Draft EIR Appendices
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EIR TECHNICAL APPENDICES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE OCEANO DUNES DISTRICT February 2020 California Department of Parks and Recreation Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan Draft EIR Technical Appendices SCH No. 2018011012 February 2020 Prepared for: California Department of Parks and Recreation Oceano Dunes District 340 James Way, Ste. 270 Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (805) 773-7170 www.ohv.parks.ca.gov Prepared by: MIG, Inc. 2055 Junction Avenue, Suite 205 San Jose, CA 95131 (650) 327-0429 www.migcom.com Page intentionally left blank. Introduction Page 1 INTRODUCTION This document is the Technical Appendices volume of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan. This volume presents the following appendices: Appendix A. Scoping Report Appendix B. HCP Avoidance and Minimization Measures Appendix C. Special-Status Species in HCP Area Appendix D. Biological Effects of Existing Covered Activities Appendix E. Native American Communications Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan Draft EIR California Department of Parks and Recreation February 2020 Page intentionally left blank. Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan EIR Appendix A: Scoping Report This page intentionally left blank. Appendix A: Scoping Report Page A-1 Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan EIR Scoping Report August 2018 Prepared for: California Department of Parks and Recreation Oceano Dunes District 340 James Way, Ste. 270 Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (805) 773-7170 Prepared by: MIG, Inc. 2635 N. First Street, Suite 149 San Jose, CA 95134 (650) 327-0429 www.migcom.com Appendix A: Scoping Report Page A-2 Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan EIR Scoping Report INTRODUCTION This scoping report summarizes the public scoping meeting and comments received for the environmental document being prepared in connection with California Department of Parks and Recreation’s (CDPR) application for an incidental take permit, for Pismo State Beach and Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), (ITP) authorized under Sections 10(a)(1)(A) and 10(a)(1)(B) of the federal Endangered Species Act (FESA). The environmental document will consider potential impacts of implementing CDPR’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and issuance of an incidental take permit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The report is organized in the following sections: Introduction Background Action and Environmental Document Scoping Process Comments Received Summary of Scoping Comments Attachment 1: Notices and Meeting Advertisements o Notice of Preparation and Public Scoping Meeting o USFWS News Release seeking public input on HCP o Notice of Intent Attachment 2: Scoping Meeting Presentation Attachment 3: Scoping Meeting Attendance Record Attachment 4: Scoping Meeting Oral Comments and Questions Attachment 5: Scoping Letters o Hardcopy Letters o Emails o Form emails BACKGROUND CDPR is in the process of developing a conservation strategy for various species located at Pismo State Beach and Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), for which the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) has responsibility and authority. Management and operation of the two areas may negatively affect western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus), California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni), California red- legged frog (Rana draytonii), and tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), as well as six listed plant species. Therefore, CDPR has prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) as part of its application for an incidental take permit (ITP) authorized under Sections 10(a)(1)(A) and 10(a)(1)(B) of the federal Endangered Species Act (FESA). The HCP to be prepared by CDPR in support of the permit applications will describe the impacts of take on proposed covered species, and it will propose a conservation strategy to minimize and mitigate those impacts on each covered species to the maximum extent practicable. Oceano Dunes Habitat Conservation Plan EIR – August 2018 California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division Appendix A: Scoping Report Page A-3 ACTION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT CDPR has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Oceano Dunes District HCP pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). USFWS is preparing an environmental review of the Draft HCP pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in a separate document. Both the Draft EIR and the USFWS NEPA document will have distinct public review periods and opportunities to provide comment on the respective environmental review document and the Draft HCP. SCOPING PROCESS CDPR published a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the EIR on January 11, 2018 to invite comment on the scope and content of the environmental review of the Oceano Dunes District HCP; the comment period closed on March 12, 2018. Simultaneously, the USFWS published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register and a News Release to announce preparation of a NEPA environmental review of the HCP and to invite public comment. Both notices announced a joint public scoping meeting on February 7, 2018 for the purpose of inviting public comments on the project. Public notice of the scoping period and public meeting was distributed to state agencies through the State Clearinghouse, County Clerk offices of adjacent counties, local community agencies, adjacent property residents, homeowner and neighborhood associations, and interested organizations and individuals who have requested notices from CDPR (Attachment 1). Notice was also published in a newspaper of local circulation. The objective of the scoping meeting was to solicit comments to assist the preparation of the environmental document and scope of the Habitat Conservation Plan. Commentors were asked to identify important issues and alternatives related to the proposed action to ensure the full range of issues related to the permit requests is identified. Members of the public were greeted on arrival and asked to sign the attendance record form listing their name, address, and affiliation. The meeting was held with an open house format beginning with introductions, followed by a slide show presentation by Ronnie Glick, Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Parks (Attachment 2) and was followed by a general question and answer period. The public was then invited to submit verbal comments. Comment cards and mailing information were also provided for written comments. The notice and presentation stated that written comments would be accepted through March 12, 2018. Representatives from the Oceano Dunes District of CDPR, USFWS, and MIG consultants attended and conducted the scoping meeting. Twenty members of the public signed the attendance list (Attachment 3) for the meeting. COMMENTS RECEIVED A total of 20 oral comments were received at the scoping meeting (Attachment 4). Twelve distinct comment letters, emails or comment cards were received in response to the NOP and NOI and one form letter email was submitted by 2,053 individuals. Some of the form letters contained additional unique comments as recorded with the form letter. Scoping comments were submitted by private individuals, public agencies, and private conservation groups (Attachment 5). Oceano Dunes Habitat Conservation Plan EIR – August 2018 California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division Appendix A: Scoping Report Page A-4 SUMMARY OF SCOPING COMMENTS Some of the comments related to the HCP rather than the environmental document, and some comments expressed support or opposition to certain aspects of the proposed HCP. Some comments pertained only to the federal agency environmental review under NEPA. Only those comments relating to the scope of the environmental analysis are presented below. The comments focused on air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water quality/hydrology, recreation opportunity, the alternatives analysis, and cumulative impacts. Document Type & Review Process. Specify whether EIR will be used as programmatic “tiering” document or provide project-level review, prepare a full EIS not an EA, and that a NCCP is needed for CLTE since it is a Fully Protected Species. General Comments Applying to Entire Document. Base environmental review on best available science and survey data following established protocols. (see methodology section for each impact analysis chapter) Project Description- Proposed Action. Identify purpose and need and rationale for proposed action. HCP and CEQA/NEPA documents must clearly identify enforcement provisions. Air Quality. Address general impacts of motorized recreation on air quality, dust, and particulates. For air quality analysis, quantify emissions, identify emissions sources, and include construction emissions mitigation including fugitive dust source controls, stationary equipment source controls, and administrative controls. Demonstrate project emissions of air basin pollutants in nonattainment or maintenance status are accounted for in the State Implementation Plan. Greenhouse Gas (GHG). Address general impacts of motorized recreation on GHG emissions. Biological Resources. Address general impacts of motorized recreation on loss of surface soils and vegetation and trash. Include direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to all wildlife and habitat, and measures to avoid impacts. Discuss HCP’s consistency with other HCPs