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San Joaquin Kit Fox,California Red-Legged Frog,and Swainson's Hawk Habitat Assessment ` Occurrences in Project Region All except one extant record of San Joaquin kit fox in the San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan are on the Lone Tree Creek,Midway,and Tracy quads northwest of the Project site(SJCOG,2000). This corresponds with records in the CNDDB,the closest of which is of one individual on Corral Hollow Creek,about 8 miles northwest of the Project site, and west of Interstate 580 (Figure 2.0). The CNDDB also includes a record of numerous sightings throughout a generalized area of the eastern slope of the Diablo Range spanning several counties(CDFG, 2005). This generalized area includes the Project site, but does not contain specific data of recorded occurrences within the Project site. Habitat on Project Site San Joaquin kit fox may use the agricultural matrix on the Project site for foraging and could use the relatively sparsely distributed ground squirrel burrows on Hospital Creek and west of the Delta-Mendota Canal(Figure 3.0)for denning. In several locations on Hospital Creek, especially ` at bends in the creek bed,the banks are armored with irregularly sized pieces of concrete that create features resembling burrows (Figure 3). These features and a small complex of ground 6. squirrel burrows on the bank of Hospital Creek showed no evidence of denning by San Joaquin kit fox. The majority of burrows are less than 5 inches in diameter,but several in a burrow complex about 100 meters west of the Project site and west of the Delta-Mendota Canal are large ` enough to be used by San Joaquin kit fox(see Figure 3.0 for an example). Approximately half of the Project site is in orchard and the other half is used for annual crops; in 2005,the crop was hay. Likelihood to Occur on Project Site Habitat for San Joaquin kit fox on the Project site is composed of disturbed agricultural land and converted natural features (Hospital Creek). Interstates 5 and 580,the California Aqueduct,and the Delta-Mendota Canal present barriers that inhibit the movement of San Joaquin kit fox between the Project site and habitat located on the eastern slope of the Diablo Range. However, ` although there is no evidence that the species uses the Project site, it is within the range of San Joaquin kit fox and provides required habitat elements including potential denning sites and foraging habitat. Therefore,the likelihood that the species occurs on the Project site is low,but cannot be discounted. California Red-Legged Frog Regional Habitat Associations Aquatic habitat for this species consists of slow-moving streams and ponds,often with emergent vegetation such as cattails,where water remains long enough for eggs to hatch and larvae to grow,at least 15 to 25 weeks(USFWS,2002). Adjacent uplands may be used for foraging, r, estivation, and dispersal. The species is known to make straight-line dispersal movements between watersheds when conditions allow,rather than following drainages. Vemalis Quarry Mining and Reclamation Project rQ ESA 1203015 San Joaquin Kit Fox,Cakromia Red-Legged Frog,and Swainson's Hawk Habitat Assessment February 2006