Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

5. Environmental Analysis
could disturb foraging patterns for wildlife that use the lake shore for food
and water. The construction or expansion of facilities at San Luis Creek
Use Area could include a potential interchange for access from SR 152,
which could disturb or remove American badger habitat (Map 6c). Major
adverse impacts from trail or road development, maintenance, and use
would be avoided through implementation of measures such as those
described in Section 5.4.3.4; however, minor adverse impacts could
remain.
• Alternative 4 would include generally the same trail and road
improvements proposed for Alternative 3, and impacts would be minor to
major as described for Alternative 3. In addition, Alternative 4 would also
allow for a new trail linking Los Banos Creek Use Area with Basalt Use
Area. This trail has the potential to increase human traffic, trash, and
disturbance in an area with documented San Joaquin kit fox occurrences
and potential habitat for San Joaquin pocket mouse (Map 6c). 10 The
construction of the trail and introduction of human activity could affect
San Joaquin kit fox if present in the area, as well as other wildlife species
that use the area for foraging and movement. For all proposed trails,
construction and use would result in minor habitat loss and may result in a
very slight fragmentation of habitat, particularly for kit fox. However, San
Joaquin kit fox may actually use the trails (Cypher 2008); therefore, only
minor adverse impacts are expected. Project-specific documents with
location- and species-specific BMPs and mitigation measures such as
those described in Section 5.4.3.4 would minimize and avoid impacts;
however, minor adverse residual impacts would remain.
Resource Management, Including Prescribed Burns All of the action
alternatives assume some resource management activities will be undertaken in
the Plan Area. Plan goals and guidelines listed in Sections 4.2.1.5 and 4.2.1.6
provide for identifying, maintaining, and—where appropriate—protecting and/or
restoring biological resources. The action alternatives propose resource
management strategies such as developing a vegetation management statement
(described in Section 4.4.2 and Goals RES-V4 and RES-V5) and a trails
management plan, conducting habitat rehabilitation, inventorying wildlife species
in the Plan Area, and maintaining wildlife corridors where feasible. These actions
would result in beneficial impacts that would not be realized under Alternative 1,
No Action/No Project.
All four alternatives include the potential for short-term, localized impacts from
wildland fires or prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are not conducted regularly in
the Plan Area.
Prescribed burns are typically conducted during the fall and winter months when
fuel conditions make it harder for the fire to burn out of control. These burns also
10 Although San Joaquin pocket mouse has been affected by habitat loss, it currently has no federal
or state listing status.
San Luis Reservoir SRA 5-37
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR