MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION / INITIAL STUDY AND MITIGATION MONITORING PROGRAM PREPARED FOR SONOMA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Estero Trail Easement: Designation of Trail Corridors and Associated Staging Areas Project PCAS # QE441300 October 2016 Prepared by Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department Environmental Review Division 2550 Ventura Avenue Santa Rosa, California 95403 Mitigated Negative Declaration Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 565-1900 FAX (707) 565-1103 Pursuant to Section 15071 of the State CEQA Guidelines, this summary of findings and the attached Initial Study and mitigations constitute the Mitigated Negative Declaration as proposed for or adopted by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District for the project described below: Project Title: Estero Trail Easement: Designation of Trail Corridors and Staging Areas Project Project Location Address: 17000 Valley Ford Cutoff/Highway 1, Valley Ford, Sonoma County Assessor Parcel Number 026-030-011 Lead Agency: Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Decision Making Body: Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Project Proponent: Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Project Description: The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) proposes to designate trail corridors and associated staging areas pursuant to an existing trail easement within an existing conservation easement. Environmental Finding: The District has determined, on the basis of the attached Initial Study that the project described above will not have a substantial adverse impact on the environment, provided that the mitigation measures identified in the Initial Study are included in the project. Initial Study: See attached. For more information, call Sheri Emerson at 707-565- 7358. Mitigation Measures: Included in attached Initial Study. The project proponent, the District, has agreed to ensure that all mitigation measures are implemented. TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 2 PROJECT LOCATION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................ 3 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT....................................................... 4 FUTURE USES..................................................................................................... 4 Project Background ............................................................................................ 5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................... 5 Site Operations .................................................................................................. 7 ISSUES RAISED BY THE PUBLIC OR AGENCIES ........................................... 11 RESPONSIBLE, TRUSTEE, AND PERMITING AGENCIES .............................. 11 Initial Study Checklist .......................................................................................... 13 1. AESTHETICS .............................................................................................. 13 2. AGRICULTURE AND FOREST RESOURCES ............................................ 14 3. AIR QUALITY ............................................................................................... 16 4. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ........................................................................ 20 5. CULTURAL RESOURCES .......................................................................... 53 6. GEOLOGY AND SOILS ............................................................................... 55 7. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .............................................................. 58 8. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS............................................... 59 9. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ....................................................... 62 10. LAND USE AND PLANNING ..................................................................... 65 11. MINERAL RESOURCES ........................................................................... 66 12. NOISE ........................................................................................................ 67 13. POPULATION AND HOUSING .................................................................. 69 14. PUBLIC SERVICES ................................................................................... 70 15. RECREATION ........................................................................................... 71 16. TRANSPORTATION / TRAFFIC ................................................................ 72 17. UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS ....................................................... 75 18. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE .......................................... 77 Sources ............................................................................................................... 79 APPENDIX A. WILDLIFE ASSESSMENT APPENDIX B. RARE PLANT/WETLAND HABITAT ASSESSMENT List of Figures Figure 1. Location Map Figure 2. Site Plan Figure 3. Aerial View Estero Trail Easement Designation October 2016 Initial Study 1 Estero Trail Easement Designation October 2016 Initial Study 2 INTRODUCTION The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) holds both a conservation easement (Conservation Easement) and a public trail easement (Trail Easement) on property located on Valley Ford Cutoff, west of the town of Valley Ford, and owned by Alfred and Joseph Bordessa (Bordessa Ranch). The purpose of the Conservation Easement is to preserve and protect the Conservation Values of the property, including natural resources, habitat connectivity, open space and scenic views, agricultural resources, and recreation and education. The purpose of the Trail Easement is to ensure that trail corridors and associated staging areas are established and made available to the public in perpetuity for low-intensity public outdoor recreational and educational purposes consistent with the Conservation Easement. Under the terms of the Trail Easement, the District must designate and survey the precise locations of two 50-foot-wide pedestrian-only trail corridors, not to exceed 5 miles in length, and two staging areas, not to exceed 1.5 acres in total combined area. The District is partnering with the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department (Regional Parks) to determine the appropriate location of the trail corridors and associated staging areas. The District is acting as the lead agency for purposes of environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The District has contracted with Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) to assist in that environmental review. The sole action to be taken at this time is the District’s designation and recordation of the trail corridors and associated staging areas pursuant to the Trail Easement (the Project). Design and construction of the staging areas and the future trail alignment (anticipated to be approximately 5 feet wide) within the trail corridors will occur at a later date and will be subject to further environmental review. Under the terms of the Trail Easement, the District may designate another public agency or nonprofit organization as the Operating Entity to design, construct, operate, and maintain the trail and associated staging areas. The Operating Entity will be a responsible agency for purposes of environmental review under CEQA. This informational document has been prepared by PRMD staff to identify the potential environmental impacts of a pedestrian-use-only trail system at the site, and will be used by project decision-makers, responsible and trustee agencies under CEQA, and the public. The Initial Study describes and analyzes the likely impacts of designating the trail corridors and staging areas, as well as future construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed trail. A trail plan identifying the precise location of the future trail alignment within the trail corridors and possible restrictions on the level of use has not yet been prepared. Therefore, the analysis of potential impacts associated with future construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed trail is necessarily programmatic in nature based on the information available at this time. Additional environmental Estero Trail Easement Designation October 2016 Initial Study 2 review will occur in conjunction with the trail planning process. The District, in consultation with Regional Parks, has reviewed the information regarding the proposed trail corridors and staging areas and other project details and has determined that it is appropriate to prepare an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. A Mitigated Negative Declaration may be adopted if the project would result in less than significant impacts with mitigation measures incorporated into the project. This report is the Initial Study required by CEQA. The report was prepared by Rich Stabler, Senior Environmental Specialist with the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD), Environmental Review Division. Information on the project was provided by Sheri Emerson and Jacob Newell of the District and Karen Davis-Brown and Steve Ehret of Regional Parks. Technical studies referred to in this document are available for