In the southern Sierra Nevada, the Pacific fisher – a carnivore in the weasel family that eats birds and even porcupines – is now on the endangered species list for these mountains partly due to the loss of their habitat from wildfires.

It’s one of many endangered species Jack Goldfarb, a Southern California Edison biologist, and his team of fellow scientists work to protect as the utility conducts repairs or upgrades to its infrastructure throughout a 50,000-square-mile service area.

“We are keeping the lights on while minimizing impacts to habitats where various species live,” said Goldfarb. “When poles are damaged and power needs to be restored, we try to minimize impacts to the environment that could ultimately cause a species decline. We continue to maintain our lines even as more species are listed on the endangered list.”

He added: “When emergencies happen, we have to be involved 24/7.”

When a wildfire occurs in SCE’s service area, biologists like Goldfarb are often called out along with crews. These biologists ensure that if an endangered species is in or near the affected area, impacts to their habitat are avoided or minimized. They also ensure the correct permits are acquired to work in that area.

One common emergency SCE biologists respond to are bird nests that are in harm’s way. Ravens, a protected species, have been quite active this year and often build their messy nests on distribution poles. Nests built on transformers can cause the line to relay and may cause a power outage and damage the equipment.

“The power may be out, but the nest still needs to be cared for,” said Goldfarb. “We want to minimize our disturbance to the nest as much as possible.”

One effective solution they discovered is to build a second crossarm lower on the power pole where the crew can safely relocate the nest. Crews can then fix the power without harming the chicks.

A biologist monitors the relocated nest until the chicks’ parents return. If the parents do not return, the biologist will take the chicks to a rehabilitation center.

“Only in rare cases do the parents not come back,” said Goldfarb, who notes that the team members wear masks and social distance when they receive a call to go out during the current pandemic.

Emergencies for SCE’s environmental services team don’t always involve wildlife. Recently, Goldfarb was asked to respond to a crew truck that was stuck on a dirt road in one of the local forests.

An SCE crew had been working in the area when their utility truck got stuck on a rock, damaging the transmission, and could not be moved. The crew members managed to hike several miles back safely, but the biologist, in coordination with a larger SCE team, determined that retrieving the vehicle using a tow truck would not be possible without harming the forest.

Instead, they worked with SCE’s Air Operations team to send in a helicopter to retrieve the vehicle safely without damaging the forest.

“We have an obligation as good environmental stewards to minimize our impacts to the environment,” said Goldfarb.