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City of Pleasanton—Hidden Canyon Residences and Preserve Draft EIR Biological Resources FirstCarbon Solutions 3.3-9 https://adecinnovations.sharepoint.com/sites/PublicationsSite/Shared Documents/Publications/Client (PN-JN)/2148/21480016/EIR/3 - Draft EIR/21480016 Sec03-03 Bio Resources.docx Congdon’s Tarplant The Congdon’s tarplant is a special-status plant species with a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.1. Plants with this rank are considered rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere. This species is also a focal species of the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy (EACCS). The Congdon’s tarplant is found within valley and foothill grasslands and on alkaline soils. The CNDDB reports a total of 25 populations of Congdon’s tarplant within a 10-mile radius of the site with populations ranging from just two plants to 240,000 plants, with one population supporting an undisclosed number of plants and two populations reported as extirpated. This species was found present on the site within both the proposed development/grading footprint and conservation lands. Populations were surveyed between 2014 and 2023 with populations varying in abundance. For example, in 2014, an estimated 1.9 acres of occupied lands and 74,000 estimated individuals occurred on areas of the site proposed for in-perpetuity preservation, versus approximately 1.8 acres and approximately 66,000 individuals in 2019. Throughout the nine survey years, most populations were less than 10,000 plants, with some notable exceptions such as population nine, whose population ranged from 3,119 in 2017 to 676,515 in 2023. Population nine is in the proposed conservation area. Special-status Wildlife The CNDDB identified 22 federally and State-listed threatened and/or endangered wildlife species and Species of Special Concern within the Dublin, California quadrangle and its eight surrounding quadrangles (Appendix C). Out of these 22 species, 10 were identified as having potential to be present within the project site. These 10 species are identified and discussed in Table 3.3-1. The BE discusses these species in detail, including California red-legged frog, Alameda whipsnake, Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes annectens), ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), American badger (Taxidea taxus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus), northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), and protected functional groups such as nesting and migratory birds, which are described in further detail below. Table 3.3-1: Special-status Wildlife Species Habitat Value Evaluation Scientific Name Common Name Status Habitat Description3 Potential to Occur and Rationale USFWS1 CDFW2 Amphibians Rana draytonii California red- legged frog (CRLF) FT SSC Rivers, creeks, and stock ponds of Sierra foothills and coast range, preferring pools with overhanging vegetation. Possible: Live Oak Associates, Inc. (LOA) herpetologists found that breeding habitat for CRLF is absent from the site as the creek and other drainages lack deep pools of water required for breeding. Devany Canyon may act as a dispersal corridor for CRLF should CRLF occur in nearby stock ponds or pools. Much of this canyon and the eastern section of the project site is within Critical Habitat designated by