Draft EIS_072312.pdf - Middle Fork American River Project ...

20120723-4002 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 07/23/2012
Fish and Game, file a report on the status of reintroduction of federally listed anadromous
fish into the American River watershed. The report would include a discussion of the
steps that have been taken to assist in the reintroduction process, and provide a summary
of the results of any studies that have been undertaken to benefit the reintroduction effort.
Alternative 1 includes a commitment from PCWA to collaborate with NMFS
regarding potential reintroduction of steelhead into the American River basin and to
submit an annual report on the status of reintroduction of listed species into the American
River watershed to the Commission.
3.3.3 Terrestrial Resources
3.3.3.1 Affected Environment
This section summarizes existing vegetation communities and wildlife habitats,
describes documented special-status plant and wildlife species, provides information on
documented noxious weeds, and characterizes riparian vegetation in the project area.
Vegetation Communities and Wildlife Habitats
During the relicensing effort, a total of 24 vegetation communities and 12 wildlife
habitats were documented in the vicinity of the project (table 3.3.3-1); vegetation
communities/wildlife habitats were classified based on Forest Service mapping for the
Eldorado and Tahoe National Forests and California wildlife habitat mapping from
California Fish and Game. Vegetation communities and wildlife habitats in the vicinity
of the project vary with elevation. At higher elevations around French Meadows and
Hell Hole reservoirs, mixed conifer communities are dominated by either white fir or
sugar pine and Jeffery pine. These mixed conifer communities transition into stands
dominated by Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in the mid-elevations near Middle Fork
interbay. At the lower elevations near Ralston afterbay and Oxbow powerhouse, the
surrounding habitat is dominated by canyon live oak woodland.
Special-status Plants
Special-status plants include those protected by the state of California as
endangered, threatened, candidate for listing, those included on the California Rare Plant
Rank Lists 1B (rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere) and 2 (rare in
California but more common elsewhere), and those designated as Forest Service
Sensitive (FSS) for the Eldorado National Forest and Tahoe National Forest. Federally
listed threatened or endangered species are discussed in section 3.3.4, Threatened and
Endangered Species. Seven special-status plants have been documented by California
Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB), Forest Service, and CNPS (2011) data in the
project vicinity (table 3.3.3-2). In addition, PCWA identified an additional 40 species of
special-status plants that could potentially occur within the project vicinity (see PCWA,
2011a, table 7.6-2, for a listing and the status of these species and the habitat where they
are typically found).
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