SU0008578 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MOUNTAIN HOUSE NEIGHBORHOODS K AND L INITIAL STUbY 5.ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST 4.BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES The ultimate goal of the SJMSCP is to provide 100,841 acres of habitat preserves over the projected 50-year lifetime of the SJMSCP. Most of the land for these preserves would be designated as conservation easements over existing agricultural lands in the areas covered by the SJMSCP. All of the SPII lands within the boundaries of the Mountain House community are within the area covered by the SJMSCP and would be subject to the adopted fee. Participation in the SJMSCP includes payment of a fee for each acre of land converted to urban use and compliance with Incidental Take Minimization Measures defined in Section 5.2 of the SJMSCP. The Incidental Take Minimization Measures pertinent to Neighborhoods K and L include pre- construction surveys for covered species,as well as measures to prevent and control ground squirrel occupation of the area early in the planning process. The applicant paid the respective development fees in 2007 assessed on a per acre basis in compliance with the SJMSCP(San Joaquin COG, 2007a and 2007b). Waters of the U.S. and Wetlands A number of wetland delineations have been conducted that have documented the types, locations, and areal extent of waters of the U.S. and wetlands within the Mountain House Master Plan area. The history of wetlands determination and mapping within Mountain House, as documented in the 1994 MEIR, began In 1990. The most recent wetland delineation In the Mountain House area was undertaken by Gibson&Skordal (2002)and subsequently verified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) in January 2003. Delineated waters of the U.S.within Neighborhoods K and L,according to this delineation, include Mountain House Creek and a wetland along a former irrigation ditch in the southeast corner of Neighborhood L referred to as the Wicklund Wetlands (0.85 acre), as well as the jurisdictional waters along Old River. The jurisdictional determination issued by the USACOE that included Neighborhoods K and L �ff remained valid until January 30, 2008. The recent biological assessment l conducted in 2010 confirmed that the limits of jurisdictional waters remain the same(Moore Biological Consultants,2010a and 2010b). The 2003 verification expired in 2008 and will have to be reverified by the USACOE. Significant Impacts Identified in 1994 MEIR The following biological resource impacts were identified as potentially significant in the 1994 MEIR: 1) Project implementation would result in the elimination of over 4,000 acres + of agricultural land and associated wildlife habitat on the site. 1 2) Project implementation would result in the elimination of suitable on-site foraging and dispersal habitat for San Joaquin kit fox. 3) Project implementation would result in the elimination of all existing and potential on-site foraging habitat for Swainson's hawk. 4) In addition to San Joaquin kit fox and Swainson's hawk, proposed a development would affect a number of other special-status taxa. I {9171191 5-55