Camp Pendleton Breaks Ground On Environmental Restoration Project

OCEANSIDE, CA — Camp Pendleton has teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and construction firm Burns & McDonnell to convert and restore an out-of-use golf course on the Marine base into a natural riparian protected habitat.

Burns & McDonnell, a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture, and construction firm, joined Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to break ground on the Moosa Creek Restoration project. This project will support environmental and safety improvements at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton.

The restoration of the approximately 67-acre site will benefit the least Bell’s vireo and the southwestern willow flycatcher, two bird species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The project will reactivate a flood plain, creating a mosaic of natural habitats for multiple species. It will also extend the habitat corridor of adjacent water bodies and improve local water quality and ecosystems.

“We are extremely proud to be a part of this effort and this team,” said Col. Richard T. Anderson, commanding officer for Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton. “This project not only solves a decades-old aviation safety violation but does so while supporting endangered species and the community.”

Burns & McDonnell will implement a wide range of actions, including:

• Removing inactive tennis courts, golf course pathways and abandoned parking lots.
• Reactivating the natural flood plain by cutting a new, high-flow stream channel to improve habitat conditions for plants and wildlife.
• Grading to create natural topography and fill in ponds.
• Removing and controlling invasive species that are disruptive to natural resources and ecological processes.
• Planting native species to restore the overall ecosystem and provide long-term environmental benefits.

“We are honored to join the Marine Corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to break ground on this critical restoration project,” said Rashmi Menon, vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in California. “Our team has engineered a solution that will span the course of decades, restoring and improving our environment for MCAS Camp Pendleton.”

The restoration is currently undergoing the environmental review process and is expected to be completed in 2022 with potential adjustments made to account for weather and nesting seasons. Following the completion, Burns & McDonnell and MCAS Camp Pendleton will monitor the restoration with oversight by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This restoration project is the outcome of a cooperative effort with the Air Station to address their safety needs and benefit recovery of the least Bell’s vireo,” said Scott Sobiech, field supervisor for the Service’s Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office. “We value our partnership with the Air Station and Burns & McDonnell, and we look forward to seeing the Moosa Creek habitat restoration project implemented.”

Burns & McDonnell has more than 60 offices across the globe with 7,600 professionals, including more than 250 employees in Brea, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, California. The firm opened its doors in California in 1923 and is ranked No. 9 in Top 500 Design Firms in the U.S. by Engineering News-Record.

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