Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

California Department of Fish and Game
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Section 3.6. Land Use and Public Utilities
• Changes in land use, including conversion from agricultural uses to tidal
wetland.
• Changes in land management from agricultural to federal and state managed
wildlife areas.
• Placing dredged material to create elevations suitable for tidal wetland
restoration.
• Barring access to an existing utility easement, or suspending utility service to
facilities located on adjacent properties.
Thresholds of Significance
Criteria used for determining the significance of a land use and public utilities
impact are based on the State CEQA Guidelines and professional standards and
practices. Impacts were considered significant if an alternative would:
• substantially conflict or be incompatible with the land use goals, objectives,
or guidelines of applicable general plans;
• be inconsistent or conflict with statutes of the California Coastal Act or the
land use goals, objectives, or policies of BCDC or other applicable state and
federal agencies;
• substantially conflict with an existing onsite land use that is slated to remain;
• substantially conflict with existing or future adjacent land uses;
• result in the loss of an existing easement or service to existing facilities; or
• conflict with existing regional utility infrastructure.
Impacts and Mitigation Measures
No-Action Alternative
Under the No-Action Alternative, proposed restoration activities would not
occur.
However, SLT still would conclude all leases on the portion of the property south
of the line SMART rail and transfer title of the Sears Point properties to the
federal and state agencies. For the portion south of the SMART rail line, SLT
would conclude all existing leases by 20112 and immediately begin the process
of transferring that parcel to CDFG. The portion of the property bounded by the
SMART rail line and Highway 37 would transfer to the USFWS to be managed
as part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge; this process would begin
in 2012.2009. As described below, the loss of farming south of the SMART line
and the loss of the hunt club are considered less than significant agricultural and
recreational impacts, respectively.
Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Project Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement
3.6-9
April 2012