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Biological Resources Evaluation Report Griffith Energy Project 3.6 Wildlife Movement Methods The Essential Connectivity Map located on CDFW's Biogeographic and Information Observation System (BIOS) Habitat Connectivity Viewer was reviewed to determine if the Project site is located within or near a CDFW designated Natural Landscape Block (N LB) or Essential Connectivity Area (ECA) (CDFW 2021 b). The Essential Connectivity Map serves to focus attention on large areas important to maintaining ecological integrity at the broadest scale. NLBs and ECAs describe habitats that provide refuges for wildlife and corridors for wildlife movement between wildlands. Results Per the BIOS Habitat Connectivity Viewer, the Project site lies within an area designated as category 4 (Conservation Planning Linkages) of CDFW's Terrestrial Connectivity Areas of Conservation Emphasis. However, due to the broad, State-wide nature of the Essential Connectivity Map, use of macro-scale data, and its focus on connecting very large blocks of natural lands, it is unlikely that conditions specific to the Project site have been incorporated into the analysis. The Project site is within the California Bay Area Linkage Network (Penrod et al. 2013), which identifies areas that are either high quality habitat or highly permeable to wildlife movement and connects larger wildlands with smaller wildlands. The Project site is also within a San Joaquin Valley Wildlife Corridor (Huber 2006). San Joaquin Valley Wildlife Corridors connect areas of conservation opportunity to healthy, native habitats. Since the Project site is located within the designated areas described above, it has the potential to contain or function as a wildlife movement corridor. However, these designated areas also extend far beyond the boundaries of the Project site and have not incorporated conditions specific to the site into the analysis. Other factors considered when reviewing habitat connectivity of the Project site were: • Paved roads are located along the western and northern boundaries of the Project site and the entire site is surrounded by cattle fencing. • The Project site consists of a relatively small footprint that would not substantially reduce habitat connectivity in the region. The ability of wildlife to move through areas adjacent to the Project site would be unaffected. • The Project site contains small mammal burrows and foraging habitat to adequately support local wildlife species and enable movement through the site. Impacts to habitat connectivity would be evaluated during the CEQA process. Any measures required to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to habitat connectivity would be proposed at that time. Tetra Tech, Inc. 3-4 July 2023