Draft Environmental Impact Report - California Off Highway Vehicle ...

Chapter 2.0 – Project Description
2.0 Project Description
This chapter provides a description of the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan, including the headquarters
facilities. As described in Section 15124 of the State CEQA Guidelines, a complete project
description must contain the following information:
the location and boundaries of the proposed project;
a statement of objectives sought by the proposed project;
a general description of the project’s technical, economic, and environmental
characteristics; and
a statement briefly describing the intended uses of the EIR.
By legal mandate (PRC Section 5002.2), all units operated by State Parks must have a general plan
prepared before new facilities are developed that may permanently commit a resource to a
particular use. The Clay Pit SVRA General Plan would be the first general plan prepared for Clay Pit
SVRA. General plans are broad‐based policy documents that establish long‐range visions and goals
and provide direction on future types of improvements, services, and programs. General plans are
intended to be used for many years. Therefore, a general plan establishes a decision‐making
framework consistent with the established vision, but it is also flexible enough to allow for
changing conditions over time.
The Clay Pit SVRA General Plan provides much of the physical and regulatory setting description,
and the project description used for the CEQA analysis in this DEIR. Chapter 4.0 of the General
Plan, “The Plan,” identifies (1) proposed use areas, (2) management goals and guidelines, and (3)
project details of the headquarters facilities. These elements combine to serve as the project
description used for this CEQA analysis, and Chapter 4.0 is incorporated by reference herein
consistent with Section 15150 of the State CEQA Guidelines. A summary of the project description
is provided below.
2.1 Environmental Setting
This section provides an overview of the general character of Clay Pit SVRA and the surrounding
vicinity. This description includes location, on‐site activities, general environmental
characteristics and resources, and surrounding development. Please also refer to Chapter 2 of the
General Plan for additional detail regarding current conditions and uses of the site.
Clay Pit SVRA is a 220‐acre site that is used for off‐highway vehicle (OHV) recreational use. The
SVRA is located in unincorporated Butte County (Figure 2‐1) on Larkin Road 3 miles southwest of
the city of Oroville and approximately 6.75 miles southwest of Oroville Dam Boulevard (State
Route [SR] 162). The Oroville Municipal Airport is located north and northwest of Clay Pit SVRA.
Scattered residences and agricultural uses are located to the west, the DFG Oroville Wildlife
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Draft EIR 2-1 February 2012