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Biological Resources, MONK&ASSOCIATES Impacts and Mitigations Tracy Facility Expansion Site 6. GOALS OF PROJECT SITE RECLAMATION Upon completion of mining activities,Granite proposes to reclaim the site and restore it to natural c,:)nditions. By restoring the site, Granite hopes to provide 137 acres of suitable San Joaquin kit fox mitigation lands (this would include approximately 14.98 acres of the preserved Corral Hollow Creek stream channel and avoidance area). Site reclamation would include recontouring the mined area, and planting an annual grassland forb/grass mix in a tackified hydromulch application. The site would then be managed in perpetuity as rangeland(pasture land). Also, during reclamation of mined phases, friable soils will be replaced as overburden and seeded to Central Valley grassland species. This will provide food and habitat for burrowing rodents and consequently will provide suitable foraging/denning habitat for kit fox. To best achieve this goal, a continuous earthen berm would be constructed south of the Corral Hollow Creek where none exists now. This berm would retain storm water flows ensuring that catastrophic flooding from Corral Hollow Creek into the reclaimed southern project site would not occur. This would maintain high quality kit fox habitat. A minimum of 121.81 acres (24.16 acres north of Corral Hollow Creek and 97.65 acres south of Corral Hollow Creek)would be protected from flooding from Corral Hollow Creek. 7. ANALYSIS METHODS Prior to preparing this biological resources analysis, M&A researched the most recent version of. the California Department of Fish and Game's(CDFG)Natural Diversity Database (RareFind 2) for records of special-status species in the region of the project site. M&A also reviewed other environmental documents prepared for projects in the project site vicinity(i. e., Brown Sand and Gravel Draft EIR 1997 and the Vernalis Interchange Project Draft EIR 1995). Finally,M&A checked the California Native Plant Society's (CLAPS) 1998 electronic version of the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California for a listing of special-status plant species known from the Tracy, California 7.5 minute U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle. After reviewing all available sources of information,M&A conducted a site survey to document baseline biological conditions. This field reconnaissance was conducted on January 8, 1998. It e noted that for the last few ears M&A have been involved in negotiations with should also b Y the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) and CDFG regarding the proposed project's impact on the San Joaquin kit fox(Vulpes macrotis mutica), and appropriate mitigations to offset these impacts. Consequently, Granite had already prepared a San Joaquin kit fox mitigation plan prior to preparation of this report. This mitigation plan is included with this report as Appendix A. -8. PLANT COMMUNITIES AND ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE HABITATS - i r As stated earlier in text,the project site has had a long history of disturbance associated with past mining and related activities. Consequently,the project site provides low habitat value to most native plant and animal species. The project site is relatively flat, with a noticeable absence of trees and shrubs. Only red iron' bark eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), an Australian tree species, can be found on the project site. This tree has been planted along the western fence line A 6