Black-Flowered Figwort (Scrophularia atrata) Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan - City of Lompoc

Rincon worked closely with the City of Lompoc to mitigate the loss of black-flowered figwort individuals and its habitat as a result of a proposed residential development in the southwestern portion of the city. Black-flowered figwort is a California Native Plant Society List 1B species, and as such met the CEQA definition of rarity. Therefore, to ensure CEQA compliance mitigation for these impacts was required as a part of project approval. Rincon conducted focused rare plant surveys, provided mapped and textual results of the surveys, then prepared a detailed habitat mitigation and monitoring plan that described the revegetation techniques and monitoring methods to be used onsite. Black-flowered figwort seed was collected onsite and a portion of that seed was grown in the nursery and reintroduced to the site following construction activities. A critical component of implementing the restoration plan was the use of biotechnical slope stabilization techniques in areas of high erosion potential prior to installation of container plant material. To date, Rincon has been retained by the developer to continue implementing the plan, conduct annual monitoring of the mitigation area, and prepare annual monitoring reports for submittal to the City of Lompoc and California Department of Fish and Game.