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4.0 CONCLUSIONS The highly disturbed land on the site provides relatively low value habitat value for the San Joaquin kit fox because: • The Study Area is surrounded by significant dispersal barriers, creating a lack of habitat continuity or corridors connecting the project site with suitable off-site habitat; • Most kit fox sightings have been made southwest of Interstate 580; • Approximately 30 percent of the Study Area has been developed; • Grassland habitat is fragmented by an off-road vehicle track; and • There is minimal suitable denning habitat. This evaluation is based on the low number of kit fox sightings in the area, the small total area of poor quality habitat within the Study Area and the lack of continuity with suitable off-site habitat. In addition, loss of natural habitats, particularly east of Interstate 580, due to past agricultural and industrial conversion on and adjacent to the Study Area has reduced the habitat quality of the site and surrounding areas. Due to surrounding dispersal barriers, particularly commercial development and the freeway, future development of the site could be considered an in-fill project. Based on these reasons, the habitat value of the Study area should be considered low. Since the majority of the Study Area is unlikely to support kit foxes, future development of the Study Area would not likely have significant adverse impact on the recovery or viability of the San Joaquin kit fox or its habitat. 5.0 REFERENCES Bell, H.M. 1994. Analysis of habitat characteristics of San Joaquin kit fox in its northern range. M.S. Thesis. California State University, Hayward. California Department of Fish and Game. 2006. Natural Diversity Data Base, Wildlife Habitat Data Analysis Branch. Sacramento. Penrod, K, R. Hunter and M. Merrifield. 2000. Missing linkages: Restoring connectivity to the California landscape: proceedings of a conference; 2000 November 2; San Diego, CA. 79 p. Available from: California Wilderness Coalition, 2655 Portage Bay East, Suite 5, Davis, CA 95616. San Joaquin Council of Governments. 2000. San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983. San Joaquin Kit Fox Recovery Plan. Prepared by the USFWS under interagency contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Recovery plan for upland species of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Region 1, Portland, OR. 319 pp. Zeiner, D.C., W.F. Laudenslayer, Jr., K.E. Mayer, and M. White. 1990. California's Wildlife, California Statewide Wildlife Habitat Relationships System, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.