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aesthetic impacts will be less than significant as the recommended measures will help screen project <br /> development and will reduce the potential for significant light and glare. J <br /> The project's impact to aesthetics has been identified as a potentially significant impact but will be <br /> reduced to a less than significant impact with the incorporation of the mitigation measures. <br /> Biological Resources <br /> The proposed project may have a substantial adverse effect, either directly or through habitat <br /> modifications, on special-status wildlife species. Special-status animals that are presumed present or <br /> that may forage within the boundaries of the project site include the state-listed species Swainson's <br /> hawk, California species of special concern northern harrier, burrowing owl, and western red bat; and the <br /> California Fully Protected species white-tailed kite. The project will result in the conversion of <br /> approximately 154 acres of agricultural lands, including row/field crops and orchards, which could <br /> provide suitable foraging habitat for such special-status wildlife species. <br /> A wetlands delineation study was conducted at the project site. The project will result in the fill of <br /> wetlands and/or waters of the U.S./State, namely, DC-1 and the French Camp Outlet Canal ("FCOC") <br /> and their associated in stream wetlands. DC-1 and the FCOC are drainage canals managed by the South <br /> San Joaquin Irrigation District("SSJID") and eventually drain into French Camp Slough, which drains into <br /> the San Joaquin River north and eventually the bay. Specifically, the applicant proposes to place DC-1 <br /> inside a culvert and to pave over it through the project site. The new culvert will not restrict flow in DC-1. <br /> The culvert for DC-1 will be approximately 1,307 feet long and will impact at least 1,254 linear feet of <br /> jurisdictional waters not currently culverted. The applicant also proposes to place FCOC inside two <br /> sections of culvert in order to cross over these areas with spur track. The culverts that will contain <br /> sections of FCOC will be approximately 344 and 618 feet long. <br /> Potential impacts to special-status wildlife species will be less than significant with implementation of <br /> mitigation measures that require Swainson's Hawk-specific avoidance measures, western burrowing <br /> owl-specific avoidance measures, seasonal work limits and pre-construction surveys to avoid impacts to <br /> protected breeding birds and bat-specific avoidance measures. The applicant must also mitigate for the <br /> loss of foraging habitat through the provision of Habitat Management lands or through participation in the <br /> San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan ("SJMSCP"). <br /> Implementation of the wetlands delineation study, verification of the delineation by the Army Corps of <br /> Engineers (ACOE), authorization of any fill of wetlands and/or waters of the U.S./State, and mitigation <br /> compensation, will reduce impacts to wetlands and/or waters of the U.S./State to less than significant. <br /> The project's impact to biological resources has been identified as a potentially significant impact <br /> but will be reduced to a less than significant impact with the incorporation of the mitigation <br /> measures. <br /> Cultural Resources <br /> Neither the archival research nor the cultural resources survey resulted in the identification of recorded <br /> or unrecorded prehistoric or historic-era archaeological resources within the project site or a 0.5 mile <br /> buffer of the project site. However, additional archaeological material could be buried beneath the fill <br /> and pavement of the existing UP Intermodal Facility or below the plow zone in the agricultural fields. <br /> Consequently, archaeological materials could be revealed unexpectedly during project construction. It <br /> does not appear that the project site contains human remains as there are no known historic cemeteries <br /> or prehistoric burial grounds in the vicinity; however, this possibility cannot be entirely discounted as <br /> San Joaquin County PA-0900184 & 185\Union Pacific <br /> Community Development Page 10 <br />