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burrows in softer soils. In urban areas, burrowing owls often utilize artificial burrows <br /> including pipes, culverts, and piles of concrete pieces. This semicolonial owl breeds <br /> from March through August, and is most active while hunting during dawn and dusk. <br /> Railroad berms and levees bounding the project site and in surrounding buffer areas <br /> provide suitable burrowing owl nesting and foraging habitat. The CNDDB contains 2 <br /> records of burrowing owl in the Lathrop topographic quadrangle. The nearest <br /> occurrence of burrowing owls is about 2 miles northeast of the project site. <br /> A burrow survey was conducted on January 17, 2000 using methods described in <br /> California Department of Fish and Game's Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation <br /> (CDFG, 1995). Since the well-maintained orchard does not represent burrowing owl <br /> habitat, the burrow survey focused on buffer areas surrounding the site. "Buffer areas" <br /> which were surveyed included all lands within 250 feet of the project site. This <br /> comprehensive burrow survey consisted of a search of these buffer areas for burrowing <br /> owls or ground squirrel burrows. When burrows were encountered, these were <br /> inspected for evidence of burrowing owl occupancy(i.e., white wash, pellets, feathers). <br /> No burrowing owls were observed in or near the project site. While ground squirrel <br /> burrows are present along the railroad berm and levee, none of these showed any <br /> evidence of past or ongoing occupancy by burrowing owls. Despite these negative <br /> findings, the habitat is suitable. Further, owls which winter elsewhere could move to <br /> these buffer areas in the spring to nest. Consequently, the likelihood of burrowing owls <br /> nesting in the greater project vicinity in the future can not be precluded. <br /> Conclusions <br /> • There are no general vegetation or wildlife resources which would be <br /> negatively impacted by the proposed project. Orchards provide very low <br /> quality wildlife habitat. <br /> • There are no wetland resources which would be negatively impacted by the <br /> proposed project. <br /> • Croplands surrounding the site represent suitable Swainson's hawk foraging <br /> habitat. Swainson's hawks may nest in trees in the greater project vicinity. <br /> nnrimnrk I_athroo: Biology 8 January 19, 2000 <br />