Rising Tree Wind Farm Project Notice of Preparation - County of Kern

KERN COUNTY PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
RISING TREE WIND ENERGY PROJECT
Vegetation on the Project site consists primarily of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) scrub, cheesebush
(Hymenoclea salsola) scrub, Mojave mixed woody scrub, and Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) open
woodland (Johnston 2006). In addition, there is a significant amount of disturbed habitat.
Sections 2 and 10 of Township 11 North, Range 13 West were subdivided in conjunction with the Small
Tract Act passed in 1938, with 5-acre tracts being the most common parcel size. Some of the 5-acre
privately-owned tracts have small dwellings, collapsed structures, abandoned vehicles, and rubbish.
Approximately 244 miscellaneous structures and assorted debris piles exist on land that the applicant
currently leases or owns. Additionally, on 21 parcels adjacent to the project site, there are approximately
40 miscellaneous structures, 24 trailers, and 9 assorted debris piles. For purposes of this CEQA analysis,
assorted debris piles are not considered to be sensitive receptors.
There are few man-made structures outside of Sections 2 and 10, although the land is used for other
occasional human activities such as off-road vehicle recreation. Some land in Section 15 of Township 11
North Range 13 West is currently being used as a laydown yard and staging area for the construction of
the Alta-Oak Creek Wind Project. An existing operations and maintenance building for the neighboring
wind energy generation facility is located in Section 16 of Township 11 North Range 13 West.
A number of low-voltage (under 100 kilovolts [kV]) overhead electrical distribution lines owned by SCE
exist on site. These distribution lines are generally located along section and quarter-section lines within
the Project area. The applicant will coordinate all construction activities with SCE and obtain crossing
agreements where needed pending final site design and engineering.
The Project site is not located within an area designated by the California Department of Conservation
(CDC) as Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, or Unique Farmland based on the 2008
Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program. The CDC designates the Project site as grazing land and
non-agricultural. No parcels located within the Project site are subject to Williamson Act land use
contracts.
Table 1, Project Site and Surrounding Land Uses, shows the zoning and general plan designations for the
Project site and for the surrounding properties. The table references the Kern County General Plan
(KCGP) and the Mojave Specific Plan (MSP).
1.3 Project Description
The applicant is requesting a zone change on portions of the site (Zone Change Case 48, Zone Map 197
& Zone Change Case 7, Zone Map 180). The existing zoning includes E-20 (Estate Residential—Min. 20
Acres/DU), and A-1 (Exclusive Agriculture District. The applicant is requesting the addition of a WE
(Wind Energy) Combining District overlay. A certain portion of the Project site is currently zoned A-WE.
The applicant included this land in the Project Description because it is expected to be utilized as part of
the Project. The applicant is requesting a zone change from A-1 and E(20) to A on these parcels. Existing
zoning is shown on Figure 4.
The Project site’s proposed base zone districts would require the incorporation of the WE Combining
District overlay for development of the proposed wind energy generation facility. The purpose of the WE
Combining District is to promote the use of an alternative to fossil fuel-generated electrical power in areas
of the County that are identified to have suitable wind resources for production of commercial quantities
of wind-generated electrical power. The WE Combining District contains specific development standards
that apply to the associated construction and siting of WTGs and accessory facilities in the WE
Combining District. Proposed zoning is shown on Figure 5.
July 2011 5 Initial Study/Notice of Preparation