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I Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report Page IV.F-6 ' Forward Inc. Landfill 2018 Expansion Project Special-Status Biological Resources ' Special-status biological resources include plant and animal species and natural communities or habitats deemed rare or locally significant by federal,State or local agencies or professional ' associations. The study area supports or has the potential to support several special-status species and biological resources. Each is described below. A summary of the status,habitat affinities,reported localities in the project area, and potential for occurrence within the project ' area for each of the target plant and animal species and those with a low potential to occur are presented in Appendix 1, Special-Status Species Lists. Special-Status Natural Communities and Habitats ' Special-status natural communities are those that are considered rare in the region, support ' special-status plant or wildlife species, or receive regulatory protection(i.e., waters of the United States, covered under Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act [CWA] and/or waters of the State' covered under the CFGC'and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control ' Act.' The CNDDB has ranked a number of natural communities in terms of their significance and rarity (CDFW 2018). A single special-status natural community,freshwater marsh, occurs in the study area. In ' addition, the actual stream channel of the South Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek qualifies as a "waters of the U.S." and a"waters of the State". ' Special-Status Plants The laws comprising California's legal framework and authority for plant species conservation ' include the federal Endangered Species Act(FESA),California Endangered Species Act(CESA), the Native Plant Protection Act(NPPA), and CEQA(see discussion below). Special-status plants include those listed as endangered,threatened,or rare or as candidates for listing by the ' USFWS and/or the CDFW. Other species regarded as having special-status include special plants included on lists 1B and 2 of the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (2018). Focused botanical surveys were not conducted as part of this EIR;due to the highly modified ' nature of the site,they were not warranted because suitable habitat is not present. All proposed construction activities would occur within the boundaries of the existing landfill and associated ' highly altered and disturbed habitats, and within a managed irrigation channel that is regularly cleared of vegetation. No federally or State-listed plant species or other special-status plant species are considered to have any potential to occur within the study area. ' 'Waters of the State are defined as"any surface water or groundwater,including saline waters,within the boundaries of the state"California Water Code Section 13050(e).These include nearly every surface ' or ground water in California,or tributaries thereto,and include drainage features outside USACE jurisdiction(e.g.,dry and ephemeral/seasonal stream beds and channels,etc.),isolated wetlands(e.g., vernal pools,seeps,springs and other groundwater-supplied wetlands,etc.),and storm drains and flood control channels. z Section 1600,et seq. 3 Water Code Sections 13000-14920 I