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Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report Page IV.F-1 Forward Inc. Landfill 2014 Expansion Project F. VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE This section addresses the impacts of the 2014 Expansion Project to existing or potentially occurring biological resources. It uses a "worst-case"baseline, comparing project impacts to existing on-the-ground conditions. As outlined in the Project Description(Section III), the proposed additional development area includes two areas within the currently permitted landfill boundary as shown on Figure IH.0-2;approximately 8.7 acres in the northeast corner of the site and approximately 30.0 acres in the south area(of which approximately 6.2 acres would be newly permitted landfill footprint and about 23.8 acres are currently permitted for landfill footprint,8.4 acres of which currently house the landfill's composting facility). Implementation of this project also would require the realignment of a 3,000-foot section of the South Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek. The impacts and mitigations in this section replace those in Section IV.H of the 2013 EIR. Setting — Methodology Identification of the potentially occurring special-status biological resources for the proposed — project was based in part on the previous analysis and a biological assessment prepared for the present study area (WRA 2005a). The information presented herein is intended to update that provided in the WRA biological assessment and to bring current the analysis of impacts, reflecting recent changes in status of endangered, threatened, and rare species,as well as State and federal legislation regarding — biological resources. Updated information on special-status plant and animal species was compiled through review of databases maintained by the California Natural Diversity Data Base (CNDDB 2012, CNDDB 2014), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 2012,2014), the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG 2012 a,b;2011 a,b), the California Native Plant -' Society (CNPS 2012, 2014), and the San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan (SJMSCP) (SJCOG 2000). Other technical studies prepared in support of this EIR and reviewed as part of this analysis — include preconstruction surveys for burrowing owl, western gulls and other birds (WRA 2002a, 2004,2005b, 2007 and 2009), a Pacific(western) pond turtle survey (WRA 2002b), a fisheries survey and fisheries habitat assessment of the North Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's — Creek(A.A. Rich Associates 2002), and a wetland delineation the South Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek (Monk&Associates 2007). Additional reports reviewed include the conceptual design report of the proposed realignment of 3000 feet of the South Branch of the — South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek(Questa Engineering Corporation 2007) to a new 3200-foot channel. Also reviewed for this analysis are a pilot bird-control program conducted in March and April 2010, and a permanent gull control program initiated in September 2010, to restrict the congregation of feeding gulls at the landfill by use of falcons and pyrotechnics (Davis 2013). Biological analyses prepared for the earlier Consolidated Forward Landfill Project FEIR (CSJCDD 2002),Austin Road Landfill Expansion Project SEIR(CSJCDD 2000), and Austin Road Landfill Expansion Project FEIR(ESA 1993) were also reviewed. — A reconnaissance-level site survey was conducted by biologists Patrick Kobernus and Michael Wood on December 8, 2008 and the site was re-visited by Mr. Wood on July 4, 2012. An additional reconnaissance-level site survey was conducted by biologist Josh Phillips on July 1, 2014. Focused botanical or wildlife studies following published protocols were not performed as part of this analysis; such surveys were not warranted due to onsite habitat conditions or r other factors.