ITEM 23 ATTACHMENT 6 - Project Plans

26 including yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), cut-leaf geranium (Geranium dissectum), dove’s-foot geranium (Geranium molle), silver lupine, Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), and rose clover (Trifolium hirtum), were observed growing on the Property. Given the information above, it was determined that there is a low potential for the western bumble bee to occur on the Property within the annual grassland habitat areas. BIRDS Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia). Federal Species of Special Concern, California Species of Special Concern. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified the burrowing owl is as a “candidate” species. Candidate species are animals and plants that may warrant official listing as threatened or endangered, but there is no conclusive data to give them this protection at the present time. As a candidate species, burrowing owls receive no legal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, this species does receive some legal protection from the U.S. through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which forbids the destruction of the birds and active nests. In California, the burrowing owl considered a “species of special concern.” Burrowing owls are ground dwelling members of the owl family and are small brown to tan colored birds with bold spots and barring. Burrowing owls generally require open annual grassland habitats in which to nest, but can be found on abandoned lots, roads, airports, and other urban areas. Burrowing owls generally use abandoned California ground squirrel holes for their nesting burrow but are also known to use pipes or other debris for nesting purposes. Burrowing owls prefer annual grassland habitats with low vegetative cover. The breeding season for burrowing owls occurs from March through August. Burrowing owls often nest in loose colonies about 100 yards apart. They lay three to twelve eggs from mid-May to early June. The female incubates the clutch for about 28 days, while the male provides her with food. The young owls begin appearing at the burrow’s entrance two weeks after hatching and leave the nest to hunt for insects on their own after about 45 days. The chicks can fly well at six weeks old. There are eight CNDDB occurrences of burrowing owl within five miles of the Property. The nearest occurrence (#90) is located approximately 1 mile northeast of the Property near Coronado Lane and Hopyard Road. The occurrence is from 1990 when five individuals were observed around an active burrow site. However, the area has since been developed into a business park, and the occurrence is possibly extirpated. The Property supports potential burrowing and foraging habitat for this species, as there are numerous mammal burrows located within the annual grassland habitat. Given the information above, it was determined that this species may occur on the Property.