Victorville Sanitary Landfill Expansion Project

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued Incidental Take Permit No. 1927-ITP-2025-023-06 to the County of San Bernardino for the Victorville Sanitary Landfill Expansion Project. This project involves the development of 107 acres of undisturbed land for Phase 2 of the landfill to be used for stockpiling solid waste. Project activities include grading, vegetation removal, and site clearing using dozers, scrapers, and water trucks. The permit authorizes the incidental take of 153 western Joshua trees, which are protected under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act and the California Endangered Species Act. To satisfy mitigation obligations, the permittee paid a fee of 29,460.75 dollars to the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Fund. The permittee is subject to strict compliance and reporting requirements. A Project Completion Report, including site photos, activity dates, and an accounting of affected western Joshua trees, must be submitted to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife within one month of project completion. Additionally, the permittee must conduct recurring site assessments to identify new western Joshua trees, starting six months after ground-disturbing activities conclude, followed by annual assessments for two years and subsequent assessments every five years until the permit expires. Results must be submitted by January 31 of each assessment year. Immediate notification to the department is required for any non-compliance with permit conditions, with a detailed written notice due within 24 hours.