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Responsible <br /> Mitigation Measures and Statements of Findings of Impacts Being Monitoring) Monitoring/Reporting <br /> Party for Providing Timing <br /> Significant and Unavoidable Reporting Action Responsibility <br /> Mitigation <br /> SJMSCP. <br /> d. Propose an alternative mitigation plan,consistent with the goals of the <br /> SJMSCP and equivalent in biological value. <br /> BIO-1 b:Burrowing Owl Avoidance Measures.The project applicant shall Verification by County. Union Pacific San Joaquin County Prior to project construction <br /> implement the measures listed below for grassland habitats to reduce potential Community Development activities <br /> impacts to a less-than-significant level and to avoid incidental take of burrowing Department and San <br /> owls.Measures shall apply to all construction activities near active nests or Joaquin Council of <br /> within potential burrowing owl nesting habitat,to avoid,minimize,or mitigate Governments if participation <br /> impacts on burrowing owls. is sought in the SJMSCP <br /> 1. The applicant shall follow the current CDFG burrowing owl survey guidance, <br /> i.e.the Burrowing Owl Consortium multi-phase approach to evaluate <br /> burrowing owl use(California Burrowing Owl Consortium, 1993)and the <br /> California Department of Fish and Game's staff Report on burrowing owls <br /> (CDFG, 1995). <br /> 2.An initial breeding season survey shall be performed to determine the <br /> presence of burrowing owls for the purposes of inventory,monitoring, <br /> avoidance of take,and determining appropriate mitigation. In California,the <br /> breeding season begins as early as February 1 and continues through <br /> August 31.Under the Burrowing Owl Consortium's multi-phase survey <br /> methodology,for areas within 500 feet of construction boundaries <br /> (regardless of property boundary),the applicant shall: <br /> a. Perform a habitat assessment to identify essential components of <br /> burrowing owl habitat,including artificial nest features; <br /> b. Perform intensive burrow surveys in areas that are identified to provide <br /> suitable burrowing owl habitat;and <br /> c. Perform at least four breeding season surveys during the breeding <br /> season,from February 1 through August 31 to document habitat use. <br /> 3. Pre-construction surveys shall be used to assess owl presence before site <br /> modification is scheduled to begin. Initial pre-construction surveys should be <br /> conducted within 7 days,but no more than 30 days prior to ground- <br /> disturbing activities.Additional surveys may be required when the initial <br /> 4.6 Biological Resources(cont.) <br /> disturbance is followed by periods of inactivity or the development is phased <br /> spatially and/or temporally over the project area. Up to four or more survey <br /> visits performed on separate days may be required to confirm that site <br /> modification and grading would not take owls.A follow-up report shall be <br /> provided to the CDFG by the surveying biologist. <br /> 4. Construction exclusion areas(e.g.,with orange exclusion fence and <br /> signage)shall be established around occupied burrows,where no <br /> disturbance shall be allowed. During the nonbreeding season(September 1 <br /> through January 31),the exclusion zone shall extend at least 160 feet <br /> around occupied burrows. During the breeding season(February 1 through <br /> August 31),exclusion areas shall extend 250 feet around occupied burrows. <br /> a. If work or exclusion areas conflict with owl burrows, passive relocation of <br />