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The unexpected discovery of a state-protected bird has brought construction of Phase III of the Santa Ana River Trail in Redlands and San Bernardino to a sudden halt, the County announced this week.
Work had been progressing at full speed toward completion in August until April 21, when the County found the Least Bell’s Vireo nesting within the project’s boundaries. Construction is expected to resume in the fall when the bird migrates back to Mexico.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the bird was placed on the State of California’s list of endangered species in 1980. The birds breed in areas of Southern California from mid-March to early April and usually remain in their breeding grounds until late September. Sometimes they leave as early as the end of July.
The County will survey the area in July/August and reassess the project timeline. Depending on the results, Public Works and the construction company will determine if construction can proceed. Otherwise, the project will continue to be delayed through the breeding season, which ends in September, at which point the birds are expected to migrate. Due to this delay, the trail’s Phase III segment will not be completed until at least February 2024.
The project is a collaboration between the San Bernardino County Department of Regional Parks and the Department of Public Works. The 3.8-mile segment broke ground on January 31 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Redlands.
For more information on the Santa Ana River Trail, visit https://parks.sbcounty.gov/park/santa-ana-river-trail-pkwy.
For more information on the Least Bell’s Vireo, visit https://www.fws.gov/story/least-bells-vireo.