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Biological Resources Report APPENDIX A Biological Resources Report Residence Inn and Event Center Biological Resources Report Project #3660-01 Prepared for: David J. Powers & Associates, Inc. 1871 The Alameda, Suite 200 San José , CA 95126 Prepared by: H. T. Harvey & Associates December 2015 Rev. January 2016 983 University Avenue, Building D Los Gatos, CA 95032 Ph: 408.458.3200 F: 408.458.3210 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ i Section 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Project Description ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Section 2.0 Methods ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Section 3.0 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 General Project Area Description ........................................................................................................................ 7 3.2 Biotic Habitats ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.1 Ruderal Grassland ........................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.2 Developed ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Section 4.0 Regulatory Setting ..................................................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Federal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 4.1.1 Clean Water Act............................................................................................................................................. 11 4.1.2 Federal Endangered Species Act ................................................................................................................ 12 4.1.3 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act .......................................................... 12 4.1.4 Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act ............................................................................................................. 13 4.2 State ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.2.1 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act .............................................................................................. 13 4.2.2 California Endangered Species Act ............................................................................................................ 14 4.2.3 California Environmental Quality Act ....................................................................................................... 14 4.2.4 California Fish and Game Code ................................................................................................................. 16 4.3 Local ........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 4.3.1 San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission ........................................................ 17 4.3.1 City of San José Tree Ordinance ................................................................................................................ 19 4.3.2 City of San José Riparian Policy .................................................................................................................. 19 4.3.3 Envision San José 2040 ................................................................................................................................ 20 4.3.4 City of San José Bird-Safe Building Design Standards ............................................................................ 21 Section 5.0 Special-Status Species and Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................... 22 5.1 Special-status Plant Species .................................................................................................................................. 22 5.1.1 California Native Plant Society Ranked Plant Species ............................................................................ 25 5.2 Special-status Animal Species .............................................................................................................................. 26 5.3 Sensitive Natural Communities, Habitats, and Vegetation Alliances ............................................................ 35 5.4 Non-Native and Invasive Species ....................................................................................................................... 36 Section 6.0 Impacts and Mitigation Measures .......................................................................................................... 37 6.1 Impacts Found to be Less than Significant ....................................................................................................... 38 6.1.1 Impacts on Upland Habitats and Associated Common Plant and Wildlife Species .......................... 38 6.1.2 Impacts on Western Pond Turtles .............................................................................................................. 38 6.1.3 Impacts on the California Ridgway’s Rail and California Black Rail .................................................... 39 6.1.4 Impacts on the Loggerhead Shrike and White-tailed Kite ..................................................................... 40 6.1.5 Impacts on the Alameda Song Sparrow and San Francisco Common Yellowthroat ........................ 40 6.1.6 Impacts on Non-Special-Status Birds ........................................................................................................ 41 6.1.7 Impacts on the Pallid Bat ............................................................................................................................. 43 6.1.8 Impacts on Wildlife Movement Corridors ................................................................................................ 43 6.1.9 Impacts from Modifications within the Riparian Setback ...................................................................... 44 6.1.10 Impacts from Invasive Weeds ................................................................................................................... 46 6.2 Impacts Found to be Less than Significant with Mitigation .......................................................................... 47 Residence Inn and Event Center H. T. Harvey & Associates i Biological Resources Report 29 January 2016 6.2.1 Impacts on Jurisdictional Habitats (Wetland, Aquatic, and Riparian) .................................................. 47 6.2.2 Impacts on Green Sturgeon, Steelhead, Longfin Smelt, and EFH ....................................................... 49 6.2.3 Impacts on Burrowing Owls ....................................................................................................................... 49 6.3 Cumulative Impacts .............................................................................................................................................. 52 Section 7.0 Compliance with Additional Laws and Regulations Applicable to Biotic Resources of the Project Site ................................................................................................................................................. 54 7.1 Regulatory Overview for Nesting Birds ............................................................................................................ 54 Section 8.0 References .................................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix A. Special-Status Plants Considered for Potential Occurrence but Rejected ......................................... 1 Appendix B. Plants Identified on the Project Site ......................................................................................................... 1 Appendix C. Detailed descriptions of Special-Status Wildlife Species Potentially Occurring On or Adjacent to the Project Site ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Figures Figure 1. Vicinity Map ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Figure 2. Biotic Habitats .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. BCDC Jurisdiction ..........................................................................................................................................
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