Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

California Department of Fish and Game
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Section 3.5. Biological Resources
foraging on the adjacent North Parcel property (Wetlands and Water
Resources 2005b). This species is primarily associated with freshwater
perennial marsh dominated by cattails and/or bulrush and riparian scrub.
These wetland habitats are present in the vicinity of the Project site including
a perennial stock pond immediately adjacent to the site. As such, tricolored
blackbirds probably use the site for foraging. The small cattail patches
present in some of the deeper ditches and ravines on the site are likely too
small to support tricolored blackbird nesting colonies.
• The Project site supports extensive stands of Viola pedunculata, the host
plant for the Callippe silverspot butterfly and occurs within the species’
known historic range (Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b). While there
are no confirmed observations of Callippe silverspot butterfly on the Project
Site, it is considered to have moderate potential to occur.
• Short-eared owl nests and forages in a variety of wetland types. The closest
recorded occurrence for this species is just outside of the Project vicinity
(12 miles from the Project site) (California Natural Diversity Database 2007).
The Project site may support this species.
• Saltmarsh common yellowthroat has been documented to occur within the
Project vicinity (Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b).
• Special-status bat species, pallid bat and Townsend’s big-eared bat, are
known to occur in the vicinity of the Project (California Natural Diversity
Database 2007) and may forage on the Project site and use the barns onsite
(associated with the Sears Point Ranch facilities) for roosting (Wetlands and
Water Resources 2005b).
• Suitable habitat for northwestern pond turtle is present in the perennial stock
pond immediately adjacent to the Project site near Lakeville Highway
(Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b). Other potentially suitable habitat
onsite may occur in Tolay Creek.
The following seveneleven special-status wildlife species have low potential to
occur in the Project site due to the presence of limited to no suitable breeding
habitat or because the Project site is outside of the species known range.
• Peregrine falcon and Long-billed curlew - Long-billed curlew and peregrine
falcon are known to forage in a variety of wetland community types. These
species have not been documented in the Project vicinity (California Natural
Diversity Database 2007) and would not nest on the Project site because of a
lack of suitable nesting habitat (Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b).
These species may occasionally forage on the Project site but would not be
impacted by the Project.
• Ferruginous hawk and Merlin - Ferruginous hawk and merlin do not nest in
California and are potential winter visitors to the Project site. These species
may occasionally forage on the Project site but would not be impacted by the
Project.
• Western snowy plover – No habitat for this species occurs on the Project site.
Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Project Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement
3.5-22
April 2012