Native Tree Planting Project

Native Tree Planting Project

As part of the mitigation required to offsite environmental effects associated with the CCLP, the native tree replacement planting project was proposed to offset impacts to desert wash trees removed during construction of the CCLP. This effort is funded by the San Diego County Water Authority. Container-grown trees have been propagated from locally collected seeds for this purpose. This MND covers trees planting proposed on a 55.78-acre site owned by BLM. Trees will be planned from three-gallon size containers and watered for a period of one to five years. Trees will be planted either by digging with hand tools or use of a tractor-mounted auger. Holes will be dug up to 24 inches in diameter and 36 inches deep. A drip irrigation system will be installed at the planting site utilizing water from the Coachella Canal. The drip irrigation system would be installed above ground using PVC pipe and drip irrigation tubing. The PVC pipe would bring water from the Coachella Canal mostly along previously graded roads: the PVC would need to be buried or placed in a steel sleeve where the pipeline at road crossings. Initially, water from an adjacent BLM pond may be used for watering until the drip irrigation system from the Coachella Canal has been completed. Watering frequency is expected to be once a week during the first season and once every three to four weeks in the second season. A total of 2,324 trees will be planted including 31 Smoketree (Psorothamnus spinosus), 28 Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), 448 Ironwood (Olneya resota), and 1,848 Palo Verde (Parkinsonla Ilorida). Approximately 100 trees per acre will be planted at an average spacing of 21 feet apart. All areas of the planting site may not be actually used, based on suitability, avoidance of sensitive areas, and access.

Riverside