DRAFT BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES REPORT RUGGED SOLAR FARM PROJECT County of San Diego, California Environmental Review Number PDS2012-3910-120005 MUP PDS2012-3300-12-007 Proponent: Rugged Solar LLC 4250 Executive Square, Suite 770 La Jolla, California 92037 Contact: Clark Crawford Prepared for: County of San Diego Planning & Development Services 5510 Overland Avenue San Diego, California 92123 Prepared by: 605 Third Street Encinitas, California 92024 Contact: Brock Ortega 760.479.4254 DECEMBER 2013 Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled material. Biological Resources Report for Rugged Solar TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page No. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS........................................................................VII SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ..................................................................................................... S-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose of the Report........................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Location and Description......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Survey Methodologies ....................................................................................... 1-10 1.3.1 Literature Review................................................................................... 1-10 1.3.2 Field Reconnaissance ............................................................................. 1-11 1.3.3 Vegetation Community Mapping .......................................................... 1-14 1.3.4 Flora ....................................................................................................... 1-16 1.3.5 Fauna ...................................................................................................... 1-18 1.3.6 Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters, Including Wetlands .................... 1-19 1.3.7 Survey Limitations ................................................................................. 1-22 1.4 Environmental Setting ....................................................................................... 1-23 1.4.1 Regional Context ................................................................................... 1-25 1.4.2 Habitat Types/Vegetation Communities ................................................ 1-25 1.4.3 Flora ....................................................................................................... 1-42 1.4.4 Fauna ...................................................................................................... 1-42 1.4.5 Special-Status Plant Species .................................................................. 1-44 1.4.6 Sensitive Wildlife Species ..................................................................... 1-53 1.4.7 Jurisdictional Wetlands/Waters ............................................................. 1-81 1.4.8 Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors ......................................... 1-90 1.5 Applicable Regulations ...................................................................................... 1-99 1.5.1 Federal.................................................................................................... 1-99 1.5.2 State...................................................................................................... 1-107 1.5.3 Local/County of San Diego ................................................................. 1-110 2.0 PROJECT EFFECTS .................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Definition of Impacts ........................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Vegetation Communities/Land Covers ................................................................ 2-3 2.2.1 Direct Impacts to Vegetation Communities/Land Covers ....................... 2-3 2.2.2 Indirect Impacts to Vegetation Communities .......................................... 2-4 2.3 Special-Status Plant Species ................................................................................ 2-9 2.3.1 Direct Impacts to Special-Status Plant Species ....................................... 2-9 2.3.2 Indirect Impacts to Special-Status Plant Species ................................... 2-10 7122-01 i December 2013 Biological Resources Report for Rugged Solar TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page No. 2.4 Sensitive Wildlife Species ................................................................................. 2-13 2.4.1 Direct Impacts to Special-Status Wildlife Species ................................ 2-13 2.4.2 Indirect Impacts to Special-Status Wildlife Species .............................. 2-18 2.5 Wetlands/Jurisdictional Waters ......................................................................... 2-21 2.5.1 Direct Impacts to Wetlands/Jurisdictional Waters ................................. 2-21 2.5.2 Indirect Impacts to Wetlands/Jurisdictional Waters .............................. 2-23 2.6 Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors ..................................................... 2-25 2.6.1 Direct Impacts to Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors ............ 2-25 2.6.2 Indirect Impacts to Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors ......... 2-26 3.0 SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES ...................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Guidelines for the Determination of Significance ............................................... 3-1 3.2 Analysis of Project Effects................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.1 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.A ............................................ 3-3 3.2.2 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.B ............................................ 3-3 3.2.3 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.C .......................................... 3-11 3.2.4 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.D .......................................... 3-12 3.2.5 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.E .......................................... 3-12 3.2.6 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.F........................................... 3-13 3.2.7 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.G .......................................... 3-13 3.2.8 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.H .......................................... 3-13 3.2.9 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.I ........................................... 3-15 3.2.10 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.J ........................................... 3-15 3.2.11 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.K .......................................... 3-15 3.2.12 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.1.L .......................................... 3-15 3.3 Cumulative Impact Analysis .............................................................................. 3-16 3.4 Mitigation Measures and Design Considerations .............................................. 3-16 3.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 3-27 3.5.1 Sensitive Plant Species .......................................................................... 3-27 3.5.2 Sensitive Wildlife Species ..................................................................... 3-28 4.0 RIPARIAN HABITAT OR SENSITIVE NATURAL COMMUNITY..................... 4-1 4.1 Guidelines for the Determination of Significance ............................................... 4-1 4.2 Analysis of Project Effects................................................................................... 4-3 4.2.1 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.2.A ............................................ 4-3 4.2.2 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.2.B ............................................ 4-6 4.2.3 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.2.C ............................................ 4-7 7122-01 ii December 2013 Biological Resources Report for Rugged Solar TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page No. 4.2.4 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.2.D ............................................ 4-8 4.2.5 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.2.E ............................................ 4-8 4.3 Cumulative Impact Analysis ................................................................................ 4-9 4.4 Mitigation Measures and Design Considerations ................................................ 4-9 4.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 4-16 5.0 JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS ......................................... 5-1 5.1 Guidelines for the Determination of Significance ............................................... 5-1 5.2 Analysis of Project Effects................................................................................... 5-1 5.2.1 Project Effects Relevant to Guideline 4.3 ................................................ 5-1 5.3 Cumulative Impact Analysis ................................................................................ 5-1 5.4 Mitigation Measures and Design Considerations ................................................ 5-1 5.5 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 WILDLIFE MOVEMENT AND NURSERY SITES ................................................. 6-1 6.1 Guidelines