09.01.2015 Views

Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

California Department of Fish and Game<br />

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<br />

Section 3.5. Biological Resources<br />

hayfield tarplant (Hemizonia congesta ssp. congesta) [CNPS 1B], and Michael’s<br />

rein orchid (Piperia michaelii) [CNPS 4]. Enhancements to of the 40 acres of<br />

seasonally saturated annual grasslands, vernal pools, and alkali seasonal wetlands<br />

north of Highway 37, as described above,California red-legged frog habitat may<br />

result in the loss of individuals if it is determined they occur at within the Action<br />

area.<br />

Saline clover (Trifolium depauperatum var. hydrophilum)[CNPS 1B] also has<br />

moderate potential to occur in saline soils along the margins of seasonal wetlands<br />

on the site. The number of plants that may be lost cannot be determined because<br />

the number of plants present in the population has not been reported. However, it<br />

is not anticipated that this population would be extirpated by enhancement<br />

activities as prior field surveys have not identified saline clover populations<br />

within areas of proposed enhancement activities (Wetlands and Water Resources<br />

2007).<br />

<strong>Impact</strong>s to tidal salt marsh habitat associated with dredging inbreaching along<br />

Tolay Creek under all of the breaching and dredging options could impact<br />

Mason's lilaeopsis, which is known to occur at the mouth of Tolay Creek and<br />

could have broader distribution within tidal salt marsh habitat in the Action area.<br />

All potential impacts to special-status plants within the Action area are<br />

considered potentially significant. Implementation of Mitigation Measures BIO-<br />

MM-2a and BIO-MM2b would reduce this impact to a less-than-significant level.<br />

Mitigation Measure BIO-MM-2a: Survey for Special Status Plants.<br />

Special-status plant surveys will be conducted within 1 year prior to initiating<br />

construction. The purpose of these surveys willshall be to verify that the<br />

locations of special-status plants identified in previous surveys are extant,<br />

identify any new special-status plant occurrences, and cover any portions of the<br />

project area not previously identified. The extent of mitigation offor the direct<br />

loss of or indirect impacts on special-status plants willshall be based on these<br />

survey results. Locations of special-status plants in proposed construction areas<br />

will be recorded using a global positioning system (GPS) unit and flagged.<br />

Surveys shall be timed so that plant surveys occur during the flowering periods<br />

of the potential species of interest.<br />

If initial screening by a qualified biologist identifies the potential for specialstatus<br />

plant species to be directly or indirectly affected by a site-work in a<br />

specific project area, the biologist will establishdetermine appropriate protective<br />

measures to minimize the impact to the plant species. These measures may<br />

include, among others, establishing an adequate buffer area to exclude activities<br />

that would directly remove or alter the habitat of an identified special-status plant<br />

population or result in indirect adverse effects on the species’ habitat. The<br />

project proponents will oversee installation of a temporary, plastic mesh–type<br />

construction fence (Tensor Polygrid, gathering seed, or equivalent) at least 1.2<br />

meters (4 feet) tall around anyrelocating individual specimens. Any established<br />

buffer areas shall be clearly marked by a qualified biologist to prevent<br />

encroachment by construction vehicles and personnel. A qualified biologist<br />

Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration<br />

Project Final <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong><br />

Report/<strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong><br />

3.5-35<br />

April 2012

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!