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4 Environmental Analysis 4.4 Biological Resources oo The Project owner shall limit and flag the areas of disturbance. Parking areas, new roads, staging, storage, excavation, and disposal site locations shall be confined to the smallest areas possible. To the extent feasible, the Project shall be designed to retain small mammal burrows and other suitable estivation habitat for amphibians (e.g., underground holes, cracks, or niches) and will minimize habitat impacts. Buffers and avoidance areas established for biological resources, as described in 113I0-1 and BI0-3, shall be delineated with highly visible stakes and/or flagging prior to construction. Construction-related activities and use of vehicles and equipment shall not occur within protected buffers or avoidance areas. oo If at any time during Project construction a special-status species enters the site or otherwise may be impacted by the Project, all Project activities shall cease. The appropriate measures from the SJMSCP relevant to the species found would be implemented, and the USFWS and/or CDFW shall be contacted if necessary to determine the appropriate course of action. No special-status species shall be captured or relocated without prior authorization from the CDFW and/or USFWS. oo To protect special-status amphibians, ground-disturbing activities shall occur during the dry season from April 1 to October 31, if feasible and in accordance with other mitigation measures. Work outside of the dry season may occur with prior approval from CDFW and USFWS. No ground disturbance shall occur during wet weather. Wet weather is defined as 0.25 inch or more of rain in a 24-hour period. Activities may resume 24 hours after wet weather has ended and is no longer forecasted (60 percent chance or less) within 24 hours. oo Trenches will be backfilled as soon as possible. Excavated, steep-walled holes or open trenches shall be searched each day by on-site workers prior to construction to ensure no special-status species are trapped. Earthen escape ramps will be installed at intervals prescribed by a qualified biologist. Before such holes or trenches are filled, they shall be thoroughly inspected by on-site workers for trapped animals. If trapped animals are observed, escape ramps shall be installed immediately to allow escape. If a special-status species is trapped, the USFWS and/or CDFW shall be contacted immediately. No handling or moving of special-status species shall occur without prior authorization from the USFWS and/or CDFW. oo All pipes, culverts, or similar materials shall be stored so as to prevent special-status wildlife species from using these as temporary refuges, and shall be thoroughly inspected for animals each morning before the pipe is moved or used in any way. If an animal is discovered inside a pipe, that section of pipe shall not be moved until a qualified biologist has been consulted to determine the appropriate action. No handling of special-status species shall occur without consultation with the USFWS and/or CDFW. oc Vehicles and equipment parked on the site during construction shall have the ground beneath the vehicle or equipment inspected for the presence of wildlife prior to moving. oo Vehicular traffic shall use existing routes of travel. Off-road vehicle travel shall be minimized, and equipment use outside of the construction area shall be prohibited. oo A speed limit of 20 miles per hour or less shall be enforced within all construction areas. Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.4-47 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023