Los Angeles International Airport: Los Angeles, California

SERVICES USED ON THIS PROJECT INCLUDE:
	Environmental Compliance		Resource Management

Sapphos Environmental, Inc. provided consulting services to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the proposed Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Master Plan Project pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

For the duration of the master planning effort that spanned over 10 years, the firm acted as lead consultant for biological resources, including endangered species, wetlands, regulatory compliance, and permitting. In this role, Sapphos Environmental, Inc. worked directly with the Federal Aviation Administration, LAWA, and their respective attorneys to resolve complex issues related to occupied habitat for federally and state-listed endangered, sensitive, and locally important species; waters of the United States; and areas subject to Section 1602 of the State Fish and Game Code.

Sapphos Environmental, Inc. conducted a wide range of general and focused biological surveys totaling thousands of hours, evaluated impacts, and resolved biological issues related to a range of federal and state regulations and codes. The biological analysis determined that several plan scenarios had the potential to result in two endangered species, the Riverside fairy shrimp and the El Segundo blue butterfly, triggering formal Section 7 consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the federal Endangered Species Act. Sapphos Environmental, Inc. prepared the necessary Biological Assessments, and the USFWS issued two non-jeopardy Biological Opinions.

Sapphos Environmental Inc. prepared the Long-Term Habitat Management Plan for the Los Angeles / El Segundo Dunes to support maintenance of the approximately 150 acres of dunes restoration completed in 1994 in support of the federally endangered El Segundo blue butterfly. The habitat management plan focused on monitoring of plants and wildlife, management of rural-urban interface zones, scientific involvement, and education.