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

Chapter 3.0 – Environmental Analysis
3.0 Environmental Analysis
This chapter provides a programmatic analysis of the potential environmental impacts resulting
from implementation of the proposed Clay Pit SVRA General Plan, as well as a project‐level
analysis of construction and operation of the headquarters facilities. These two components are
closely linked because construction of the headquarters facilities is a first step in implementing
the vision and goals of the General Plan. As described in Chapter 1.0 “Introduction,” the approach
to the environmental analysis of the General Plan is programmatic because the General Plan
presents a framework for future management and park development. Because the proposed
characteristics and design of the headquarters facilities are available, implementation of this part
of the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan is analyzed at a project‐level.
The programmatic General Plan impact analyses address potential impacts related to all aspects of
the General Plan, including constructing and operating the headquarters facilities. Implementing
all aspects of the General Plan, including constructing and operating the headquarters facilities,
has the potential to result in impacts to a wider array of environmental resources than
constructing and operating the headquarters facilities alone. Therefore, the analysis in this EIR
assumes that if a particular impact determination for the General Plan as a whole is less than
significant, then the determination related to the same effect for the headquarters facilities is also
less than significant. However, in those instances when constructing or operating the
headquarters facilities would result in unique impacts (i.e., potential impacts different from those
that could be caused by implementing the rest of the General Plan), or if additional detail is needed
to meet the expectations of a project‐level analysis, impact statements specific to the headquarters
facilities are provided.
Chapter 4.0 of the General Plan, “The Plan,” serves as the project description for this DEIR as
described in Chapter 2.0 of this DEIR. In addition, because much of the project description is at a
programmatic level of detail (i.e., lacking the detail that will be available when specific projects are
proposed), assumptions about the results of implementing the proposed project were made in
order to conduct this CEQA analysis. These assumptions and other project details are summarized
in Appendix B.
Similarly, Chapter 2.0 of the General Plan, “Existing Conditions,” provides much of the physical and
regulatory setting information used for the environmental analyses presented in this DEIR, and is
hereby incorporated by reference consistent with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15150. Chapter
2.0 of the General Plan, “Existing Conditions,” describes the geographical, physical, and
management setting, including resource conditions and planning influences. This information is
summarized at the beginning of each resource section in this DEIR. Generally, setting information
relevant to the General Plan is provided therein, while supplemental setting information relevant
to the environmental analysis is provided in this DEIR.
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Draft EIR 3-1 February 2012