The western area of Potential Restoration Location 1. The photograph on the left (facing southwest) is the largest cactus in the area; the photograph on the right is a representative photograph of the area (facing northeast).
Client Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest (NAVFAC SW)
Status Ongoing
Service Biological Resources
Market Federal Government
Location Fallbrook, California
Subservice Restoration
Biological Resources

Prickly Pear Restoration at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Detachment

Scope:

To re-establish nesting habitat for coastal cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) through the restoration of prickly pear (Opuntia) habitat in the shortest period through restoration of site maintenance and vegetative monitoring.

Project Description:

As the result of the Tomahawk Fire in 2014, which burned approximately 4,632 acres at Detachment Fallbrook, efforts have concentrated to attain greater cacti height, as cactus wren typically prefers taller/larger stands of cacti for nesting. Field activities include surveying areas of existing prickly pear and cholla cacti for restoration outside coastal cactus wren habitat areas, collecting Global Positioning System points of salvage and transplantation locations, salvaging 50–100 existing mature prickly pear cactus clumps, and performing maintenance and monitoring of transplanted cacti for a period of a year.