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4. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS a. 4.9 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES diandrus), and spotted spurge(Chamaesyce maculata). Grasslands provide important foraging, breeding,and resting opportunities for many species of wildlife. Riparian Scrub Hospital Creek is channelized and flows east through the Proposed Project area. The channel is lined with rip-rap and gravel downstream of the box culvert crossing of the Delta Mendota Canal, and transitions to an unlined channel along the southern boundary of the Proposed Project. Riparian habitat is limited to Hospital Creek in the Proposed Project area, and is composed of .. elements two plant communities, mulefat scrub and scalebroom scrub. Mulefat scrub is characterized by Baccharis salicifolia,nannwleaf willow(Salix exigua), and arroyo willow(S. lasiolepis). Associated species in the Proposed Project area include mustard(Brassica sp.), heliotrope(Heliotropium curassavicum),and curly dock(Rumex crispus). Mulefat scrub is limited to the bottoms of irrigation ditches and Hospital Creek or other areas where water may collect. Scalebroom scrub is characterized by scalebroom(Lepidospartum squamatum), California sage(Artemisia californica),mugwort(A. douglasiana),tree tobacco(Nicotiana glauca),gumplant(Grindelia camporum), pigweed(Chenopodium album),and Mexican tea(C. ambrosioides). Scalebroom scrub is not typically classified as a riparian community however elements of this community can be found growing along the steep,well-drained banks of irrigation ditches and Hospital Creek in the Proposed Project area. Riparian scrub can provide ` important cover,nesting,forage,and breeding habitat for a diverse array of wildlife,however the degraded riparian scrub in the Proposed Project area is of limited value. SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES Special-status species are those plants and animals that, because of their recognized rarity or vulnerability to various causes of habitat loss or population decline,are recognized by federal, state, or other agencies. Some of these species receive specific protection that is defined by federal or state endangered species legislation. Others have been designated as"sensitive"on the .. basis of adopted policies and expertise of state resource agencies or organizations with acknowledged expertise, or policies adopted by local governmental agencies such as counties, cities,and special districts to meet local conservation objectives. These species are referred to collectively as"special status species"in this report,following a convention that has developed in practice but has no official sanction. The various categories encompassed by the term,and the legal status of each,are discussed later in this report under the Regulatory Setting heading. For the purposes of this assessment, the term"special-status"includes those species that are: • Federally listed or proposed under the Federal Endangered Species Act(FESA,50 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 17.11-17.12); • Candidates for listing under the FESA(61 FR 7596-7613); • State listed or proposed under the California Endangered Species Act(CESA, 14 CCR 670.5); RMC Pacific Vernalis Quant'Mining and Reclamation Pmject 4.9-3 FSA/203015 Administrative Draft E1R March 2004 r