APPENDIX E Biological Resources Technical Report BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT FOR THE NORTH RIVER FARMS PROJECT OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA Prepared for: Integral Communities 2235 Encinitas Boulevard, Suite 216 Encinitas, California 92024 Contact: Ninia Hammond Prepared by: 605 Third Street Encinitas, California 92024 Contact: Patricia Schuyler JANUARY 2019 Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled material. Biological Resources Technical Report for the North River Farms Project TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page No. 1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Description.................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Applicable Regulations ........................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Federal......................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 State............................................................................................................. 7 1.2.3 Regional Planning Context ....................................................................... 10 2 PROJECT SETTING ......................................................................................................15 2.1 Project Location .................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Climate .................................................................................................................. 15 2.3 Soils....................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Terrain ................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Land Uses.............................................................................................................. 16 2.5.1 On-Site Land Uses .................................................................................... 16 2.5.2 Surrounding Land Uses............................................................................. 16 2.6 Watersheds and Hydrology ................................................................................... 16 3 METHODS .......................................................................................................................19 3.1 Literature Review.................................................................................................. 19 3.2 Field Reconnaissance ............................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 Vegetation Community and Land Cover Mapping ................................... 20 3.2.2 Flora .......................................................................................................... 20 3.2.3 Fauna ......................................................................................................... 21 3.2.4 Special-Status and/or Regulated Resources .............................................. 21 3.2.5 Survey Limitations .................................................................................... 23 4 RESULTS .........................................................................................................................25 4.1 Vegetation Communities, Land Covers, and Floral Diversity .............................. 25 4.1.1 Southern Arroyo Willow Riparian Forest ................................................. 26 4.1.2 Disturbed Southern Willow Scrub ............................................................ 26 4.1.3 Mulefat Scrub............................................................................................ 26 4.1.4 Non-Vegetated Channel ............................................................................ 31 4.1.5 Disturbed Wetland .................................................................................... 31 4.1.6 Disturbed Habitat ...................................................................................... 32 4.1.7 Urban/Developed ...................................................................................... 32 4.1.8 Row Crops ................................................................................................ 33 9758-01 i January 2019 Biological Resources Technical Report for the North River Farms Project TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Section Page No. 4.1.9 Non-Native Woodland .............................................................................. 33 4.1.10 Eucalyptus Woodland ............................................................................... 34 4.1.11 Flora .......................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................................. 34 4.3 Special-Status/Regulated Resources ..................................................................... 34 4.3.1 Special-Status Vegetation Communities................................................... 35 4.3.2 Special-Status Plant Species ..................................................................... 35 4.3.3 Special-Status Wildlife Species ................................................................ 35 4.3.4 Jurisdictional Resources............................................................................ 36 4.4 Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Linkages .............................................................. 38 4.4.1 Project Site ................................................................................................ 40 4.4.2 Oceanside Subarea Plan ............................................................................ 40 5 PROJECT IMPACTS .....................................................................................................41 5.1 Direct Impacts ....................................................................................................... 41 5.1.1 Vegetation Communities .......................................................................... 42 5.1.2 Special-Status Plants ................................................................................. 47 5.1.3 Special-Status Wildlife ............................................................................. 47 5.1.4 Jurisdictional Resources............................................................................ 47 5.1.5 Habitat Linkages/Wildlife Corridors ........................................................ 48 5.2 Indirect Impacts .................................................................................................... 48 5.2.1 Vegetation Communities and Jurisdictional Resources ............................ 48 5.2.2 Special-Status Plants ................................................................................. 49 5.2.3 Special-Status Wildlife ............................................................................. 49 5.2.4 Habitat Linkages/Movement Corridors .................................................... 50 5.3 Cumulative Impacts and Impacts to Regional Resource Planning ...................... 50 6 SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS .............................................................................................53 6.1 Explanation of Findings of Significance............................................................... 53 6.2 Vegetation Communities and Jurisdictional Resources ........................................ 53 6.3 Impacts to Regional Resource Planning ............................................................... 54 6.4 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................................. 55 6.5 Special-Status Wildlife Species ............................................................................ 55 7 MITIGATION AND MINIMIZATION MEASURES .................................................57 8 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................63 9758-01 ii January 2019 Biological Resources Technical Report for the North River Farms Project TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page No. APPENDICES A Plant Compendium B Wildlife Compendium C Special-Status Plant Species Potential to Occur on the Project Site D Special-Status Wildlife Species Not Expected or Low Potential to Occur on the Project Site E Jurisdictional Delineation Data Forms FIGURES 1 Regional Map .......................................................................................................................3 2 Vicinity Map ........................................................................................................................5 3 Regional Planning Context Map ........................................................................................13 4 FEMA Floodplain Map ......................................................................................................17 5a Biological Resources Map .................................................................................................27 5b Bilogical Resources Map ...................................................................................................29 6a Biological Resources with Limits of Impacts Map ............................................................43 6b Biological Resources with Limits of Impacts Map ............................................................45 TABLES 1 Schedule of Surveys