4.0 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS - Sacramento District - U.S. Army

4.0 Cumulative Impacts
Significance Thresholds
The contribution of the Proposed Action or an alternative to a cumulative impact would be considered
significant if the Proposed Action or an alternative would:
Result in a substantial unmitigated loss of Important Farmland.
Cumulative Impact AG-1 Conversion of Important Farmland
Proposed
Action
No Action
Alt.
Alts. 1, 2, & 3
Alt. 4
Within western Placer County, a majority of agricultural land has been identified as
Farmland of Local Importance and Grazing Land. The vast majority of the project site is
designated as Farmland of Local Importance. The Proposed Action, in conjunction with
other present and foreseeable future projects, would result in the conversion of
agricultural land to non-agricultural uses. Because farmland is being lost to development
throughout the region, the direct loss of farmland and agricultural productivity would be
a significant cumulative impact. However, because the project site is not in active
agricultural use, except for the limited area of strawberry fields, and because the
Proposed Action includes Mitigation Measure AG-1 which provides substantial off-site
mitigation for conversion of agricultural land, its contribution to the cumulative impact
would be rendered less than significant.
This alternative would preserve somewhat more open space throughout the project site
than the Proposed Action, so its contribution to cumulative loss of agricultural land
would be reduced but the impact would still be significant. Based on the significance
criteria listed above and for the same reasons presented for the Proposed Action, with
implementation of Mitigation Measure AG-1, the contribution of this alternative to the
cumulative impact would be rendered less than significant.
As all of these alternatives would develop less area on the project site as compared to the
Proposed Action, the contribution of each of the alternatives to the loss of agricultural
land would be less than the Proposed Action. Based on the significance criteria listed
above and for the same reasons presented for the Proposed Action, with implementation
of Mitigation Measure AG-1 the contribution of Alternatives 1, 2, and 3 to the
cumulative loss of agricultural land would be rendered less than significant.
The cumulative contribution of Alternative 4 to loss of agricultural land would be greater
than that of the Proposed Action. The Alternative 4 site contains significantly more lands
that are designated Unique Farmland than the project site and are in active agricultural
production. This alternative would also implement Mitigation Measure AG-1, which
would reduce its contribution to the cumulative loss of agricultural land. However,
based on the significance criteria listed above and because the Alternative 4 site contains
high quality soils and is in rice production, its contribution to the cumulative impact
would remain significant and unavoidable.
Impact Sciences, Inc. 4.0-26 Sierra Vista Specific Plan Draft EIS
USACE #200601050 July 2012