REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 27, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Chief Flood Control Engineer, Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with Dudek for Environmental Services to Support Long Term Management of the Woolly Star Preserve Area
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District:
1. Approve Agreement with Dudek, for environmental services to support long term management of the Woolly Star Preserve Area, in the amount not to exceed $650,000, for the contract term of January 27, 2026 through December 31, 2030.
2. Authorize the Chief Flood Control Engineer to add and/or delete services and reallocate funding between tasks as required to complete the work outlined in the Agreement, without increasing the total amount or changing the term of the Agreement.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The proposed not to exceed amount of Dudek’s agreement (Agreement) is $650,000. The San Bernardino County Flood Control District’s (District)’s 7.03% share is $45,695, which will be funded by property tax revenue. Sufficient appropriation has been included in the District’s 2025-26 budget (1930002526 F02258) and will be included in future recommended budgets. The total cost of the Agreement will be split between the District, Orange County Flood Control District (OCFCD), and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (RCFC&WCD). The table below represents the cost responsibility per entity.
|
Entity |
Cost Share Percentage |
|
District |
7.03% |
|
OCFCD |
87.7% |
|
RCFC&WCD |
5.27% |
The District will process and initially pay Dudek invoices, subject to reimbursement from Orange County Flood Control District and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District based on the percentages established in the 1989 Local Cooperation Agreement (LCA), further described in the background information.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Seven Oaks Dam (SOD) is a 550-foot-high earthen dam constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) between 1994 and 1999 as part of the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project to provide flood protection to downstream communities along the Santa Ana River.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) determined that the construction and continued operation of the SOD would result in impacts to three federally-listed endangered species: the Santa Ana River woolly star (Eriastrum densilfolium ssp. Sanctorum, “woolly star”), slender-horned spineflower (Dodecahema leptoceras, “spineflower”), and San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus, “SBKR”), collectively referred to as “Covered Species”. Additionally, the Service issued two Biological Opinions (BO) in 1989 and 2002, which required compensatory mitigation and additional conservation measures to mitigate for and minimize impacts to the Covered Species. The 1989 BO (No. 1-6-88-F-6) outlined the acquisition of 760 acres of floodplain along the upper Santa Ana River, subsequently named the Woolly Star Preserve Area (WSPA), to be used for the mitigation requirements of SOD. To comply with conditions set forth in the 1989 BO, USACE developed a Management Plan in 1993, to manage the woolly star within WSPA. The 2002 BO (No. 1-6-02-F-1000.10) added spineflower and SBKR in the management of WSPA, requiring the development of the Multi-Species Habitat Management Plan (MSHMP), which was completed in 2012.
On December 18, 1989 (Item No. 107), the District Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a Local Cooperation Agreement (LCA), Agreement No. 89-1087, with OCFCD and RCFC&WCD, collectively the Local Sponsors, which details the following cost-share obligation for operating, maintaining, and managing the WSPA, the mitigation lands associated with the construction and operation of the SOD component of the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project.
The purpose of the MSHMP is to guide management of the WSPA lands to sustain the Covered Species and is intended to be a programmatic document addressing the overall adaptive management approach, multi-species objectives, and management decision-making process for the Covered Species. The LCA identified the Local Sponsors as having lead responsibility for administering and implementing the mitigation requirements for the SOD, which included the implementation of the Management Plan and MSHMP.
Under the proposed Agreement, Dudek will provide environmental and related project management services, on a time-and-material basis over the term of the Agreement, from January 27, 2026 through December 31, 2030, to assist the Local Sponsors achieve their required mitigation obligations and implement the USACE MSHMP associated with the construction and operation of SOD.
PROCUREMENT
The District approved and authorized the release of Request for Proposal (RFP) No. PWG126-LANDD-5978 with the Purchasing Department (Purchasing) on August 21, 2025, to solicit proposals from interested and qualified firms for environmental and related project management services regarding the implementation of the USACE MSHMP. The RFP was posted to the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). On September 26, 2025, proposals from the following consultants were received:
|
Proposer Name |
Location |
|
Dudek |
Riverside, CA |
|
Aspen Environmental Group |
Agoura Hills, CA |
|
Chambers Group |
Costa Mesa, CA |
|
Ruth Villalobos and Associates |
Ontario, CA |
|
Vandermost Consulting Services |
San Juan Capistrano, CA |
The evaluation panel, with representation from the District, reviewed and evaluated the proposals based on the criteria listed in the RFP. The criteria included: qualifications and experience, technical review, and references.
Based on the evaluation criteria, the evaluation panel determined that Dudek best met the needs of the District. Aspen Environmental Group was disqualified due to an actual conflict of interest. Aspen Environmental Group currently is a subconsultant to the District and is responsible for MSHMP species task implementation. The scope of work in the RFP and the proposed Agreement includes overseeing Aspen Environmental Group’s current work for the District and reviewing and approving Aspen Environmental Group’s invoices.
Evaluation and selection emails were sent to all responsible and responsive proposers on December 17, 2025. No protests were received within the allowable period. Purchasing supports this competitive procurement based on the formal solicitation described above.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 17, 2025; Purchasing (Dylan Newton, Buyer III, 387-3377) on December 17, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on January 9, 2026.