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Ms. Kerry Sullivan <br /> January 26, 1993 <br /> Page Five <br /> We recommend the RBS contain an evaluation of the <br /> project site' s potential to provide habitat for the <br /> sandhill cranes and assess the proposed project's <br /> potential for impacts to greater sandhill cranes . If <br /> the project is found to have a significant impact on <br /> wintering greater sandhill cranes, it will be necessary <br /> to either alter the project so that impacts are <br /> avoided, or mitigate the impacts to a level that is not <br /> significant. B7 <br /> The greater sandhill crane is a State-listed threatened <br /> species and any activity resulting in the loss of its <br /> habitat, decreased reproductive success, or other <br /> negative effects on population levels of greater <br /> sandhill cranes may be construed as "take" by the DFG. <br /> Take of a threatened or endangered species may be <br /> allowed after consultation with the DFG (Fish and Game <br /> Code Section 2081 ) . The process involves a management <br /> plan entered into by the project proponent and the DFG <br /> which requires formalized mitigation to reduce the <br /> significance of the impact. <br /> 3 . Swainson' s Hawk <br /> The RBS contains information regarding nesting and <br /> foraging activities of Swainson' s hawks on the project <br /> site. The RBS notes that two Swainson' s hawk nests <br /> were located on the project site. <br /> Nesting <br /> The project site is located in an area that supports <br /> one of the highest Swainson' s hawk populations in San <br /> Joaquin County . The Dry Creek subpopulation has been <br /> designated as a "core conservation area" in the <br /> proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for the Swainson' s <br /> Hawk in San Joaquin County, Jones and Stokes 1990 . The <br /> project site itself has all of the habitat components B8 <br /> necessary to qualify it as a prime habitat area for <br /> Swainson' s hawk. The RBS notes that : <br /> a. Several distinctly different Swainson' s hawk were <br /> regularly seen on the project site. <br /> b. Specimens were seen flying to and from the site and <br /> the adjacent areas . <br /> i <br /> C . Two other previous surveys (Guse, 1990 and Jones <br /> and Stokes, 1990 ) note the presence of additional <br /> nests on the project site . <br /> VI-9 <br />