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Rare Plant Survey Report Griffith Energy Storage Project 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The rare plant surveys were conducted during the appropriate blooming periods forth e rare plants (caper-fruited tropidocarpum and big tarplant)that could potentially occur onsite. One rare plant species, big tarplant(CRPR 113.1),was found on the Project site during the surveys. In addition,the survey results are sufficient to determine absence of caper-fruited tropidocarpum on the Project site. It is recommended that Project impacts avoid the populations of big tarplant if feasible(Figure 4). While big tarplant is not federally or state listed, impacts to this species must be evaluated in the California Environmental Quality Act document and mitigation measures would be required if it cannot be avoided.The following preliminary measures are recommended for this species: • A qualified biologist will flag a minimum no-disturbance buffer of 10 feet around big tarplant populations in the field,and if feasible,these areas will be avoided during construction.To delineate the areas of avoidance,a pre-construction survey would be required during the blooming period for this species(July to November) during the blooming period that occurs prior to the start of construction. For example, if construction were planned to start in June 2024,the area would be surveyed between July and November 2023 and those results would be used to determine the extent of the population areas. • For big tarplant areas that cannot be avoided,a restoration/enhancement plan for impacts to big tarplant will be prepared.The plan will include the following components as needed: figures showing the restored areas; invasive plant species management procedures;topsoil and/or seed collection and dispersal protocols; maintenance requirements; monitoring and performance standards;and reporting requirements.Temporary impacts(i.e., impacts in areas that would be restored to natural conditions) may be mitigated by salvaging topsoil during ground disturbance,storing the soil onsite and protecting it from weed seed dispersal, and then returning the soil horizon to its original profile to keep seeds at the appropriate soil depth. Permanent impacts (i.e.,impacts in areas that would not be restored to natural conditions) may be mitigated by enhancing other big tarplant habitat within or outside the Project site,through seed collection and planting and invasive plant control.Topsoil would not be salvaged in the case of permanent impacts,and other habitat enhancement methods would be used,such as seed collection and dispersal,in other non-impacted locations.The actual areas impacted will be mapped post-construction to quantify the amount of big tarplant impacted. OTETRA TECH 12 July 2023