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MOUNTAIN HOUSE NEIGHBORHOOD' 'PROJECT INITIAL STUDY L. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES Biological resources at the Neighborhood"F"site and the larger Mountain House New Community planning area have been described in detail through past detailed surveys and supplemental field surveys. This information was used to prepare this Initial Study assessment. Available documentation was reviewed to provide information on general resources in the area,presence of sensitive natural communities,and the distribution and habitat requirements of special-status species which have been recorded from or are suspected to occur in the project vicinity. Information reviewed and incorporated herein by reference included:Mountain House New Community Master Plan and Specific Plan EIR(Baseline, 1994);Mountain House Multi-Purpose Habitat Management Plan(Zentner and Zentner, 1994);Draft San Joaquin County Multispecies Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan(San Joaquin County Council of Governments, 1999);Sensitive Species Evaluation(SSE)and Focused Swainson's Hawk, Kit Fox, and Burrowing Owl Surveys(Moore Biological Consultants, 1999);and Tree Preservation Report,Mountain House, Neighborhood F(Hortscience, 1998). The Sensitive Species Evaluation(SSE)and Tree Preservation Report(TPR)were recently prepared by the applicant's consultants to provide an update on potentially sensitive resources specifically for the Neighborhood"F"site. Vegetation and Wildlife A detailed description of vegetation and wildlife resources in the Mountain House planning area is provided in the 1993 and 1994 EIRs,including information on crop and vegetation cover types, associated wildlife species, occurrence of special-status species,and presence of wetland resources. The SSE provides an update of vegetation and wildlife resources on the Neighborhood"F"site,the potential for occurrence of special-status species, and means to minimize potential adverse impacts of development on sensitive resources. Vegetative cover at the Neighborhood"F"site is composed of farmed crops,fallow fields, a band of willow trees(Salix sp.)along an irrigation ditch,and landscape trees associated with the residence in the northeast corner of the site. The TPR identifies a total of 49 trees on the site. These include six willow along the irrigation ditch,a single monterey pine(Pinus radiata), a single English walnut(Juglans regia), a single red gum(Eucalyptus camaldulensis),and 40 beefwoods(Casuarina stricta)around the existing residence. Of these,only the English walnut and Monterey pine are identified in good condition(4 percent of total),with 24 percent rated as moderate and 71 percent identified as in poor condition. The generally poor condition rating of the trees reflects the poor management they have received and the adverse growing conditions in the area. None of the trees were rated as having a good suitability for preservation; 13 (26 percent of total)were rated as having a moderate suitability;and 36 had a low rating for preservation. Section 7.3.7 of the Master Plan calls for preservation of existing healthy mature trees, and states that this information should be obtained through a tree survey to evaluate suitability for preservation. Wildlife observed during the 1999 on-site surveys included species common to urban and agricultural areas, including California ground squirrel,rock dove,morning dove,western kingbird, scrub jay,American crow, European starling,ring-necked pheasant,American kestrel,red-tailed hawk and turkey vulture. No important nesting or denning activity was observed on or in the immediate vicinity of the site(Moore Biological Consultants, 1999). CU08MM MAL MUDr&1NA RM1AL=Y-PAR72.DDC(7/20M) 106 V.L. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES