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VERNALIS QUARRY MINING AND RECLAMATION PROJECT Special-Status Species Plant Survey Introduction On May 4, 2005, Environmental Science Associates (ESA) conducted a botanical survey in support of the proposed Vernalis Quarry Mining and Reclamation Project(Project). This survey was performed to determine whether any special-status plant species are extant within or adjacent to the Project. The Project site is located in Township 4 South,Range 6 East, Sections 4 and 9 of the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) Solyo 7.5-minute quadrangle and extends from San Joaquin County into Stanislaus County. Of the 688 acres in the Project site, 590 acres are in San Joaquin County and 98 acres are in Stanislaus County. The western border of the Project site is the Delta- Mendota Canal, from the San Joaquin/Stanislaus county line north to Blewett Road. Plant Communities and Wildlife Habitats Plant communities are assemblages of plant species that occur together in a given area and are defined by species composition and relative abundance. The plant communities in this document are classified using A Manual of California Vegetation (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf, 1995). The Project site consists predominantly of agricultural land with small inclusions of two other habitats, annual grassland and valley foothill riparian. Agricultural Lands r The Project site is almost entirely composed of actively farmed agricultural lands,predominantly almond and apricot orchards and row crops. Surrounding fields also support orchard,hay, and grain crops as well as grapes and other row crops. Cultivated lands provide little habitat for native plant species; however,natural vegetation does occur along field edges and irrigation features such as ditches. California Annual Grassland Series r Annual grassland occurs in narrow strips adjacent to crops, including the spaces between orchard rows. Common constituents of this habitat type found within the Project site are barnyard grass v (Echinochloa crus-galli), feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata),tumbleweed(Salsola tragus), yellow star-thistle(Centaurea solstitialis), Bermuda grass(Cynodon dactylon), cheeseweed Vernalis Quarry hNning and RedamaGon Project ESA/203015 Special-Status Species Plant Survey February 2006 r