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Although the portion of Duck Creek within the project site does not provide high quality basking habitat for western pond turtle, this species may be present within Duck Creek. The disked grassland adjacent to the site is disked and does not provide high quality nesting habitat. No western pond turtles were observed in the site during the recent survey, but this species could swim within Duck Creek on occasion. Pursuant to the HCP, Duck Creek is considered "potential habitat" for western pond turtle, triggering an automatic "no construction" buffer extending 300 feet from the centerline of the creek, unless a buffer reduction is granted by SJCOG. Buffer reductions are common for parcels along drainages and will be needed for this project. Standard ITMMs related to preconstruction surveys for western pond turtle will still be required, and temporary construction setbacks from nests will be implemented in the event active nests are located. OTHER SPECIAL -STATUS SPECIES: The site does not provide highly suitable habitat for other special -status wildlife species. Other special -status birds, such as loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), may fly over the area on occasion, but few, if any, would be expected to use on-site habitats on more than an occasional basis, primarily due to lack of habitat. There is no suitable nesting habitat for species such as tricolored blackbird and least Bell's vireo; the portion of Duck Creek in the site lacks dense emergent wetland vegetation that would be potentially suitable for tricolored blackbird and the site does not contain riparian habitats. There is no well-developed riparian forest vegetation or scrub -shrub vegetation for riparian brush rabbit. The site does not provide suitable aquatic habitat for any species of fish, western spadefoot, California red -legged frog, California tiger salamander. There are no vernal pools or seasonal wetlands in the site for vernal pool branchiopods (i.e., fairy and tadpole shrimp). There are no blue elderberry shrubs in the site, precluding the potential occurrence of valley elderberry longhorn beetle. 3009 Pock Lane: Biology 24 November 24, 2021