Upper Oso Habitat Restoration

This 82.9 acre restoration project is located in O’Neill Regional Park in Orange County, California, and includes implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of 66.3 acres of revegetation and 16.6 acres of enhancement of native vegetation including coastal sage scrub, cactus scrub, southern willow/mulefat scrub, scrub oak chaparral/oak woodland, and foothill needlegrass grassland.

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Project Facts
  • City of Rancho Santa Margarita
  • Orange County, California
  • 82.9 acres of revegetation and enhancement
  • Multiple agency coordination

The Challenge

The planting methods included a combination of more than 130,000 specialized deep-root container plants and the application of seed mixes using plant species palettes to maximize contiguity with surrounding native vegetation types, species diversity, and habitat values. Measures were taken to avoid and minimize impacts to native plant and wildlife species, including sensitive species known to occur or with the potential to occur in the vicinity of the site.

The Solution

Timing for the plant installation was key. HRS couldn’t receive all 130,000 plants all at once. Instead, HRS worked directly with the local native plant nursery and coordinated the plant order in stages for each area of the site. The site was broken down into smaller manageable areas and orders were scheduled for delivery based on timing and the project schedule.

HRS maintains close communications with the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, OC Parks, and the local water districts to keep the project moving forward toward successful completion and sign-off from USFWS.

In Our Words

“This project develops self-sustaining native vegetation communities that are similar to existing native vegetation types on and adjacent to our project site. The resulting mosaic of natural communities contributes to the overall ecological function and diversity of the site and more broadly, O’Neill Regional Park.”

– Pete Trotta
Corporate Officer, Senior Project Supervisor

What We Do

Our restoration expertise provides the right staff and equipment to meet permit requirements.

Project Support

Interested in what you’ve seen? Discover how we can help achieve your goal.

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