Initial Study/Environmental Assessment: Kent Island Restoration at Bolinas Lagoon
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DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: KENT ISLAND RESTORATION AT BOLINAS LAGOON Marin County Open Space District and US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District August 2012 DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: KENT ISLAND RESTORATION AT BOLINAS LAGOON PREPARED FOR Marin County Open Space District Marin County Civic Center 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 260 San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 499-6387 and US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District 1455 Market St San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 503-6703 PREPARED BY Carmen Ecological Consulting Grassetti Environmental Consulting Peter R. Baye, Coastal Ecologist, Botanist August 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose of this Document ............................................................................................................1 1.2 Document Structure ..............................................................................................................1 2.0 PROPOSED PROJECT AND ALTERNATIVES .......................................................................3 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................3 2.2 Environmental Setting ..............................................................................................................3 2.3 Purpose and Need ..............................................................................................................6 2.4 Proposed Action and Alternatives................................................................................................8 3.0 INITIAL STUDY/ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST ..............................................................15 3.1 Project Information ..............................................................................................................15 3.2. Environmental Factors ..............................................................................................................15 3.3 Evaluation Of Environmental Effects .........................................................................................17 3.4 Checklist Responses ..............................................................................................................18 I. Aesthetics ..............................................................................................................18 II. Agriculture and Forest Resources ............................................................................23 III. Air Quality ..............................................................................................................25 IV. Biological Resources................................................................................................29 V. Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................41 VI. Geology and Soils ....................................................................................................43 VII. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ......................................................................................47 VIII. Hazards and Hazardous Materials............................................................................49 IX. Hydrology and Water Quality ..................................................................................52 X. Land Use Planning ...................................................................................................57 XI. Mineral Resources....................................................................................................65 XII. Noise ........................................................................................................................66 XIII. Population and Housing ...........................................................................................70 XIV. Public Services .........................................................................................................71 XV. Recreation ..............................................................................................................73 XVI. Transportation and Traffic........................................................................................74 XVII. Utilities and Service Systems...................................................................................76 XVIII. Mandatory Findings of Significance ........................................................................78 4.OTHER NEPA CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................................................80 4.1 Additional Environmental Considerations ...................................................................................80 4.2 Summary of Environmental Compliance .....................................................................................80 4.3 Determinations and Statement of Findings ..................................................................................83 5.0 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................84 6.0 REPORT PREPARERS ...............................................................................................................86 APPENDIX A Special Status Wildlife Species Documented in the Project Vicinity APPENDIX B Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (to be added to Final IS/EA) APPENDIX C Draft FONSI Kent Island Restoration at Bolinas Lagoon Page i FIGURES Figure 1. Project Location ..................................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Project Site ..........................................................................................................................5 Figure 3. Vegetation Management Units............................................................................................7 Figure 4. Locations of Trees to be Eliminated ...................................................................................9 Figure 5. Proposed Intake Locations..................................................................................................11 Figure 6. View of Kent Island Looking North from Channel ............................................................19 Figure 7. View from Kent Island towards Seadrift Looking Southeast .............................................19 Figure 8. View Northwest looking across Kent Island.......................................................................20 Figure 9. View of Interior of Kent Island Showing Range of Vegetation Types...............................20 Figure 10. View from Kent Island towards Pacific Ocean.................................................................21 Figure 11. Blue Heron Nest Locations ...............................................................................................36 Figure 12. Locations of Fault Zones at Bolinas Lagoon ....................................................................44 TABLES Table 1. Project Irrigation (Construction) Criteria Pollutant Emissions ............................................26 Table 2. Status of Rare Plants of Bolinas Lagoon Beach, Dune, and Salt Marsh..............................32 Table 3. Special Status Fish and Wildlife That May Occur on Kent Island or May be Impacted by Vegetation Management Actions...................................................33 Table 4. Applicable Marin County Local Coastal Plan Land Use Policies........................................58 Table 5. Typical Noise Levels............................................................................................................67 Table 6. Summary of Environmental Compliance .............................................................................81 Kent Island Restoration at Bolinas Lagoon Page ii Acronyms and Abbreviations BAAQMD ................................. Bay Area Air Quality Management District CARB ........................................ California Air Resources Board CCC ........................................... California Coastal Commission CDFG ........................................ California Department of Fish and Game CCR ........................................... California Code of Regulations CEQ ........................................... Council on Environmental Quality CEQA ....................................... California Environmental Quality Act CFR............................................ Code of Federal Regulations CH4 ............................................ Methane CNDDB ..................................... California Natural Diversity Database CNEL......................................... Community Noise Equivalent Level CO.............................................. Carbon Monoxide CO2 ............................................ Carbon Dioxide CO2E.......................................... Carbon Dioxide Equivalent CSLC ......................................... California State Lands Commission dBA............................................ A-weighted Decibels EA.............................................. Environmental Assessment EFH............................................ Essential Fish Habitat EIR............................................. Environmental Impact Report EIS ............................................. Environmental Impact Statement ER .............................................. Engineering