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29 <br /> <br />7.2 Special-status Plants <br />Results of the biological resource analysis and site visit conducted by Olberding Environmental <br />indicate that the Property has the potential to support four special-status plants. This includes <br />bent-flowered fiddleneck, big-scale balsamroot, Mount Diablo fairy-lantern, and Santa Cruz <br />tarplant. While the site visit was conducted during the blooming period of Santa Cruz tarplant, <br />targeted botanical surveys for that species, in addition to the other potential special-status plant <br />species, were not conducted. There is the potential for these plants to occur throughout the <br />annual grassland habitat that occurs on the Property, and botanical surveys should be conducted <br />between April and June, within one year of the start of construction, to confirm presence/absence <br />of these species. <br />7.3 Special-status Wildlife <br />Invertebrates – There is the potential for the Crotch and western bumble bees to occur on the <br />Property. The Property contains annual grassland habitat and several of the required food plants <br />of these bee species. However, there are no recent CNDDB or “Bumble Bee Watch” (Xerces <br />2022) sightings of these species in the vicinity of the Property. Therefore, it was determined that <br />there is a low potential for these species to occur on the Property. <br />Fish – It was determined that due to a lack of suitable aquatic habitat, there is no potential for <br />any special-status fish species to occur on the Property. <br />Amphibians – Due to a lack of habitat, it was determined that there is no potential for most of <br />the special-status species to occur on the Property. However, it was determined that there was <br />potential habitat for California red-legged frog. Protocol level surveys for the species were <br />conducted, and the results were negative. Therefore, there are no special-status amphibians that <br />occur on the Property. <br />Reptiles – There is no potential for Alameda whipsnake or any other special-status reptile <br />species to occur on the Property. Finalized critical habitat “Unit 3” for the Alameda whipsnake is <br />located to the west of the Property, but the annual grassland habitat located on the Property is <br />regularly disked multiple times a year and does not contain any rock piles or outcroppings. Rock <br />piles are an important habitat feature for this species as they provide cover and foraging <br />potential. Given this information, it was determined that there is no suitable habitat for Alameda <br />whipsnake, and they are presumed absent from the Property. <br />Birds – It was determined that there is the potential for several special-status bird species to <br />occur on the Property. The Property supports foraging and burrowing habitat for the burrowing