RES 06035 - Laserfiche WebLink

Chapter 4 Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures D. Biological Resources A number of water features on the project site have the potential to support a variety of sensitive herpetofauna, including the California tiger salamander, the California red-legged frog, and the western pond turtle. The water features that may provide suitable aquatic habitat include Arroyo de la Laguna, the westernmost reach of channel B-2-1, the stock pond, and the recently constructed detention basins, Two species of bats are considered to have a moderate probability of being present in the vicinity, with snags (loose, protruding bark generally of dying trees) probably providing suitable roost habitat for the Yuma myotis (federal species of concern) and pallid bat (state species of concern) as well as suitable foraging habitat for the latter, The project site provides potentially suitable foraging habitat for a number of raptors and other bird taxa of concern, including loggerhead shrike, horned lark, tricolored blackbird, northern harrier, black-shouldered kite, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, merlin, golden eagle, prairie falcon, and peregrine falcon, A number of bird species are potentially present on the site (see Appendix D), Raptor nests in active use are protected under the provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the State Fish and Game Code, The tri-colored blackbird, California horned lark, Lawrence's goldfinch and American bitterns (candidate species with a high or moderate potential to be present) could potentially breed on site in the emergent and upland vegetation, Suitable nesting habitat for many non-status bird species is present and construction activities on the project site may affect these species. Many of these non-status bird species are also protected by the MBTA and destruction or disturbance to the nest is prohibited; possession of individual birds, eggs, or nests in active use without a USFWS permit. The 1996 site reconnaissance undertaken for the 1997/2000 EIR addressed the biological value of the dry channel of the Arroyo east of the main channel, in the northwestern part of the Western Area, The dry channel constitutes a wildlife corridor (allowing animals to move with relative safety from one region to another), providing cover and forage for various species of birds and terrestrial wildlife species, The open space in between the arroyos also has significant value as a "wildlife corridor" between the two habitats, A wildlife corridor is an area that allows animals to move with relative safety from one region to another The Phase II Specific Plan would not disturb this area: it would remain open to the Arroyo (neither subject to fill nor proposed for active use) and, therefore, its value to wildlife would remain. (4) Wetlands and Waters of the U.S. The 1997/2000 EIR estimated that there were 10,69 acres of potential jurisdictional wetlands and other waters occurring on the project site. The potential wetland features investigated and analyzed in the earlier EIR that are still present on the site include the stock pond, seasonal wetlands northwest of the Knoll, the Arroyo, and drainage channel B-2-1, Other wetlands may also be present. 61