REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Chief Flood Control Engineer, Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement for Purchase of Mitigation Credits and Contract for Resource Monitoring Services for the West Fontana Channel (Hickory Basin to Banana Basin) Flood Control Improvement Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District:
1. Approve Agreement with Land Veritas dba Soquel Canyon Mitigation Bank, for the purchase of mitigation credits to offset environmental impacts from the West Fontana Channel (Hickory Basin to Banana Basin) Flood Control Improvement Project, in the amount of $495, 000, for the term of May 19, 2026 through November 19, 2026, or until all obligations under the agreement are complete, whichever occurs first.
2. Approve Contract with Cogstone Resource Management, Inc., to provide archaeological, paleontological, and tribal monitoring services for the West Fontana Channel (Hickory Basin to Banana Basin) Flood Control Improvement Project in the Fontana area, in an amount not to exceed $254,347, for the term of May 19, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Chief Flood Control Engineer, 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 San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) is funded by property tax revenue, fee revenue, and other local, state, and federal funding.
The total cost of $749,347 includes $495,000 for the Agreement with Land Veritas dba Soquel Canyon Mitigation Bank for the purchase of mitigation credits.
It also includes $254,347 for the Contract with Cogstone Resource Management, Inc. (Cogstone) for archaeological, paleontological, and tribal monitoring services. Both will be funded by existing property tax revenue. Sufficient appropriation has been included in the District’s 2025-26 budget (1910002518 F02612) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The West Fontana Channel (Hickory Basin to Banana Basin) Flood Control Improvement Project (Project), located in the unincorporated Fontana area, will modify an existing undersized earthen flood control channel to meet master plan drainage requirements and improve flood protection and public safety in the area. The Project is approximately 0.6 miles long and is included in the District’s Master Plan of Drainage (MDP), which guides planned flood control improvements within the watershed. Project activities will occur primarily within District right-of-way, except at the railway crossing.
On July 28, 2020 (Item No. 68), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
Project activities will permanently impact 2.5 acres and temporarily impact 2.6 acres of streambed and associated habitat. Although the Project area includes suitable burrowing owl habitat, recent recurring surveys by District ecologists found no burrowing owls or burrows within the Project area.
To satisfy environmental mitigation requirements, the District must purchase 1.25 acres of riparian enhancement credits (credits) from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) approved mitigation bank. The Soquel Canyon Mitigation Bank has sufficient credits available and is authorized to sell them to the District.
Approval of the Agreement, effective May 19, 2026, will allow the District to purchase the required mitigation credits for $495,000. CDFW has determined that this is the appropriate mitigation type and acreage amount. Once the District provides payment and submits proof of payment to the regulatory agencies, construction of the Project may proceed.
Recommendation No. 2 will approve a contract for archaeological, paleontological, and tribal cultural resource monitoring services for the Project. Although there are no known tribal cultural resources within the Project area, and no known tribal cultural resources within one mile of the Project boundary, there remains the potential for construction activities to encounter previously unknown or unrecorded tribal cultural resources. The mitigation measures adopted for the Project require appropriate monitoring and consultation to reduce any potential impacts from unexpected discoveries to a less-than-significant level.
The District is required to consult with the appropriate Tribe or Tribes throughout the construction process and completion of any measures necessary to protect documented tribal cultural resources. The District must also obtain the services of a Tribal Monitor approved by the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians - Kizh Nation.
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 attenuating flows to reduce the potential for downstream flooding in both large and small storm events, and to provide flood protection for the existing structures and residences within the Project area by securing credits to complete the construction of the Project.
PROCUREMENT
On March 11, 2025, Request for Proposal RFP No. PWG125-LANDD-5706 (RFP) was released to competitively solicit proposals for archaeological, paleontological, and tribal resource monitoring services to establish an on-call Cultural Services list. Proposals from vendors interested in the on-call Cultural Services list needed to have their proposals submitted by the deadline of April 2, 2025 and through the County Electronic Procurement Network.
The District solicited the on-call list, and on May 6, 2026, seven proposals in response to a specific procurement for West Fontana Channel were received in accordance with the requirements of the RFP:
|
Consultant |
Location |
Proposal Amount |
|
ASM Affiliates, Inc (without Paleo nor Tribal Monitoring) |
Pasadena, CA |
$191,920 |
|
Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. |
Henderson, NV |
$422,400 |
|
Cogstone Resource Management, Inc. |
Orange, CA |
$254,347 |
|
Aspen Environmental Group |
Agoura Hills, CA |
Decline to Bid |
|
Bancroft Construction Services LLC (without a Tribal Monitor) |
La Jolla, CA |
$173,708 |
|
BCR Consulting LLC (without a Tribal Monitor) |
Claremont, CA |
$141,000 |
|
FCS International, Inc. dba FirstCarbon Solutions |
Irvine, CA |
Decline to Bid |
The proposals were evaluated by a committee of three District representatives. Cogstone was selected by evaluators as the most qualified, cost-efficient consultant based on its technical approach to the scope of work, understanding of the District’s needs, and immediate availability of staff. No appeals or protests were received.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 6, 2026; Purchasing (Dylan Newton, Buyer III, 387-3377) on May 7, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on May 11, 2026.