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
The No-Action Alternative would not result in any other impacts to land uses on
the project site. The proposed tidal wetland restoration site would continue to
support pumped, diked bayland fields (seasonal wetlands and saturated
grasslands to the south of the rail line, and seasonal wetlands and oat hay farming
or open fields to the north of the rail line), and related buildings, roads and
infrastructure. Buildings that are no longer required or effectively maintained
would be removed.
Conclusion: Less than Significant.
Action Alternative
Impact LU-1: Conflict with Existing Land Uses
Proposed Project
Land uses in the project areas that will be displaced by the Project include
farming of oat hay and the hunt club. Farming south of the SMART line and the
hunt club operations will be ended with or without the project due to CDFG
policy regarding leases. Farming north of the SMART line may would continue
per USFWS leasing big policies and per USFWS management priorities and can
be managed in concert with habitat restoration activities.
While the project would conflict with these existing land uses, the environmental
impact of ending these uses is analyzed in Section 3.7, Agricultural Resources
and 3.8, Recreation.
As concluded in those sections, the loss of farming south of the SMART line and
ending of hunt club operations would not represent a significant agricultural or
recreational impact. Thus the conflict of the project with these existing land uses
is not considered a significant impact.
A further consideration is that the ending of leases due to CDFG policy will
happen regardless of the project and constitutes the baseline for evaluation of
impacts with CEQA and NEPA. Thus the Project will not result in impacts
relative to farming south of the SMART line or to the hunt club beyond those in
the baseline.
Conclusion: Less than Significant.
Full-Tidal Alternative
Similar to the Project, the Full-Tidal Alternative would conflict with the existing
agricultural and hunt club uses. This alternative would also result in loss of
farming between Highway 37 and the SMART line, which is an impact above the
baseline. However, as discussed in Section 3.7, Agricultural Resources, the
additional loss of this agricultural land is a less than significant impact.
Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Project Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement
3.6-10
April 2012