SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTIOND. APPROACH AND ORGANIZATION OF THE EIRThe Alameda Watershed Management Plan is subject to a Program EIR because the ManagementPlan constitutes a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project that is related:“a) geographically; b) as logical parts in a chain of contemplated actions; and c) in connectionwith the issuance of…plans…to govern the conduct of a continuing program…” (CEQAGuidelines 15168[a]).The Program EIR analyzes, at a general level, the potential environmental impacts of a broadrange of policies and management actions. In this way, decision makers and the public can get asense of the potential physical effects of the whole Management Plan. The Program EIR isdesigned to focus attention on those aspects of a future project that could bring about adversephysical environmental impacts. In this way, a Program EIR serves as a foundation forsubsequent environmental documentation and/or clearance under CEQA. CEQA GuidelinesSection 15146 indicates that “the degree of specificity required in an EIR will correspond to thedegree of specificity involved in the underlying activity which is described in the EIR.....” TheProgram EIR identifies and analyzes the potential physical environmental impacts of theprogramwide policies and management actions presented in the Management Plan and proposesmitigation measures that would reduce those impacts determined to be significant. With theProgram EIR, the SFPUC and the public will be able to consider the Management Plan in itsentirety and the cumulative environmental impacts of all the policies and management actions inthe Management Plan, some of which might be overlooked if considered on a case-by-case basis.The Program EIR allows for consideration of broad policy alternatives and their possibleenvironmental effects in a more exhaustive manner than would otherwise be possible. Optimally,this process allows for development of programwide mitigation measures at a stage when theagency has greater flexibility to deal with basic problems or cumulative environmental impacts,and also helps to reduce paperwork. Program-level analysis differs from project-level analysis inthat project-level analysis benefits from detailed specific plans of a project (i.e., grading,footprint) and usually applies more directly to actual construction.This Program EIR calls out specific management actions or policies that would probably requirefurther environmental analysis under CEQA, such as expansion of the Sunol Valley Golf Courseand construction and operation of new recreational trails. In addition, some SFPUC activitieswhich require approval from other agencies may be subject to subsequent CEQA review.Table II-1 indicates those management actions that could require further environmental analysis.Chapter III of this EIR presents the environmental setting for the Watershed and an analysis ofthe potential program-level environmental impacts of implementing the Management Plan. Theenvironmental impacts of implementing the Management Plan are measured against existingconditions. Chapter IV presents program-level mitigation measures that would reduce thepotential environmental impacts of implementing the Management Plan. Chapter VII presents acomparison of the impacts of the alternatives described in Section II.B.2.0.NOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan II-22 ESA / 930385January 2001