Ana speckled dace, arroyo chub, grunion, coast range newt, flat-tailed horned lizard, desert tortoise, snowy plover, burrowing owl, coastal California gnatcatcher, least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and nesting birds covered under the Migratory Bird treaty Act (MBTA).

BBS is now a small, woman-owned business enterprise!

September 18th, 2009

BBS is now a small, woman-owned business enterprise! Please see our expanding list of SBE/WBE/DBE certifications.