REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 9, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with Desert Environmental Resources, Inc., to Purchase Mitigation Credits for the Baker Boulevard Bridge Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Agreement with Desert Environmental Resources, Inc., in the amount of $372,750, for the purchase of credits for the mitigation of impacts from the Baker Boulevard Bridge Project, which shall terminate upon the earlier of December 31, 2026, or completion of all agreement obligations.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Baker Boulevard Bridge Project (Project) is financed by the Measure I 2010-2040 North Desert Subarea Major Local Highways Program (MLHP), administered by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), for design and environmental purposes. Sufficient revenue and appropriation are included in the Department of Public Works’ 2025-26 Road Operations budget (6650002000 H14278) and will be included in future recommended budgets as necessary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Baker Boulevard Bridge Project (Project) consists of the demolition and replacement of the Mojave River Bridge (Bridge) located on Baker Boulevard. The Bridge is currently a 22-span stringer supported two-lane bridge with a continuous cast in-place reinforced concrete deck with overlain asphalt concrete. The Project will demolish the current bridge and replace it with a four-lane bridge with a 10-span cast in place with a reinforced concrete slab structure mounted on cast-in-drilled hole piles or driven concrete pile extensions. The new Bridge will also include sidewalks, streetlights, bridge barrier railings, and the creation of a ramp on the northeast side of the Bridge to allow access for maintenance.
On April 29, 2025 (Item No. 54), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
In order to comply with the conditions of the Project, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board Section 401 Water Quality Standards Certification, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1600 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement, the County must provide proof of contribution of sufficient funds to an agency-selected and approved mitigation bank prior to initiating project activities.
A mitigation bank is an agreement between regulatory agencies and a single sponsor, often referred to as a mitigation banker, of a system of credits and debits devised to ensure that ecological loss is compensated by the preservation and restoration of wetlands, natural habitats, and streams in other areas so that there is no net loss to the environment. Desert Environmental Resources, Inc., a Washington State Corporation (Desert Environmental Resources), is the proposed mitigation banker from whom the County will be purchasing mitigation credits to properly mitigate for the Project.
The Project will cause permanent impacts to 1.655 acres of Fish and Game Code 1602 resources, which impacts will be mitigated at a 3:1 ratio, as agreed upon by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (regulatory agencies). As such, the County is required to mitigate 4.97 acres of Dry Lakebed Preservation Credits through the purchase of credits. Desert Environmental Resources has sufficient mitigation credits available and is authorized to sell these credits to the County.
The aforementioned Dry Lakebed Preservation Credits are credits that have been previously approved by the regulatory agencies and have been set aside for purchase for project proponents that must mitigate for project impacts. The rate of the mitigation credits is calculated on a per acre basis. For 4.97 acres of mitigation, the Desert Environmental Resources proposes selling mitigation credits to the County for $372,750. The regulatory agencies have agreed that this is the appropriate mitigation type and acreage amount. Once the County provides the funds to the Desert Environmental Resources and submits proof of payment to the regulatory agencies, construction of the proposed Project may commence.
The Project is consistent with the County and the Chief Executive Officer's goals and objectives to provide for the safety, health and social service needs of county residents by improving structure safety and operations through replacement of the existing Bridge and approach roadways. The proposed Project is needed to meet current bridge structural design and safety standards along with projected future traffic capacity needs albeit the project in and of itself will not generate increased traffic volume and/or demand.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 5, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on May 21, 2026.