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Environmental Setting The entire project site is an almond orchard. Most of the natural vegetation in the project site is restricted to the edges of the property and adjacent buffer areas (i.e., along the railroad track berm and San Joaquin River levee). This vegetation consists of an assortment of non-native annual grassland grass and weed species. Within the existing almond orchard, ground-level vegetation may be best described as ruderal, with orchard development and maintenance significantly limiting the growth of grasses and weeds. Vegetation between the tree rows consists of a subset of the non-native annual grassland grass and weed species found in open areas surrounding the orchard Riparian Brush Rabbit Riparian brush rabbits live in large parches of dense brush such as blackberry, wild rose, coyote brush, and wild grape (Williams and Kelly, undated). In areas where riparian brush rabbits have been documented, there is usually an overstory of trees. The California Department of Fish and Game's (CDFG) California Natural Diversity Database(CNDD13, 2000) contains records of riparian brush rabbits only cit Caswell State Park, approximately 10 miles southeast of the project site. However, a second population has recently been discovered on Stewart Tract (Augustine, 2000), across the San Joaquin River to the west ofthe project site. The San Joaquin County Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) scheduled for full adoption this spring, identifies a potential "corridor" along the San Joaquin River between Caswell State Park and Stewart Tract (Augustine, 2000). This corridor encompasses the river as well as 600 feet on either side of the river extending on to uplands from the mean high water line. This corridor is intended to provide a potential connection for movement between the two populations of riparian brush rabbits and habitat modification within this corridor will be restricted for HCP participants. However, this corridor and future management within it under the HCP will not affect this project as areas on the east side of the San Joaquin River within the City of Lathrop General Plan have been exempted from the corridor (Augustine, 2000). Of further note at this point in time, is that while the project site extends to the San Joaquin River levee, the near-term quarry site is located over 800 feet from the levee. Landmark Lathrop; Biology Supplement 4 January 10, 2001