Initial Study MND - Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and ...

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Taylor MountainINITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATIONB.3.5.2 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measuresa. Would the project cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historicalresource as defined in §15064.5 [§15064.5 generally defines historical resource underCEQA]?LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. There are no recorded historical cultural resources within oradjacent to the proposed development areas on the property. As described in the settingsection, none of the existing structures in the Kawana Springs Resort area would qualify forinclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources. The Master Plan contains guidelinesand standards for preservation of the historic setting of the Kawana Springs Resort area and useof materials compatible with the historic setting.Five historic, dry-laid stone fences are located on the property and could be subject to damagefrom Preserve visitors (Origer and Steen, 2006). The existing trails are located in proximity totwo of the fence locations and future trails could be developed near these existing fences. Useof the trails could result in potential impacts on these fences. According to Master PlanStandard 258, trailhead signage would emphasize the need to maintain appropriate distancesfrom the fences so that they are not degraded or destabilized over time. In addition, theMaster Plan includes a guideline (G146) to inspect stone fences and implement protectivemeasures if vandalism becomes an issue. With these measures, impacts on historic resourceswould be less than significant.b. Would the project cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of anarchaeological resource pursuant to §15064.5?LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. Master Plan designs for trail development and staging areaimprovements avoid known archaeological resources on the property. Although the trail plansare conceptual, Guideline 121 in the Master Plan calls for a 500-foot setback from knownarchaeological sites and Guideline 122 provides for installation of trailhead educational signagethat includes general information about the archaeological significance of the property and theneed to respect resources on the property. Therefore, impacts on known archaeologicalresources would be avoided.Because of Sonoma County’s rich prehistoric background, there is the potential for discovery ofprehistoric resources during construction activities that involve subsurface excavation orgrading. The Master Plan includes the following standard (S82) to ensure avoidance of impactson buried archaeological resources: If any potentially-significant archaeological sites are uncovered, all work in the immediatevicinity of the discovery shall be halted immediately until a qualified archaeologist assessesthe significance of the resource. The archaeologist would recommend appropriate measuresto record, preserve, or recover any significant resources.With these Master Plan provisions, potential impacts on archaeological resources would be lessthan significant.Final B-68 September 2012
Taylor MountainINITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATIONc. Would the project directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or siteor unique geologic feature?LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. There are no known unique geologic features on the property.Paleontological remains (fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms), are fairly common inSonoma County. No fossils have been identified on the site or adjacent areas. Given the lack ofknown paleontological resources in the area, and the limited ground disturbance associated withthe project, the probability of encountering rare fossils is low. Master Plan Standard 140establishes protective measures in the event a paleontological resource is discovered duringconstruction. Therefore, any discovered paleontological resources would not be destroyed andimpacts would be less than significant.d. Would the project disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of formalcemeteries?LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT. No human remains have been identified on the property. However,there is always some possibility that unmarked burials may be unearthed during construction.The Master Plan contains a standard (S83) to ensure no impacts occur on buried humanremains, consistent with CEQA provisions: If human remains are encountered, excavation or disturbance of the location shall be haltedand the county coroner contacted. If the coroner determines the remains are NativeAmerican, the coroner will contact the Native American Heritage Commission. The NativeAmerican Heritage Commission will identify the person or persons believed to be the mostlikely descendant from the deceased Native American. The most likely descendant will makerecommendations regarding the treatment of the remains with appropriate dignity.September 2012 B-69 Final
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Initial Study MND - Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and ...

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