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LFR Levine-Fricke route is determined, vehicles will remain on the route and/or within excavated areas. • Areas of special concern will be demarcated by a qualified LFR biologist and avoided. • Occupied nests will be demarcated with an appropriate buffer zone by a qualified LFR biologist and avoided until is has been determined by the qualified biologist that chicks have fledged and adults no longer occupy the nest(i.e., after a second brood). • If a San Joaquin whipsnake or a California horned lizard, or another animal is seen, it will be avoided to the extent possible and passively encouraged to move in a safe direction out of the way of vehicular traffic. San Joaquin Kit Fox: Specific Conservation Measures • The project will be marked to delineate off-limit areas (e.g., dens). Exclusion zones will be established around potential kit fox dens during construction activities. • A preconstruction survey will be conducted by a qualified LFR biologist, as defined in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) survey protocol for the kit fox (USFWS 1999), within 30 days, preferably 1 day to 2 weeks, prior to project activities to determine whether kit foxes occupy dens on or adjacent to the project site. • If occupied kit fox dens are found within the project area, the USFWS will be notified for further action(i.e. buffer zones), as described in the Standardized Recommendations for the Protection of the San Joaquin Kit Fox(USFWS 1999). • If kit foxes or an active den are encountered during daylight hours, construction will cease until the USFWS is notified. • A qualified LFR biologist will conduct a preconstruction training session with construction workers following the guidelines in the USFWS's Standardized Recommendations for the Protection of the San Joaquin Kit Fox. The training will provide information on the kit fox, excavation boundaries, and the measures being taken to reduce impacts to the species. • The USFWS will be notified in writing of survey results. • The USFWS's Standardized Recommendations for the Protection of the San Joaquin Kit Fox will be implemented. In addition to the above measures, the Standard Recommendations include: • Project-related vehicles should observe a 20-mph speed limit in all project areas. • To prevent inadvertent trapping of kit foxes, all excavated holes or trenches more than 2 feet deep should be covered at the close of each working day, or escape ramps should be constructed of earth fill or wooden planks. Before holes or trenches are filled, they should be inspected for trapped animals. Page 26 Final_RAP_Tracy_9.18.03(final).doc