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4 Environmental Analysis 4.4 Biological Resources portion in Alameda County would be permitted separately through coordination with the USFWS and CDFW. The mitigation measures presented in Section 4.4.5 are drawn from the SJMSCP. These are comparatively protective as the measures included in the East Alameda Conservation Strategy, described below, and would allow measures be consistently implemented on the ground, during construction. Having different measures apply in San Joaquin County than in Alameda County would be unnecessarily difficult to implement, likely resulting in lower quality protection for the resources. The SJMSCP (SJCOG 2000) satisfies the requirements of the federal and state ESAs, and provides measures to mitigate impacts on special-status species and their habitat to a less than significant level in compliance with CEQA. This plan has been finalized. Projects with anticipated impacts to special-status species are eligible for incidental take coverage under the SJMSCP and would not require separate incidental take permits or consultations for SJMSCP Covered Species. The SJMSCP provides incidental take coverage for 97 listed and non-listed plants, fish, and wildlife, and provides compensation for habitat losses through collection of fees. Species with potential to occur on-site that are covered by the SJMSCP include CTS, western spadefoot, CRLF, San Joaquin coachwhip, BUOW, Swainson's hawk and other nesting birds, SJKF, American badger, and special-status vernal pool invertebrates. As described below in Section 4.4.5, Mitigation Measures, the SJMSCP would be used to mitigate potential impacts to these special-status species and their habitats. Participation of the Project in the SJMSCP will reduce impacts to covered species and habitats to a less than significant level under CEQA. Conversion of natural lands (e.g., agricultural rangelands), like those on the area to be developed, has a current per-acre fee of$19,561 to provide compensation for habitat losses (SJCOG 2022). 4.4.2.9 East Alameda County Conservation Strategy The proposed gen-tie line is partially in Alameda County and is within the planning area for the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy (EACCS; ICF International 2010). The EACCS is a regional conservation strategy that provides guidelines and recommended avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures for impacts on selected focal special-status species and sensitive habitats. The resources agencies have participated in development of the EACCS, but it does not provide incidental take permits for special-status species, as is the case in an HCP, but rather serves as guidance for project-level permits. Therefore, work within Alameda County would still require project-level incidental take permits for impacts to special-status species. To retain consistency across all aspects of the project the mitigation measures presented in Section 4.4.5 are consistent with the SJMSCP. These vary slightly from those included in the EACCS; however, they are equally or greater protective. While use of the EACCS general and species avoidance and minimization measures are required if seeking coverage for a project under the Programmatic Biological Opinion between the Corps and the USFWS, they are only recommendations if pursuing and individual incidental take permit. In order to provide a consistent approach across the entire project mitigation measures consistent with the SJMSCP were included instead of measures from EACCS. In some instances, when a species was not addressed in the SJMSCP (i.e., big tarplant) the EACCS measures were employed. Methodology The following summarizes the literature and field survey methods used for evaluating biological resources. Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.4-27 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023