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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix M - Paleontological AssessmentPALEONTOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE ALMOND AVENUE TRAILER YARD PROJECT CITY OF FONTANA, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA APN 0234-061-04 Lead Agency: City of Fontana Community Development Department 8353 Sierra Avenue Fontana, California 92335 Project Proponent: DLJ Fontana, LLC 9895 Double R Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89521 Preparer: BFSA Environmental Services, a Perennial Company 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 October 20, 2025 Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project Paleontological Database Information Author: Todd A. Wirths, M.S., P.G., Principal Paleontologist, California Professional Geologist No. 7588 Consulting Firm: BFSA Environmental Services, a Perennial Company 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 (858) 484-0915 Report Date: October 20, 2025 Report Title: Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California, APN 0234-061-04 Prepared for: DLJ Fontana, LLC 9895 Double R Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89521 Submitted to: City of Fontana Community Development Department 8353 Sierra Avenue Fontana, California 92335 USGS Quadrangle: Section 22, Township 1 South, Range 6 West of the Fontana, California (7.5-minute) USGS Quadrangle Study Area: 9.49 acres Key Words: Paleontological assessment; Pleistocene old alluvial deposits; high paleontological resource sensitivity; monitoring recommended. Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project Table of Contents Section Page I. INTRODUCTION AND LOCATION .......................................................................1 II. REGULATORY SETTING .......................................................................................1 State of California ......................................................................................................1 City of Fontana Southwest Industrial Park Specific Plan ..........................................5 III.GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................6 IV. PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES......................................................................8 Definition ....................................................................................................................8 Paleontological Locality Records Search ...................................................................8 Project Survey .............................................................................................................8 V. PALEONTOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY ....................................................................9 Overview .....................................................................................................................9 Professional Standards ...............................................................................................9 City of Fontana Assessment of Paleontological Sensitivity ......................................10 VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................10 Suggested PRIMP .....................................................................................................11 VII. CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................................13 VIII. REFERENCES........................................................................................................13 Appendices Appendix A – Qualifications of Key Personnel List of Figures Figure Page Figure 1 General Location Map .................................................................................2 Figure 2 Project Location Map ...................................................................................3 Figure 3 Project Development Map ...........................................................................4 Figure 4 Geologic Map...............................................................................................7 Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I. INTRODUCTION AND LOCATION A paleontological resource assessment has been completed for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project, located west of Almond Avenue between San Bernardino Avenue and Valley Boulevard, in the city of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California (Figures 1 and 2). The 9.49- acre project (Assessor’s Parcel Number [APN] 0234-061-04) is situated within Section 22, Township 1 South, Range 6 West, as shown on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Fontana, California (7.5-minute) topographic quadrangle map (see Figure 2). The project proposes the improvement of the parcel for use as a tractor trailer storage yard (Figure 3). Khanal et al. (2025) anticipated that remedial over-excavation/grading would be required to approximately five feet deep, although deeper grading may be required. As the lead agency, the City of Fontana required the preparation of a paleontological assessment to evaluate the project’s potential to yield paleontological resources. The paleontological assessment of the project included a review of paleontological literature and fossil locality records in the area, a review of the underlying geology, and recommendations to mitigate impacts to potential paleontological resources, if necessary. II. REGULATORY SETTING The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which is patterned after the National Environmental Policy Act, is the overriding environmental regulation that sets the requirement for protecting California’s paleontological resources. CEQA mandates that governing permitting agencies (lead agencies) set their own guidelines for the protection of nonrenewable paleontological resources under their jurisdiction. State of California Under “Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act,” as amended in December 2018 (California Code of Regulations [CCR] Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, Sections 15000 et seq.), procedures define the types of activities, persons, and public agencies required to comply with CEQA. Section 15063 of the CCR provides a process by which a lead agency may review a project’s potential impact on the environment, consider whether the impacts are significant, and provide recommendations, if necessary. Figure 1 General Location Map The Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project Esri World Topographic Map (1:250,000 series) 2 Figure 2 Project Location Map The Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project USGS Fontana and Guasti Quadrangles (7.5-minute series) 3 Project Figure 3 Project Development Map The Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project 4 Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In CEQA’s Environmental Checklist Form, a question to respond to is, “Would the project directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature?” (Appendix G, Section VII, Part f). This is to ensure compliance with California Public Resources Code Section 5097.5, the law that protects nonrenewable resources including fossils, which is paraphrased below: a) A person shall not knowingly and willfully excavate upon, or remove, destroy, injure or deface any historic or prehistoric ruins, burial grounds, archaeological or vertebrate paleontological site, including fossilized footprints, inscriptions made by human agency, rock art, or any other archaeological, paleontological or historical feature, situated on public lands, except with the express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction over such lands. b) As used in this section, “public lands” means lands owned by, or under the jurisdiction of the state, or any city, county, district, authority, or public corporation, or any agency thereof. c) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor. City of Fontana Southwest Industrial Park Specific Plan The project is being processed as an addendum to Fontana’s Southwest Industrial Park (SWIP) Specific Plan (City of Fontana 2011). As such the project is subject to the policies and regulations established within the plan’s Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) of the SWIP Specific Plan. The MMRP does not establish any additional local level criteria for evaluating resources beyond the standard CEQA criteria. Rather, the SWIP MMRP ensures projects within the Specific Plan area proceed in compliance with CEQA as it relates to the identification, evaluation, and mitigation, if necessary, of cultural resources. Regarding paleontological resources, the following mitigation measures (MMs) have been developed for the SWIP Specific Plan: 4.4-3a A qualified paleontologist shall conduct a pre-construction field survey of any project site within the Specific Plan Update area that is underlain by older alluvium. The paleontologist shall submit a report of findings that provides specific recommendations regarding further mitigation measures (i.e., paleontological monitoring) that may be appropriate. (General Plan Environmental Impact Report [GPEIR] MM CR-5) 4.4-3b Should mitigation monitoring be recommended for a specific project within the project site, the program shall include, but not be limited to, the following measures: Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Assign a paleontological monitor, trained and equipped to allow the rapid removal of fossils with minimal construction delay, to the site full- time during the interval of earth-disturbing activities. • Should fossils be found within an area being cleared or graded, earth disturbing activities shall be diverted elsewhere until the monitor has completed salvage. If construction personnel make the discovery, the grading contractor shall immediately divert construction and notify the monitor of the find. • All recovered fossils shall be prepared, identified, and curated for documentation in the summary report and transferred to an appropriate depository (i.e., San Bernardino County Museum). • A summary report shall be submitted to the City of Fontana. Collected specimens shall be transferred with a copy of the report to San Bernardino County Museum. (GPEIR MM CR-6) III. GEOLOGY The project is located near the western margin and distal southern end of the broad Lytle Creek alluvial fan that emanates from the San Gabriel Mountains approximately nine to 10 miles to the north as a result of uplift and dissection of the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The main source of these sediments is from the Lytle Creek drainage, near where the northwest-southeast- trending San Andreas fault zone cuts across and separates the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges (Morton and Miller 2006). Geomorphically, the project is relatively flat lying, with a gentle slope to the southwest (see Figures 2 and 4). The project is mapped as late Holocene- aged (approximately within the last few thousand years) young alluvial fan deposits (light yellow areas with red dots labeled “Qyf5”; see Figure 4, after Morton and Miller 2006). These deposits are likely underlain by older deposits of young alluvial fan sediments (yellow areas labeled “Qyf1”) that are early Holocene and late Pleistocene in age (approximately 6,000 to 120,000 years ago [Cohen and Gibbard 2011]). The “Qyf1” young alluvial fan deposits occur as slightly raised areas protruding through the surrounding younger “Qyf5” young alluvial fan sediments. On the geologic map of the Fontana (7.5-minute) quadrangle, the “Qyf1” young alluvial fan deposits are accorded an age of late to middle Pleistocene (Morton 2003), a time span of approximately 11,700 to 780,000 years ago (Cohen and Gibbard 2011). Legend Project Geologic units Late Holocene Artificial fill Very young wash deposits Very young alluvial fan depositsVery young alluvial fan deposits Young alluvial fan deposits, Unit 5 Early Holocene and late Pleistocene Young alluvial fan deposits, Unit 1 Qaf Qw Qf Qyf5 Qyf1 Figure 4 Geologic Map The Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project Geology after Morton and Miller (2006) 7 Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IV. PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES Definition Paleontological resources are the remains of prehistoric life that have been preserved in geologic strata. These remains are called fossils and include bones, shells, teeth, and plant remains (including their impressions, casts, and molds) in the sedimentary matrix, as well as trace fossils such as footprints and burrows. Fossils are considered older than 5,000 years of age (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2010) but may include younger remains (subfossils) when viewed in the context of local extinction of the organism or habitat. Fossils are considered a nonrenewable resource under state and local guidelines (see Section II of this report). Paleontological Locality Records Search A prior paleontological collections and locality records search was conducted for a nearby project, the 14801 Slover Avenue Project, by the Division of Geological Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) in Redlands (Cortez 2021). The 14801 Slover Avenue Project is located about one mile southeast of the current project. The report identified seven localities (SBCM localities [locs.] 5.1.14 to 5.1.17 and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21) situated approximately one-and-a-half to two miles southwest of the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project. The bones of large and small Pleistocene-aged mammals, as well as terrestrial snails and freshwater clams, were recovered from these localities, mostly from clayey, silty sands from depths ranging from five to 21 feet below the surface, when recorded. Mammals from these localities include three species of rodent, cottontail rabbit, bison, western camel, horse, Pacific mastodon, and other unidentified large mammal remains. Based upon another source, the saber-toothed cat (Smilodon) specimen (SBCM loc. 5.1.11) mentioned by Cortez (2021) was reportedly discovered in the Declezville neighborhood, about two miles southeast of the current project (Reynolds, in Aron et al. 2018). Cortez (2021) indicates that the young alluvial fan deposits mapped at the surface by Morton (2003) in the area of the project have a low potential to yield significant paleontological resources. Conversely, the underlying late Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits are considered to have a high paleontological sensitivity, based upon numerous fossil localities in the region. Fossils include the bones from extinct species such as mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, dire wolves, saber-toothed cats, large and small horses, large and small camels, and bison (Cortez 2021). Project Survey On August 5, 2025, BFSA staff, under the supervision of Principal Investigator Todd A. Wirths, conducted an intuitive review of the property to determine if any paleontological resources were visible. The field methodology employed for the project included walking evenly spaced survey transects set approximately 15 meters apart while visually inspecting the ground surface, when possible. All potentially sensitive areas where paleontological resources might be located Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ were closely inspected. The survey found the property currently being utilized for the storage of precast concrete infrastructure materials, trailers, and other associated equipment. Ground visibility was hindered at times by the materials stored in the project. The survey determined that the subject property has been previously graded. Between areas of stored materials, maintained dirt access roads traverse throughout the property, and open areas are either covered in concrete or gravel. Vegetation within the property is comprised of non-native weeds and grasses and maintained commercial landscaping. No bedrock outcrops were exposed that might indicate the presence of fossils. No paleontological resources, or evidence of paleontological resources, were observed during the survey. V. PALEONTOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY Overview The degree of paleontological sensitivity of any particular area is based upon a number of factors, including the documented presence of fossiliferous resources on a site or in nearby areas, the presence of documented fossils within a particular geologic formation or lithostratigraphic unit, and whether or not the original depositional environment of the sediments is one that may have been conducive to the accumulation of organic remains that might have become fossilized over time. Holocene alluvium is generally considered to be geologically too young to contain significant nonrenewable paleontological resources (i.e., fossils) and is therefore typically assigned a low paleontological sensitivity. Pleistocene (over 11,700 years old) alluvial and alluvial fan deposits in the Inland Empire, however, often yield important terrestrial vertebrate fossils, such as extinct mammoths, mastodons, and giant ground sloths, as well as extinct species of horse, bison, camel, saber-toothed cats, and others (Jefferson 1991; Cortez 2021). These Pleistocene sediments are accorded a high paleontological resource sensitivity. Professional Standards The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2010) has drafted guidelines that include four categories of paleontological sensitivity for geologic units (formations) that might be impacted by a proposed project, as listed below: • High Potential: Rock units from which vertebrate or significant invertebrate, plant, or trace fossils have been recovered. • Undetermined Potential: Rock units for which little information is available concerning their paleontological content, geologic age, and depositional environment, and that further study is needed to determine the potential of the rock unit. • Low Potential: Rock units that are poorly represented by fossil specimens in institutional collections or based on a general scientific consensus that only preserve fossils in rare circumstances. Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • No Potential: Rock units that have no potential to contain significant paleontological resources, such as high-grade metamorphic rocks and plutonic igneous rocks. Using these criteria, based upon the presence of nearby significant fossil localities (SBCM locs. 5.1.11, 5.1.14 to 5.1.17, and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21) and the strong likelihood that the nearby fossil localities originated from the same geologic formation as that which underlies the project at depth, the Pleistocene old alluvial fan deposits can be considered to have a high potential to yield significant paleontological resources. City of Fontana Assessment of Pale ontological Sensitivity Section 5.4.1.5 of the City of Fontana’s Draft Environmental Impact Report for the General Plan (City of Fontana 2018) describes the paleontological sensitivity of the strata underlying the city. Based upon Pleistocene vertebrate fossils recovered from the City’s southwestern area (SBCM localities 5.1.11, 5.1.14 to 5.1.17, and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21), subsurface “older fan” Pleistocene deposits are considered by the City to have a high potential for yielding fossils. The overlying “younger fan” deposits at the surface are considered by the City as having no potential to yield significant paleontological resources. Similar conclusions are stated in the SWIP Specific Plan (City of Fontana 2011). VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Research has confirmed the existence of potentially fossiliferous late Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits (“Qyf1”, see Figure 4) that likely underlie the Holocene young alluvial fan sediments mapped at the surface (“Qyf5”) of the project. The occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate fossils at shallow depths from Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments across the Inland Empire is well- documented. The “High” paleontological sensitivity rating typically assigned to Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments for yielding paleontological resources supports the recommendation that paleontological monitoring be implemented during mass grading and excavation activities in undisturbed Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments to mitigate any adverse impacts (loss or destruction) to potential nonrenewable paleontological resources. Full-time monitoring of undisturbed alluvial fan deposits at the project is recommended, starting at a depth of five feet below the surface. If a fossil(s) is found at shallower depths, earth-disturbing activities should be halted within a radius of 50 feet from the location of the fossil, and a qualified, project-level paleontologist shall be consulted to determine the significance of the fossilized remains. If the fossil is deemed significant by the paleontologist, full-time monitoring should be initiated at the project. Based upon the conclusions and recommendations outlined above, a Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program (PRIMP) is recommended prior to approval of the grading permit. A suggested PRIMP is outlined below. When implemented with the provisions of CEQA, the City of Fontana’s SWIP Specific Plan (City of Fontana 2011), and the guidelines of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2010), this PRIMP would mitigate any adverse impacts (loss or Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ destruction) to potential nonrenewable paleontological resources (fossils), if present, to a level below significant. Suggested PRIMP 1. All mitigation programs should be performed by a qualified professional (project) paleontologist, defined as an individual with a master’s or doctorate degree in paleontology or geology who has proven experience in San Bernardino County paleontology and who is knowledgeable in professional paleontological procedures and techniques. Fieldwork may be conducted by a qualified paleontological monitor, defined as an individual who has experience in the collection and salvage of fossil materials. The paleontological monitor shall always work under the direction of a qualified paleontologist. 2. Monitoring of mass grading and excavation activities shall be performed by a qualified paleontologist or paleontological monitor. Starting at a depth of five feet, monitoring will be conducted full-time in areas of grading or excavation in undisturbed sediments of alluvial fan deposits. 3. If a fossil(s) is found at a shallower depth, earth-disturbing activities should be halted within a radius of 50 feet from the location of the fossil, and a project-level paleontologist shall be consulted to determine the significance of the fossilized remains. If the fossil is deemed significant by the project-level paleontologist, full- time monitoring should be initiated at the project. 4. Paleontological monitors will be equipped to salvage fossils as they are unearthed to avoid construction delays. The monitor must be empowered to temporarily halt or divert equipment to allow removal of abundant or large specimens in a timely manner. Monitoring may be reduced if the potentially fossiliferous units are not present in the subsurface or, if present, are determined on exposure and examination by qualified paleontological personnel to have low potential to contain fossil resources. The monitor shall notify the project paleontologist, who will then notify the concerned parties of the discovery. 5. Paleontological salvage during trenching and boring activities is typically from the generated spoils and does not delay the trenching or drilling activities. Fossils are collected and placed in cardboard flats or plastic buckets and identified by field number, collector, and date collected. Notes are taken on the map location and stratigraphy of the site, which is photographed before it is vacated, and the fossils are removed to a safe place. On mass grading projects, discovered fossil sites are protected by flagging to prevent them from being overrun by earthmovers (scrapers) before salvage begins. Precise location of the site is determined with the use of a Global Positioning System application. If the site involves remains from a large terrestrial vertebrate, such as large bone(s) or a mammoth tusk, that is/are too large to be easily Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ removed by a single monitor, a fossil recovery crew shall excavate around the find, encase the find within a plaster and burlap jacket, and remove it after the plaster is set. For large fossils, use of the contractor’s construction equipment may be solicited to help move the jacket to a safe location. 6. In accordance with the “Microfossil Salvage” section of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology guidelines (2010:7), bulk sampling and screening of fine-grained sedimentary deposits (including carbonate-rich paleosols) must be performed if the deposits are identified to possess indications of producing fossil “microvertebrates” to test the feasibility of the deposit to yield fossil bones and teeth. 7. In the laboratory, individual fossils are cleaned of extraneous matrix, any breaks are repaired, and the specimen, if needed, is stabilized by soaking in an archivally approved acrylic hardener (e.g., a solution of acetone and Paraloid B-72). 8. Recovered specimens are prepared to a point of identification and permanent preservation (not display), including screen-washing sediments to recover small invertebrates and vertebrates. Preparation of individual vertebrate fossils is often more time consuming than for accumulations of invertebrate fossils. 9. Identification and curation of specimens into a professional, accredited public museum repository with a commitment to archival conservation and permanent retrievable storage (e.g., the SBCM) shall be conducted. The paleontological program should include a written repository agreement prior to the initiation of mitigation activities. Prior to curation, the lead agency (e.g., the City of Fontana) will be consulted on the repository/museum to receive the fossil material. 10. A final report of findings and significance will be prepared, including lists of all fossils recovered and necessary maps and graphics to accurately record their original location(s). The report, when submitted to and accepted by the appropriate lead agency, will signify satisfactory completion of the project program to mitigate impacts to any potential nonrenewable paleontological resources (i.e., fossils) that might have been lost or otherwise adversely affected without such a program in place. Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VII. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the statements furnished above and in the attached exhibits present the data and information required for this paleontological report, and that the facts, statements, and information presented are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and have been compiled in accordance with CEQA criteria. October 20, 2025 Todd A. Wirths, M.S., P.G. Date Principal Paleontologist California Professional Geologist No. 7588 VIII. REFERENCES City of Fontana. 2011. Southwest Industrial Park Specific Plan Update and Annexation, Public Review Draft Program Environmental Impact Report, State Clearinghouse #2009091089. Electronic document, https://www.fontana.org/DocumentCenter/View/36382/SWIP- Public-Review-Draft-Program-EIR. City of Fontana. 2018. Draft Environmental Impact Report, Chapter 5.4. Cultural Resources, Fontana Forward General Plan Update 2015-2035. https://www.fontana.org/Document Center/View/26716/54-Cultural-Resources. Cohen, K.M., and Gibbard, P.L. 2011. Global chronostratigraphical correlation table for the last 2.7 million years. Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (International Commission on Stratigraphy), Cambridge, England. http://quaternary.stratigraphy. org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/POSTERstratchart-v2011.jpg.pdf. Cortez, C. 2021. Paleontology records review for proposed 14801 Slover Avenue Project in San Bernardino County, California. Unpublished letter report prepared for Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California, by the Division of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California. (attached) Jefferson, G.T. 1991. A catalogue of late Quaternary vertebrates from California: Part two, mammals. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Technical Reports, 7: i–v + 1–129. Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Khanal, K., Burrows, E.L., and Govil, S. 2025. Geotechnical Due Diligence Study, APN 0234- 061-04, APN 0234-061-35, APN 0234-061-36 and APN 0234-061-37, Fontana, California. Prepared for DLJ Fontana, LLC, Reno, Nevada, by TGR Geotechnical, Santa Ana, California. Morton, D.M. 2003. Preliminary geologic map of the Fontana 7.5' Quadrangle, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California, Version 1.0: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-418, scale 1:24,000. Morton, D.M. and Miller, F.K. 2006. Geologic map of the San Bernardino and Santa Ana 30' x 60' quadrangles, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 06-1217, scale 1:100,000. Reynolds, R.E. 2018. West Valley Connector, Geology and Paleontological Resources, in Aron, G., Richards, C., and Webster, B., Paleontological Identification Report and Evaluation Report, West Valley Connector Project. Unpublished consulting report prepared for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, by Paleo Solutions, Inc., Monrovia, California. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2010. Standard procedures for the assessment and mitigation of adverse impacts to paleontological resources; by the SVP Impact Mitigation Guidelines Revision Committee: https://vertpaleo.org/wp- content/uploads/2021/01/SVP_Impact_Mitigation_Guidelines-1.pdf. Paleontological Assessment for the Almond Avenue Trailer Yard Project APPENDIX A Qualifications of Key Personnel Todd A. Wirths, MS, PG No. 7588 Principal Paleontologist BFSA Environmental Services, a Perennial Company 14010 Poway Road  Suite A  Phone: (858) 484-0915 *Email: twirths@bfsa.perennialenv.com Education Master of Science, Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, California 1995 Bachelor of Arts, Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz 1992 Professional Certifications California Professional Geologist #7588, 2003 Riverside County Approved Paleontologist San Diego County Qualified Paleontologist Orange County Certified Paleontologist OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour trained; current 8-hour annual refresher Professional Memberships Board member, San Diego Geological Society San Diego Association of Geologists; past President (2012) and Vice President (2011) South Coast Geological Society Southern California Paleontological Society Experience Mr. Wirths has more than a dozen years of professional experience as a senior-level paleontologist throughout southern California. He is also a certified California Professional Geologist. At BFSA, Mr. Wirths conducts on-site paleontological monitoring, trains and supervises junior staff, and performs all research and reporting duties for locations throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Imperial Counties. Mr. Wirths was formerly a senior project manager conducting environmental investigations and remediation projects for petroleum hydrocarbon- impacted sites across southern California. Selected Recent Reports 2019 Paleontological Assessment for the 10575 Foothill Boulevard Project, City of Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2019 Paleontological Assessment for the MorningStar Marguerite Project, Mission Viejo, Orange County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. BFSA Environmental Services, a Perennial Company, 2 2019 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Nimitz Crossing Project, City of San Diego. Prepared for Voltaire 24, LP. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2019 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program (PRIMP) for the Jack Rabbit Trail Logistics Center Project, City of Beaumont, Riverside County, California. Prepared for JRT BP 1, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Oceanside Beachfront Resort Project, Oceanside, San California. Prepared for S.D. Malkin Properties. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Nakase Project, Lake Forest, Orange County, San California. Prepared for Glenn Lukos Associates, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Sunset Crossroads Project, Banning, Riverside County. Prepared for NP Banning Industrial, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Assessment for the Ortega Plaza Project, Lake Elsinore, Riverside County. Prepared for Empire Design Group. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Record Search Update for the Green River Ranch III Project, Green River Ranch Specific Plan SP00-001, City of Corona, California. Prepared for Western Realco. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Assessment for the Cypress/Slover Industrial Center Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Imperial Landfill Expansion Project (Phase VI, Segment C-2), Imperial County, California. Prepared for Republic Services, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Assessment for the Manitou Court Logistics Center Project, City of Jurupa Valley, Riverside County, California. Prepared for Link Industrial. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Del Oro (Tract 36852) Project, Menifee, Riverside County. Prepared for D.R. Horton. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Assessment for the Alessandro Corporate Center Project (Planning Case PR-2020- 000519), City of Riverside, Riverside County, California. Prepared for OZI Alessandro, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Boardwalk Project, La Jolla, City of San Diego. Prepared for Project Management Advisors, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California.