Contracts Awarded for Bolsa Chica Wetlands Restoration
Huntington Beach, Calif. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it has executed contracts with Kiewit Pacific Company and Moffatt & Nichol Engineering in anticipation of starting construction on the Bolsa Chica Wetland Restoration Project.
With an estimated construction contract totaling about $63,971,800, the Bolsa Chica Wetland Restoration Project is the largest, most expensive coastal wetland restoration project in southern California and the second largest construction project ever directed by the Service.
Kiewit Pacific Company, the construction contractor, and Moffatt & Nichol Engineers, the construction manager, will mobilize their equipment and personnel, in preparation for the beginning of earthmoving by October 1, 2004.
A Steering Committee comprised of eight Federal and State agencies has coordinated the planning and design of the Bolsa Chica restoration project. Steering Committee members include the Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State Lands Commission, California Coastal Conservancy, California Department of Fish and Game, and the State Resources Agency.
"Our ecosystem patient is now on the operating table and ready to begin the heart transplant that the Steering Committee and the public have planned for many years," says Jack Fancher, the Services Bolsa Chica Project Manager.
Bringing the wetlands habitat back to life involves reconnecting the lowland to the invigorating influence of ocean tides, creating a full tidal basin and managed tidal areas, dismantling oil wells and pipelines, restoring habitat, and constructing two bridges.
"The planning and design team have worked long and hard to get to this point and have done an excellent job," said Paul Rauch, the Services Regional Engineer. "This is the second largest construction contract ever issued by the Service and we are very excited about getting started on this long awaited project."
Following decades of controversy, 10 public agencies reached an agreement in 1997 that provided for the acquisition of land, and set in motion the planning and implementation of the restoration project.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach provided $79 million to offset impacts associated with their economically port expansion programs, $25 million of which was used to purchase the property. Additional funds have been provided by the California Coastal Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board, largely from habitat restoration bond act funds approved by California voters.
Each agency that is part of the Steering Committee has contributed to the progress of restoration. The State Lands Commission acquired the restoration property and administers the special accounts; other agencies have assisted with preliminary engineering, public workshops, environmental analysis, and permit processing; and, by agreement, the Service is the lead agency for construction of the restoration project.
To assist the Service in the management and administration of the Bolsa Chica wetland restoration project, Moffatt & Nichol Engineers (M&N) has been contracted for construction management. M&N is a full service consulting firm providing planning, engineering and construction management for a wide range of transportation, port and harbor, coastal and urban waterfront projects. The firm was founded in 1945 in Long Beach, California, where it still maintains its corporate headquarters and largest office. M&N currently employs over 300 people in 20 offices in the U.S. and has recently opened an office in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In addition to providing the final design for the Bolsa Chica project, M&N has been a key member of the joint venture team providing construction and program management services for the Alameda Corridor project and is currently providing Program Management Services to the Port of Long Beach for its Mega Terminal Program.
To construct all elements of the restoration project, included the two bridges, jetties, dredging, earthwork, and groundwater barrier, the Service selected the Kiewit Pacific Company (Kiewit). Based in Vancouver, Washington, Kiewit has more than 55 years of experience in California. They have been listed in the Engineering News-Record as one of the top 10 contractors in the U.S. since 1995 with annual revenues surpassing $3.7 billion on projects ranging from highways, bridges, and dams to power generation facilities. Kiewit privately owns the largest equipment fleet in North America with over 13,000 pieces of equipment. Kiewit has one of the industry=s most impressive safety records with 15 years of continuous safety improvement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
