Biological Technical Report in Support of the City of Barstow’s 2014 General Plan Master Environmental Impact Report, Barstow, San Bernardino County, California Job#: 14-005 Prepared by: Circle Mountain Biological Consultants, Inc. P.O. Box 3197 Wrightwood, California 92397 PH: (760) 249-4948 FAX: (760) 249-4948 Email: [email protected] Contacts: Ed LaRue and Sharon Dougherty, Principal Consulting Biologists Prepared for: The City of Barstow 220 East Mountain View St., Suite A Barstow, California 92311 PH: (760) 255-5152 FAX: (760) 256-1750 Email: [email protected] Contact: Gaither Loewenstein, Economic Development and Planning Manager We hereby certify that the statements furnished herein, including attached exhibits, present the data and information required for this biological evaluation, and that the facts, statements, and information presented are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief. Field work conducted for this assessment was performed by us or under our direct supervision. We certify that we have not signed a nondisclosure or consultant confidentiality agreement with the City of Barstow and that we have no financial interest in the project. Edward L. LaRue, Jr. Sharon E. Dougherty June 2014 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................iv 1.0. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1 1.1. Purpose and Need for Study ..........................................................................1 2.0. METHODS ...............................................................................................................4 2.1. Literature Review...........................................................................................4 2.2. Field Reconnaissance Surveys .......................................................................6 3.0. EXISTING BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...........................................................9 3.1. Common Biological Resources ......................................................................9 3.1.1. Environmental and Physical Settings .................................................9 3.1.2. Topography and Soils ........................................................................9 3.1.3. Climate ...............................................................................................10 3.1.4. Common Plant Communities .............................................................10 3.1.5. Common Flora ...................................................................................12 3.1.6. Common Fauna ..................................................................................13 3.2. Uncommon Biological Resources..................................................................15 3.2.1. Uncommon Plant Communities .........................................................15 3.2.1.a. Communities of Highest Inventory Priority .........................15 3.2.1.b. Aeolian Sand Deposits .........................................................15 3.2.2. Plants ..................................................................................................15 3.2.3. Fish and Amphibians .........................................................................18 3.2.4. Reptiles ..............................................................................................19 3.2.5. Birds ...................................................................................................22 3.2.6. Mammals............................................................................................24 4.0. BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................28 4.1. Open-Space and Conservation Elements .......................................................28 4.2. Goals, Objectives, and Recommendations .....................................................29 5.0. BIOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ................32 5.1. Protocol Surveys and Impacts Analysis .........................................................32 5.1.1. Plant Surveys .....................................................................................32 5.1.2. Reptile Surveys ..................................................................................36 5.1.3. Bird Surveys.......................................................................................38 5.1.4. Mammal Surveys ...............................................................................39 5.2. Regulatory Framework to Minimize and Mitigate Impacts ...........................40 5.2.1. Federal Regulations ...........................................................................40 5.2.2. State Regulations ................................................................................42 5.2.3. Regional and Local Regulations ........................................................44 5.3. Future Monitoring and Data Compilation......................................................45 6.0. LITERATURE CITED ...........................................................................................46 2014 Barstow General Plan Update – CMBC Biological Technical Report i LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A. Cumulative lists of common plant and animal species on 27 surveys in Barstow Appendix B. Species accounts for special status plant and animal species reported in Barstow Appendix C. California Natural Diversity Data Base reports for six USGS quadrangles LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Results of 46 Biological Surveys from 1990 to 2014 ..........................................2 Figure 2. Results of 27 Biological Surveys within the City Limits from 1990 to 2014......3 Figure 3. Locations of 8 Additional Surveys between 2007 and 2012 ...............................5 Figure 4. Locations of 15 Sites Subject to Reconnaissance Surveys in April 2014 ............8 Figure 5. Plant Communities ...............................................................................................11 Figure 6. Special Status Plants ............................................................................................16 Figure 7. Aerial of Rare Plant Distributions Relative to Plant Communities .....................17 Figure 8. Special Status Reptiles .........................................................................................20 Figure 9. Aerial of Rare Reptile Distributions Relative to Plant Communities ..................21 Figure 10. Special Status Birds .............................................................................................23 Figure 11. Aerial of Burrowing Owl Distribution Relative to Plant Communities ..............25 Figure 12. Special Status Mammals ......................................................................................26 Figure 13. Aerial of Rare Mammal Distributions Relative to Plant Communities ...............27 Figure 14. Land Ownership Pattern within and Adjacent to City of Barstow ......................33 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Site Information for 16 Parcels ............................................................................7 Table 2. Special Status Plant Species Reported from Barstow Area .................................18 Table 3. Special Status Bird Species Reported from Barstow Area ..................................22 2014 Barstow General Plan Update – CMBC Biological Technical Report ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 10a Permit = FESA Section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit issued by USFWS 2081 Permit = CESA Section 2081 incidental take permit issued by CDFW ACEC = Area of Critical Environmental Concern BCC = Bird of Conservation Concern (USFWS designation) BLM = U.S. Bureau of Land Management BNSF = Burlington, Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Cal-IPC = California Invasive Plant Council CDFG = California Department of Fish and Game CDFW = California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEC = California Energy Commission CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act CESA = California Endangered Species Act CFR = Code of Federal Regulations CHIP = Communities of Highest Inventory Priority City = City of Barstow Planning Department CMBC = Circle Mountain Biological Consultants, Inc. CNDDB = California Natural Diversity Data Base CNPS = California Native Plant Society DWMA = Desert Wildlife Management Area DRECP = Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan FESA = Federal Endangered Species Act FP = Fully Protected (CDFW designation) HCP = Habitat Conservation Plan Master EIR = Master Environmental Impact Report MBTA = Migratory Bird Treaty Act MMRP = Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program MOU = Memorandum of Understanding NCCP = Natural Community Conservation Planning program NEPA = National Environmental Policy Act RWQCB = Regional Water Quality Control Board SSC = Species of Special Concern (CDFW designation) T & E = Threatened and Endangered (both CDFW and USFWS designations) UP = Union Pacific Railroad USFWS = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS = U.S. Geological Survey West Mojave Plan = West Mojave Coordinated Management Plan WL = Watch List species (CDFW designation) WRCC = Western Regional Climate Center Recommended citation: Circle Mountain Biological Consultants, Inc. 2014. Biological technical report in support of the City of Barstow’s 2014 General Plan Master Environmental Impact Report, Barstow, San Bernardino County, California. Unpublished report prepared by Ed LaRue and Sharon Dougherty on behalf of the City of Barstow. Wrightwood, CA. 2014 Barstow