APPENDIX D Biological Resources Technical Report Part 1 Biological Resources Technical Report for the JVR Energy Park Project Major Use Permit PDS2018-MUP-18-022 Environmental Review Project Number PDS2018-ER-18-022-001 Jacumba, San Diego County, California Prepared for: County of San Diego Department of Planning and Development Services 5510 Overland Avenue San Diego, California 92123 Contact: Julia Boland Project Proponent: JVR Energy Park LLC 17901 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 1050 Irvine, California 92614 Contact: Patrick Brown Geoff Fallon Prepared by: 605 Third Street Encinitas, California 92024 Contact: Callie Amoaku 760.479.4279 __________________ JUNE 2021 Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled material. Table of Contents SECTION PAGE NO. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ VII 0 SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... IX 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose of the Report ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Project Description and Location .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Study Area and Impact Area Definitions ............................................................................................... 2 2 APPLICABLE REGULATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Federal .................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Federal Endangered Species Act ............................................................................................. 3 2.1.2 Migratory Bird Treaty Act .......................................................................................................... 3 2.1.3 Clean Water Act ........................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 State ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 2.2.1 California Endangered Species Act .......................................................................................... 4 2.2.2 California Fish and Game Code ............................................................................................... 4 2.2.3 Porter–Cologne Water Quality Control Act .............................................................................. 5 2.2.4 California Environmental Quality Act ....................................................................................... 5 2.3 Regional .................................................................................................................................................. 6 2.3.1 East County Multiple Species Conservation Program ............................................................ 6 2.3.2 County Resource Protection Ordinance .................................................................................. 7 3 SURVEY METHODOLOGIES ........................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Literature Review .................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Field Reconnaissance ............................................................................................................................ 9 3.2.1 Resource Mapping ................................................................................................................. 12 3.2.2 Plants and Wildlife ................................................................................................................. 12 3.2.3 Jurisdictional Aquatic Resources .......................................................................................... 12 3.3 Focused Surveys for Special-Status Biological Resources .............................................................. 14 3.3.1 Special-Status Plants Focused Survey ................................................................................. 14 3.3.2 Burrowing Owl Habitat Assessment and Focused Surveys ................................................. 14 3.3.3 Nesting Raptor Surveys ......................................................................................................... 16 3.3.4 Quino Checkerspot Butterfly ................................................................................................. 16 3.3.5 Bat Surveys ............................................................................................................................ 17 3.4 Survey Limitations ............................................................................................................................... 18 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING (EXISTING CONDITIONS) ................................................................................. 19 4.1 Project Area Description ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Habitat Types/Vegetation Communities ............................................................................................ 19 4.2.1 Disturbed Habitat (11300).................................................................................................... 20 10743 i June 2021 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT FOR THE JVR ENERGY PARK PROJECT 4.2.2 Fallow Agriculture (No Code) ................................................................................................. 20 4.2.3 Urban/Developed (12000) ................................................................................................... 21 4.2.4 Sonoran Mixed Woody Scrub (33210) ................................................................................. 21 4.2.5 Sonoran Mixed Woody and Succulent Scrub (33220) ........................................................ 21 4.2.6 Big Sagebrush Scrub (35210) .............................................................................................. 21 4.2.7 Desert Saltbush Scrub (36110) ............................................................................................ 22 4.2.8 Desert Sink Scrub (36120) ................................................................................................... 22 4.2.9 Disturbed Freshwater Marsh (52400) ................................................................................. 22 4.2.10 Tamarisk Scrub (63810) ....................................................................................................... 22 4.2.11 Mesquite Bosque (61820) .................................................................................................... 22 4.2.12 Unvegetated Streambed ....................................................................................................... 23 4.3 Floral Diversity ..................................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Wildlife Diversity .................................................................................................................................. 23 4.4.1 Reptiles and Amphibians ...................................................................................................... 23 4.4.2 Birds........................................................................................................................................ 24 4.4.3 Mammals ............................................................................................................................... 24 4.4.4 Invertebrates .......................................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Special-Status Plant Species .............................................................................................................. 24 4.5.1 County List A and B Species .................................................................................................. 26 4.5.2 County List C and D Species ................................................................................................. 26 4.5.3 Other Special-Status Plant Species ...................................................................................... 27 4.6 Sensitive Wildlife Species ................................................................................................................... 27 4.6.1 County Group 1 Species and/or SSC Species ..................................................................... 28 4.6.2 County Group 2 Species and Other Special-Status Species ............................................... 37 4.7 Jurisdictional Aquatic Resources ........................................................................................................ 41 4.8 Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors ....................................................................................... 43 5 PROJECT EFFECTS .....................................................................................................................................