Docket 07-Afc-5
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DOCKET 07-AFC-5 DATE SEP 24 2008 RECD. SEP 24 2008 Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) (07-AFC-5) Supplemental Data Response, Set 1D (Responses to: Biological Resources) Submitted to the California Energy Commission Submitted by Solar Partners I, LLC; Solar Partners II, LLC; Solar Partners IV, LLC; and Solar Partners VIII, LLC September 24, 2008 With Assistance from 2485 Natomas Park Drive Suite 600 Sacramento, CA 95833 Introduction Attached are supplemental responses (Set 1D) by Solar Partners I, LLC; Solar Partners II, LLC; Solar Partners IV, LLC; and Solar Partners VIII, LLC (Applicant) to the California Energy Commission (CEC) Staff’s data requests for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (Ivanpah SEGS) Project (07-AFC-5). These data requests are the result of the workshop discussion held at Primm, Nevada on June 23, 2008.Within each discipline area, the responses are presented in alphabetical order and are numbered for tracking and reference convenience. New graphics or tables are numbered in reference to the Supplemental Data Request number. For example, if a table were used in response to Data Request AQ-1, it would be numbered Table AQ1-1. The first figure used in response to Data Request AQ-1 would be Figure AQ1-1, and so on. AFC figures or tables that have been revised have “R1” following the original number, indicating revision 1. Additional tables, figures, or documents submitted in response to a supplemental data request (supporting data, stand-alone documents such as plans, folding graphics, etc.) are found at the end of a discipline-specific section and may not be sequentially page-numbered consistently with the remainder of the document, though they may have their own internal page numbering system. The Applicant looks forward to working cooperatively with the CEC and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff as the Ivanpah SEGS Project proceeds through the siting process. We trust that these responses address the Staff’s questions and remain available to have any additional dialogue the Staff may require. SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 1 INTRODUCTION Biological Resources (BR-2) BR-3 Please provide a report on the spring 2008 botany surveys of the optimized project design and include a figure showing the locations surveyed in 2007 and those surveyed in 2008. Response: The botany survey report is provided as Attachment BR3-1A. It includes a figure (Figure 2) showing the 2007 and 2008 survey areas. SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES Attachment BR3-1A Technical Report: Botanical Resources of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Solar Partners I, Solar Partners II, Solar Partners VIII, and Solar Partners IV Ivanpah Valley, San Bernardino County, California Prepared by: Garcia and Associates 1141 High Street Auburn, California 95602 Contact: Ann Howald With contributions from and reviewed by: John Carrier, Project Manager Amy Hiss, Senior Botanist CH2M HILL 2485 Natomas Park Drive, Suite 600 Sacramento, California 95833 September 2008 TAB E CNTENTS E EC TI E S MMAR III 1 INTR CTI N 1 1.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................1 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ....................................................................................................................1 2 METH S 3 2.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................3 2.2 PRE-FIELD PREPARATIONS....................................................................................................................4 2.3 FIELD SURVEY METHODS......................................................................................................................6 2.3.1 RECONNAISSANCE SURVEYS AND REFERENCE SITE VISITS .......................................................6 2.3.2 SPECIAL-STATUS PLANT SURVEY PROTOCOLS.......................................................................10 2.3.3 INVASIVE WEED SURVEY PROTOCOLS ...................................................................................11 2.3.4 BARREL CACTUS CENSUS METHODOLOGY.............................................................................13 2.4 METHODS FOR CLASSIFYING VEGETATION ...........................................................................................13 2.5 GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM/GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM DATA COLLECTION,DATA ANALYSIS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE .........................................................................................................................................14 3 RES TS E ETATI N 1 3.1.1 IVANPAH 1– THE SOUTHERN SITE ........................................................................................17 3.1.2 IVANPAH 2– THE MIDDLE SITE..............................................................................................17 3.1.3 IVANPAH 3– THE NORTHERN SITE ........................................................................................18 3.1.4 UTILITY CORRIDOR .............................................................................................................19 3.1.5 CONSTRUCTION LOGISTICS AREA ........................................................................................20 3.1.6 COLOSSEUM ROAD – THE ACCESS ROAD ..............................................................................20 4 RES TS N N-NATI E IN ASI E ANTS 21 4.1 SAHARAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA TOURNEFORTII) ...................................................................................22 4.2 RED BROME (BROMUS MADRITENSIS SSP. RUBENS) ..............................................................................22 4.3 CHEAT GRASS (BROMUS TECTORUM)...................................................................................................23 4.4 RUSSIAN THISTLE (SALSOLA SP.).........................................................................................................23 4.5 LONDON ROCKET (SISYMBRIUM IRIO) ...................................................................................................23 5 RES TS S ECIA -STAT S ANTS AN BARRE CACTI 2 5.1 SPECIAL-STATUS PLANTS ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA ..........................24 5.2 SPECIAL-STATUS PLANT SURVEY LIMITATIONS .....................................................................................30 5.3 BARREL CACTUS DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA .......................................31 6 RE ERENCES AN ERS NA C MM NICATI NS 33 TECHNICAL REPORT: BOTANICAL RESOURCES OF THE GARCIA AND ASSOCIATES IVANPAH SOLAR ELECTRIC GENERATING SYSTEM SEPTEMBER 2008 i List of Tables and Figures: TABLE 1-1. IVANPAH SOLAR ELECTRIC GENERATING SYSTEM:LIST OF PROJECT FEATURES ..........................................1 TABLE 2-1. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS (WEEDS) WITH THE POTENTIAL TO OCCUR WITHIN THE IVANPAH SEGS PROJECT AREA...........................................................................................................................12 TABLE 3-1. VEGETATION TYPES AND SUB-TYPES WITHIN THE PROJECT FEATURES.......................................................16 TABLE 4-1. NUMBERS OF WEED LOCATIONS FOUND WITHIN THE IVANPAH SEGS PROJECT AREA IN 2008......................21 TABLE 5-1. NUMBERS OF SPECIAL-STATUS PLANT INDIVIDUALS AND LOCALITIES BY PROJECT FEATURE.....................27 TABLE 5-2. CONSERVATION STATUS OF SPECIAL-STATUS PLANT SPECIES KNOWN FROM THE IVANPAH SEGS PROJECT AREA...........................................................................................................................29 TABLE 5-3. NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS AND LOCATIONS OF BARREL CACTI FOUND WITHIN PROPOSED PROJECT FEATURE SITES.....................................................................................................................32 Appendixes: Appendix A: Ivanpah SEGS: Figures Appendix B: Ivanpah SEGS: Potentially Occurring Special-status Plants Appendix C: Ivanpah SEGS: Botanical Resources Field Personnel Appendix D: Ivanpah SEGS: Photos of Special-status Plants Appendix E: Ivanpah SEGS: Description of Vegetation Types Observed within Project Features Appendix F: Ivanpah SEGS: List of Plants Observed within Project Features Appendix G: Ivanpah SEGS: Distribution and Abundance of Special Status Plants Observed TECHNICAL REPORT: BOTANICAL RESOURCES OF THE GARCIA AND ASSOCIATES IVANPAH SOLAR ELECTRIC GENERATING SYSTEM SEPTEMBER 2008 ii Executive Summary Solar Partners I, LLC; Solar Partners II, LLC; Solar Partners VIII, LLC, the owners of the three separate solar plants, and Solar Partners IV, LLC, the owner of shared facilities required by the three solar plants (the “Applicant”) are proposing to develop a solar facility (together referred to as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, or Ivanpah SEGS) in the eastern Mojave Desert of Southern California. The proposed Ivanpah SEGS site is located in eastern San Bernardino County, in the Ivanpah Valley, 4.5 miles southwest of the town of Primm, Nevada. Protocol-level surveys for special-status plants were conducted throughout the project area in 2008 and 2007. The location of the site elements is shown on figures provided in Appendix A. Small adjustments to the project boundary were made in 2008; therefore, the 2008 survey boundary differs slightly from the boundaries shown on the 2007 maps. An area designated as the one-mile buffer surrounds the Property Boundary and extends out in all directions from it to a distance of one mile. Reconnaissance-level