Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15
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Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15 Vegetation Management Projects along Graham Hill Road and Ocean Street in Santa Cruz County, California Prepared by: Pacific Gas & Electric Company Land & Environmental Management- Gas Transmission 6111 Bollinger Canyon Road, 3310C San Ramon, CA 94583 20 December 2017 Low Effect HCP for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15 Vegetation Management Projects Along Graham Hill Road and Ocean Street in Santa Cruz County, CA Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 5 Section 1. Introduction and Background .......................................................................... 5 1.1 Overview and Background ......................................................................................... 5 1.2 Permit Holder/Permit Duration .................................................................................. 7 1.3 Permit Boundary/Covered Lands................................................................................ 8 1.4 Species to be Covered by the Permit ........................................................................... 8 1.5 Regulatory Framework .............................................................................................. 8 Section 2. Project Description/Activities Covered by Permit ........................................... 11 2.1 Project Description ................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Activities Covered by Permit .................................................................................... 18 Section 3. Environmental Setting/Biological Resources .................................................. 19 3.1 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................. 19 3.1.1. Plants .................................................................................................................. 20 Federal .......................................................................................................................... 20 3.1.2. Wildlife (CNDDB occurrences within a 2-mile radius of project area) ..................... 20 3.1.3. Vegetation Communities...................................................................................... 21 3.2 Covered Species ...................................................................................................... 22 Mount Hermon June Beetle (MHJB) ............................................................................... 23 3.3 Other Plant Species .................................................................................................. 24 3.4 Federally Listed Plant Species ................................................................................... 24 Table 3. Federally Listed Plant Species ........................................................................... 25 Section 4. Potential Biological Impacts/Take Assessment ............................................... 26 4.1 Mount Hermon June beetle (MHJB) .......................................................................... 26 4.2 Anticipated Impacts on Covered Wildlife Species ...................................................... 27 4.3 Anticipated Impacts on Plant Species ....................................................................... 28 4.4 Effects on Critical Habitat ......................................................................................... 29 4.5 Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................. 29 Section 5. Conservation Program ................................................................................... 29 5.1 Biological Goals and Objectives ................................................................................. 29 5.2 Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Measures ................................................. 30 Fire Prevention/Suppression Measures .......................................................................... 30 Migratory Bird Measures ............................................................................................... 31 General Measures .......................................................................................................... 31 Measures to Minimize Impacts to MHJB and Federally Listed Plants ................................ 32 5.3 Measures to Mitigate Unavoidable Impacts .............................................................. 32 Table 4. Summary of Avoidance Measures and Biological Goals and Objectives .............. 34 5.4 Monitoring and Reporting........................................................................................ 34 5.5 Performance and Success Criteria ............................................................................. 35 5.6 Adaptive Management Strategy ............................................................................... 35 Section 6. Plan Implementation ..................................................................................... 35 6.1 Implementation ....................................................................................................... 35 6.2 Changed Circumstances ........................................................................................... 35 6.2.3. Maintenance and Operations ............................................................................... 36 2 Low Effect HCP for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15 Vegetation Management Projects Along Graham Hill Road and Ocean Street in Santa Cruz County, CA 6.2.4. Contingencies for Other HCP ................................................................................ 37 6.2.5 Newly listed species .............................................................................................. 37 6.3 Summary of Circumstances ....................................................................................... 37 6.4 Unforeseen Circumstances ....................................................................................... 38 Section 7. Amendments ................................................................................................ 38 7.1 Permit Amendments ................................................................................................ 38 7.2 Suspension/Revocation ........................................................................................... 39 7.3 Renewal of the Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit ................................................................ 39 7.4 Permit Transfer ....................................................................................................... 40 7.5 Authorizing Take Associated With Mitigated Activities .............................................. 40 Section 8. Funding ......................................................................................................... 40 8.1 Costs of HCP Implementation ................................................................................... 40 Table 5. Costs of HCP Implementation ........................................................................... 41 8.2 Funding Source ........................................................................................................ 41 8.3 Funding Mechanism and Management ..................................................................... 41 Section 9. Alternatives .................................................................................................. 42 9.1 Summary ............................................................................................................... 42| 9.2 No Action Alternative .............................................................................................. 42 9.3 Reduced Scope (Proposed Action) ............................................................................. 42 9.4 Original Scope .......................................................................................................... 43 Section 10. Literature Cited ........................................................................................... 44 3 Low Effect HCP for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15 Vegetation Management Projects Along Graham Hill Road and Ocean Street in Santa Cruz County, CA Tables and Figures Tables Table 1. Mount Hermon June Beetle Suitability on Projects………….………………Appendix A-7 Table 2. Soil Types Per Project………………………………………………………………………Appendix A-11 Table 3. Federally Listed Plant Species……………………………………………………………31 Table 4. Summary of Avoidance Measures and Biological Goals …………..……….40 Table 5. Costs of HCP Implementation…………………………………………………………..48 Figures and Reports Figure 1…………………………………………….…..………….………..…….………..Appendix A.1 Figure 2……………………………………………………..…………………..…………..Appendix A.2 Figure 3……………………………………………...……..…………….…….…………..Appendix A.3 Figure 4…………………………………………..….……..……………..…..……………Appendix A.4 Figure 5………………………………………..…….……..…………………..…………..Appendix A.5 Figure 6……………………………………..……….……..………………………..……..Appendix A.6 ECS Final-Habitat Assessment Report…………………..……………………..Appendix B.1 ECS MHJB Herbicide Letter for PG&E….………………….……………..…….Appendix C.1 Request for Cultural Resources Compliance form…………………..……Appendix D.1 Representative Photographs of the Project…………………..………….....Appendix E.1 Habitats Present at the 28 Project Sites………………………………………..Appendix F.1 4 Habitat Conservation Plan for PG&E Gas Pipeline 1816-15 Vegetation Management Projects Along Graham Hill Road and Ocean