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D64: Very little lush inshore vegetation exists in the littoral zones of shallow freshwater habitats since in the northern Central Valley of California in early January, like most upland vegetation, its growth period is timed with the onset of longer day lengths and warmer temperatures. If the commenters had viewed the shoreline areas during the spring/summer growth season,they would have seen numerous emergent vegetation species, most of which have been assigned the classification of"Obligate Wetland Plants" or "Facultative Wetland Plants" by the National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands: California (Region , Biological Report 88 (26.10), U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. D65: This comment is noted as it applies to the inshore region of Tracy Lake at high water levels. D66: Munz continues to be the most universal known plant taxonomy reference for California flora. Until some type of statewide EIR format "officially" adapts one or another as the proper one to use, the choice of any is legitimate as long as it is referenced in the literature section. It should be noted that the choice of plant reference material has no real bearing on the physical nature of the plant communities,given their accurate description along with accompanying photographs in the EIR. D67: This information is noted. However, the view of CDFG is that this is an excellent example of mature valley riparian woodland,the loss of which must be mitigated. The EIR biologist did note dead and dying limbs in some of the trees, along with standing and fallen dead trees randomly located on the project site. Given those observations,the EIR states in Mitigation Measure 4.7-4(b)that these stages of the total life/death history of trees is very important to wildlife and called for prohibiting cutting, burning,etc., of such specimens. D68. See response D67 above. D69: Classic seasonal wetlands often do not support a willow/alder riparian edge as permanent lakes and streams do. The reason is that the root zone soil dries out by late summer and fall. If this was the case on the project site, one would expect that some stands of these trees would have persisted over time. However, none are present,whereas there are numerous examples of oaks right along the upper shoreline edge (Figures 4.7-2 and 4.7-3). D70: This information was paraphrased from the applicant's original biological assessment report by P. Muick. D71: The Batrachaceps attenuatus is the most abundant salamander in California and, theoretically, the last member of Order Caudata to ever be considered for any special species status. Its possible presence does not have any relevance to this situation. Furthermore, Stebbins, 1985, does not include the central portion of the Central Valley within the geographic range of this species. D72: The statement that several specimens of the Pacific gopher snake (Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer)were recovered on the site, speak directly to this species. However,in a limited time study of a site of this extent and complexity,the first order of biological work is to inform both the applicant and the agencies of the presence or absence of endangered,threatened, candidate and special concern species. It is these listed species that will require mitigation. VI-160