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General Plan Update February 2009 Final Environmental Impact Report I 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION

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General Plan Update February 2009 Final Environmental Impact Report I 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION COUNTYOF MENDOCINO G ENERAL P LAN U PDATE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT VOLUME I Prepared for: COUNTY OF MENDOCINO 501 LOW GAP ROAD, ROOM 1440 UKIAH, CA 95482 Prepared by: 1590 DREW AVENUE, SUITE 120 DAVIS, CA 95618 P: (530) 750-7076 F: (530) 750-2811 FEBRUARY 2009 C OUNTYOF M ENDOCINO G ENERAL P LAN U PDATE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Prepared for: COUNTY OF MENDOCINO 501 LOW GAP ROAD, ROOM 1440 UKIAH, CA 95482 Prepared by: PMC 1590 DREW AVENUE, SUITE 120 DAVIS, CA 95618 FEBRUARY 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Purpose of the EIR......................................................................................... 1.0-1 1.2 Overview of the General Plan and Environmental Review Process................................... 1.0-1 1.3 Type of Document ....................................................................................................................... 1.0-3 1.4 Intended Uses of the EIR.............................................................................................................. 1.0-3 1.5 Organization and Scope of the Final EIR ................................................................................. 1.0-4 2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1 Purpose and Scope of the EIR ................................................................................................... 2.0-1 2.2 Project Characteristics................................................................................................................. 2.0-1 2.3 Project Alternatives Summary .................................................................................................... 2.0-1 2.4 Areas of Controversy ................................................................................................................... 2.0-1 2.5 Summary of Environmental Impacts......................................................................................... 2.0-2 3.0 COMMENTS AND RESPONSES (PRESENTED IN VOLUMES II-A AND II-B OF THIS FEIR) 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3.0-1 3.2 List of Commenters....................................................................................................................... 3.0-1 3.3 Comments and Responses......................................................................................................... 3.0-9 3.4 Master Responses ....................................................................................................................... 3.0-10 4.0 ERRATA 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4.0-1 4.2 Minor Edits and Text Changes to the Draft EIR ....................................................................... 4.0-1 APPENDIX A APPENDIX B LIST OF TABLES Table 2.0-1 Project Impacts and Proposed Mitigation Measures............................................... 2.0-3 Table 3.0-1 Commenters to the EIR.................................................................................................. 3.0-1 Table 3.0-2 Non-Point Source 319(H) Projects North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board .................................................................................................. 3.0-13 County of Mendocino General Plan Update February 2009 Final Environmental Impact Report i 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Section 15132). The County of Mendocino is the lead agency for the environmental review of the proposed Mendocino County General Plan Update and has the principal responsibility for approving the project. This FEIR provides responses to comments received on the Draft EIR, incorporates the analysis of the Draft EIR, and provides minor edits and clarifications to the Draft EIR. 1.1 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE EIR OVERVIEW OF CEQA REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION OF AN EIR The County of Mendocino (County), serving as the lead agency, has prepared an EIR to provide the public and responsible and trustee agencies with information about the potential environmental effects of the proposed General Plan Update. As set forth in the provisions of CEQA and implementing regulations, public agencies are charged with the duty to consider the environmental impacts of proposed development and to minimize these impacts where feasible while carrying out an obligation to balance a variety of public objectives, including economic, environmental, and social factors. State CEQA Guidelines Section 15121(a) states that an EIR is an informational document for decision-makers and the general public that analyzes the significant environmental effects of a project, identifies possible ways to minimize significant effects, and describes reasonable alternatives to the project that could reduce or avoid its adverse environmental impacts. Public agencies with discretionary authority are required to consider the information in the EIR, along with any other relevant information, in making decisions on the project. CEQA requires the preparation of an environmental impact report prior to approving any project which may have a significant effect on the environment. For the purposes of CEQA, the term “project” refers to the whole of an action which has the potential for resulting in a direct physical change or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378[a]). With respect to the proposed Mendocino County General Plan Update, the County has determined that the proposed General Plan Update is a “project” within the definition of CEQA. 1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE PROCESS In 2001, the County of Mendocino began a comprehensive update of the Mendocino County General Plan, which had last been updated in 1981. The purpose of this update was to reflect changing conditions, issues, requirements, and desired direction for the future growth and development of the unincorporated county for the next 20 years. During the update process, the County has conducted numerous public workshops to gather information and to learn about the needs of the county’s residents. The County has also held numerous Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings to discuss the policies and action items set forth in the General Plan Update document. Several major documents have been prepared to date through this process. The Background Report (Existing Conditions) was released to the public in 2003 and the Housing Element was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2004. County of Mendocino General Plan Update February 2009 Final Environmental Impact Report 1.0-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Framework General Plan, which collected all of the proposed policies into a single document, was published in 2005. In 2007, a Working Draft General Plan Update was released. The Working Draft General Plan reflected a new format for the General Plan (consolidating most policies into two elements on the issues of development and resource management). Finally, in July 2008, a Public Review Draft General Plan was published and released for public review and comment. The Public Review Draft General Plan reflects comments on the Working Draft from the public, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors, and it is the document that this EIR examines. OVERVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE The following is an overview of the environmental review process for the Mendocino County General Plan Update that has led to the preparation of this FEIR. Notice of Preparation In accordance with Section 15082 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the County prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an EIR for the proposed General Plan Update on June 19, 2008. The County was identified as lead agency for the proposed project. This notice was circulated to the public, local, state, and federal agencies, and other interested parties to solicit comments on the General Plan Update. A scoping meeting was held on June 26, 2008, to receive additional comments. The deadline for receiving written comments was extended to August 11, 2008. Concerns raised in response to the NOP were considered during preparation of the Draft EIR. The NOP and responses by interested parties are presented in Appendix A of the Draft EIR. Draft EIR The Draft EIR, along with technical appendices, was released for public and agency review on September 18, 2008. The 45-day public review period was scheduled to end on November 3, 2008. At a Board of Supervisors public hearing on October 27, 2008, the Board extended the comment period to a full sixty (60) days, to November 18, 2008, in response to numerous letters from residents requesting an extension of the public review period. The Draft EIR contains a description of the proposed General Plan Update project, a description of the environmental setting, identification of project impacts, mitigation measures for impacts found to be significant, an analysis of project alternatives, and all other contents required for Draft EIRs in State CEQA Guidelines, Article 9. Final EIR Within the public review period, the County has received approximately 205 comment letters from agencies, interest groups, and the public regarding the Draft EIR and the General
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