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Biological Resources, MONK &ASSOCIATES f Impacts and Mitigations Tracy Facility Expansion Site . components. The project site's near p p 1 level ground and Enable soils provide suitable habitat for this species. As such,this species should be live-trapped and removed from the project site prior to allowing impacts to the grassland habitat. American Badger(Taxidea Carus)h;a California"species of special concern found in a variety of habitats,especially in open habitats such as oak-savannah and grasslands. The badger is an funcommon year-round resident that preys upon Botta's pocket gopher, California ground squirrel, and several species of mice. Its habit of digging large,deep burrows in search of its prey has probably led to its near extermination by agriculturists. Except-during breeding,badgers are typically highly solitary and have vast home ranges..Because this animal is typically shy and nocturnal,biologists usually detect its presence by indirect evidence such as characteristic diggings. During surveys conducted for the Kit Fox Habitat Conservation Plan(EIP 1993),an American badger burrow was found west of I-5 and I-580, approximately nine miles southwest of the project site. The project site's friable soils provide suitable denning habitat for the American badger. No American badgers or their characteristic diggings were identified during M&A's January S, 1999 site visit. However, since American badgers are mobile animals and could move onto the project site at anytime,preconstruction surveys for this species must be conducted prior to allowing any impacts to the project site. f San Joaquin kit fox(Vulpes macrotis mutica)is Federal endangered and State threatened species. This fox species is usually found in opera grassland and shrubland communities,but has also been observed in orchards that border grassland or shrubland plant communities. Kit fox are h carnivorous,usually feeding on small and medium sized rodents. Kit fox also prey upon lagomorphs such as black-tailed hare and desert cottontail. It relies on dens for breeding,and to provide escape cover from potential predators. Kit fox are reputedly poor diggers, so dens are excavated in loose-textured soils, generally in areas with low to moderate relief,or they will utilize holes left by other species. They will utilize burrows dug by rabbits, ground squirrels,and on occasion,badgers. Man-made structures, such as well-casings,culverts,and abandoned pipelines, are also occasionally used for dens. Typically,dens are small enough to discourage easy predation by coyotes. Populations of kit fox are thought to be related to the availability of denning sites, particularly natal denning sites,which are often moved several times throughout the season. According the USFWS'Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San Joaquin Valley, California (USFWS 1998),numerous (>20)kit fox sightings have been made along the Interstate 580 corridor within an approximately 15-mile reach between Interstate 205 to the north and the San Joaquin County line to the south. These sightings include several recent records of kit fox within five miles of the project site. The closest known sighting to the project site was made in 1996 by USFWS and CDFG biologists. Two biologists from these agencies identified kit fox tracks at the proposed Tracy Hills Development site,west of the intersection of Interstate 580 and Corral Hollow Road, only a few miles west of the project site. Granite acknowledges CDFG and USFWS contentions that the project site constitutes likely kit fox habitat. As such, Granite would implement a full mitigation,plan for this species(see Appendix A). r i 20