A Sensitive Plant and Wildlife Resource Inventory of Diablo Canyon Lands, Volume Ii
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A SENSITIVE PLANT AND.WILDLIFE RESOURCE INVENTORY OF DIABLO CANYON LANDS, VOLUME I: SURVEY PROCEDURES AND A SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS Prepared by: BioSystems Analysis, Inc. 303 Potrero Street, Suite 29-101 Santa Cruz, California 95060 and Pacific Gas and Electric Company Technical and Ecological Services 3400 Crow Canyon Road San Ramon, California 94583 Prepared for: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Diablo Canyon Land Stewardship Committee Diablo Canyon Power Plant Avila Beach, California © 1995 by PG&E (Revised 1996) Legal Notice Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) makes no warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may not infringe upon privately owned rights. Nor does PG&E assume any liability with respect to use of, or damages resulting from the use of, any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report. © 1995 by PG&E All rights reserved EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PG&E owns or controls through long-term lease agreements approximately 10,000 acres of ecologically diverse coastal lands surrounding Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County, California. Beginning in 1992, a comprehensive survey of these lands was undertaken to identify and describe all sensitive plant and wildlife resources not previously known that might occur there. Though not required by state or federal regulatory agencies, this voluntary effort is consistent with PG&E's Corporate Policy on Management of Company Real Property (Section 7, paragraphs a and d), as well as specific Best Management Practices identified by the Diablo Canyon Land Stewardship Program (PG&E 1993a). By the time field surveys were completed in 1994, biologists had identified and mapped the locations of 7 state recognized rare vegetation community types, ' 4 rare plant species populations, 2 I sensitive insect,3 10 sensitive bird species, 4 and 2 sensitive mammal species 5 (see Tables 3-1 and 3-2 for detailed data). One additional species, the federally endangered plant Indian Knob mountainbalm, is strongly suspected to occur, though no populations have yet been found. The sensitive species identified on Diablo Canyon Lands during this survey effort include none currently listed as threatened or endangered under the state or federal Endangered Species Acts. However, all of the species and community types are classified under one or more official "Watch Lists" at the state or federal government level. These Watch List species and communities are felt to be declining, and it is often from these lists that new candidates are added to the growing number of threatened and endangered species in California. Several other sensitive species about which much information is already known from the Diablo Canyon area have not been included here. These are the American peregrine falcon, southern sea otter, brown pelican, northern elephant seal, and several species of whales that annually migrate along the Diablo coast. Volumes I and II of this Diablo Canyon Land Stewardship Committee report serve to document the methods used in conducting the sensitive resource inventory and a detailed record of all survey results. Also identified are local endangerment factors that could threaten the resource and the direction that management should take to provide proper safeguards. Because Volume II contains specific map locations of sensitive species populations, we are treating it as confidential and available only on a need-to-know basis inside and outside of PG&E. Volume I, which contains a less specific summary of survey results, is suitable for broad distribution. It is our intention that this information be used to arrive at sound decisions for the management and conservation of Diablo Canyon Lands. Furthermore, it is our intention that this document be periodically updated as new information is acquired or changes occur in the status of sensitive resources. Central maritime chaparral, bishop pine forest, central coast riparian scrub, northern coastal bluff scrub, coastal terrace prairie/valley needlegrass grassland, and central coast live oak riparian forest. 2 La Cruz manzanita, Pecho manzanita, Edna manzanita, and Coulter's saltbush. 3 Monarch butterfly. 4 Sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper's hawk, ferruginous hawk, golden eagle, merlin, burrowing owl, California horned lark, loggerhead shrike, yellow warbler, and tricolored blackbird. 5 Pallid bat and San Diego desert woodrat. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank those who participated in the field surveys and those who helped prepare the final document, including the technical staff of BioSystems Analysis, Inc., and PG&E's Technical and Ecological Services. Tom Tolman, property caretaker and longtime resident, generously shared his significant knowledge of Diablo Canyon Lands. Technical editor Terry Silver, word processors Sheila Doherty and Roslyn Raley, the production staff of California Consulting Association, Inc., and GIS operators Sue Morrow and Robert Mulder greatly contributed to the quality of the final document. Finally, we wish to acknowledge photographers B. "Moose" Peterson (California red-legged frog), George Lepp, and Jay Carroll, whose photos appear on the front cover of this volume. ii CONTENTS Page 1.0 IN TR O D U CTIO N ............................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 BA C K G R O U N D ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 REG IO N A L SETTIN G ............................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 PRIO R STUD IES ........................................................................................................ 1-4 1.4 H A BITATS A N D PLA NT CO M M U N ITIES ............................................................ 1-5 1.4.1 A griculture ...................................................................................................... 1-5 1.4.2 Bishop Pine ..................................................................................................... 1-8 1.4.3 Chaparral ......................................................................................................... 1-8 1.4.4 Coastal Bluffs, Rocks, and Beaches ............................................................. 1-9 1.4.5 Coastal Scrub .................................................................................................. 1-9 1.4.6 D eveloped and Ruderal A reas ....................................................................... 1-9 1.4.7 G rassland ........................................................................................................ 1-10 1.4.8 M arsh .............................................................................................................. 1-10 1.4.9 O ak W oodland ................................................................................................ 1-11 1.4.10 Riparian ........................................................................................................... 1-11 1.4.11 Eucalyptus ....................................................................................................... 1-11 1.4.12 G rassland w ith Sparse Coastal Scrub ............................................................ 1-12 2.0 M ETHO D S ........................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 VEG ETATION ............................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Project O rientation and Literature Review .................................................. 2-1 2.1.2 D atabase Searches ......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.3 Selection of Target Species ............................................................................ 2-1 2.1.4 Field M ethodology ......................................................................................... 2-5 2.1.5 M apping of Sensitive Com m unity Types ..................................................... 2-5 2.1.6 Collection of Voucher Specim ens .................................................................. 2-5 2.2 W ILD LIFE .................................................................................................................. 2-5 2.2.1 Literature Review ........................................................................................... 2-5 2.2.2 Selection of Target Species ............................................................................ 2-8 2.2.3 A ssum ptions and Specific Field M ethodology ............................................ 2-8 2.2.3.1 Selection of Survey Sites and M ethods ........................................ 2-8 2.2.3.2 Invertebrate Surveys ....................................................................... 2-8 2.2.3.3 A m phibian Surveys ....................................................................... 2-8 2.2.3.4 Reptile Surveys ............................................................................... 2-12 2.2.3.5 Bird Surveys .................................................................................... 2-12 2.2.3.6 M am m al Surveys ............................................................................ 2-19 2.2.4 M apping of Suitable H abitat ........................................................................