Laserfiche WebLink
4. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS <br /> t� 4.9 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES <br /> 4.9 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES <br /> 4.9.1 INTRODUCTION <br /> The following section describes the biological resources and natural communities occurring <br /> within the Proposed Project area, and outlines potential impacts to biological resources that may <br /> result from the Proposed Project. This evaluation of biological resources includes a review of <br /> potentially occurring special-status species, wildlife habitats,vegetation communities,and <br /> r <br /> jurisdictional waters of the U.S. The results of this assessment are based upon field <br /> reconnaissance,literature searches, and database queries. A site reconnaissance was conducted <br /> by an ESA biologist on September 4, 2003. The sources of reference data reviewed for this <br /> r section included the following: <br /> • Solyo 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle(U.S. Department of the Interior,Geological <br /> Survey 1991); <br /> • California Natural Diversity Database(CNDDB),Rarefind 2 electronic database(CDFG <br /> 2004); <br /> r. <br /> • California Native Plant Society(CNPS)Inventory of Rare Plants 6th Edition-online <br /> edition. (CNPS, 2003); <br /> • Special Animals(CDFG, 2003c); <br /> • Special Vascular Plants,Bryophytes, and Lichens List(CDFG,2003d); <br /> i <br /> • Ecological Subregions of California(Miles and Goudey, 1997); and <br /> • U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Species Lists(USFWS,2003). <br /> 4.9.2 SETTING <br /> STUDYAREA <br /> The Proposed Project area extends from San Joaquin County into Stanislaus County. It is located <br /> in Township 4 South, Range 6 East,Sections 4 and 9 of the USGS Solyo 7.5' quadrangle. The <br /> Proposed Project area contains approximately 688 acres-590 acres in San Joaquin County and <br /> ~ 98 acres in Stanislaus County. The western border of the Proposed Project area is the Delta <br /> Mendota Canal,from the San Joaquin/Stanislaus County Line north to Blewett Road. The <br /> Proposed Project area is defined as those areas that may be directly affected by Proposed Project <br /> construction activities (Figures 3-1, 3-3, and 3-4). <br /> ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING <br /> San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties lie in the central region of the Central Valley. Historically, <br /> both counties supported extensive native grasslands intermixed with a variety of vegetative <br /> RMC Pacific Vemalis Quany Mining and Reclamation Projmt 4.9-1 FSA/203015 <br /> Adminis ve Draft EIR March 2004 <br />