Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for Bay Checkerspot Butterfly and Serpentine Endemic Plant Species in Santa Clara County, California Donald Von Raesfeld Power Plant (02-AFC-03) Santa Clara, California Prepared for: Silicon Valley Power City of Santa Clara Prepared by: Sacramento, California and Creekside Center for Earth Observation Menlo Park, California March 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ I TABLES ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... I 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Need for an Incidental Take Permit ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Regulatory Framework ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Federal Endangered Species Act ............................................................................................................................ 2 1.3.2 Habitat Conservation Plan Requirements and Guidelines ................................................................................ 23 1.3.3 National Environmental Policy Act ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Plan Duration .................................................................................................................................................................. 45 1.5 Species to be Covered by this HCP ............................................................................................................................. 45 1.6 Organization of this HCP .............................................................................................................................................. 45 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION (DVR) ............................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Project Description (DVR) .............................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.1 Project Location (DVR) ........................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Brief Project Summary (DVR) ................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Activities Covered by Permit........................................................................................................................................... 9 3.0 BIOLOGICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Characteristics of the Project Site and Surrounding Lands ....................................................................................... 10 3.2 Regional Biological Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Description of Serpentine Bunchgrass Ecosystem .................................................................................................... 12 3.3.1 Climate ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.2 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.3 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................................................ 13 3.3.4 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................................. 1415 3.4 Special Status Species in the Project and DVR Ecological Preserve Areas ............................................................ 15 3.5 The Bay Checkerspot Butterfly and Federally Listed Serpentine Endemic Plants ............................................ 1617 4.0 EFFECTS/TAKE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................ 2122 4.1 Impacts Assessment ................................................................................................................................................... 2122 4.1.1 Direct Impacts..................................................................................................................................................... 2122 4.1.2 Indirect Impacts .................................................................................................................................................. 2122 4.1.3 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................................................ 2223 4.2 Take Assessment ......................................................................................................................................................... 2224 5.0 CONSERVATION STRATEGY .............................................................................................................. 2527 5.1 Biological Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 2527 5.2 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................................................... 2730 5.2.1 Mitigation Area ................................................................................................................................................... 2831 6.0 CONSERVATION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................................. 3134 6.1 Preserve Management ................................................................................................................................................ 3134 6.1.1 Grazing ................................................................................................................................................................. 3235 6.1.2 Adaptive Management ....................................................................................................................................... 3337 6.1.3 Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................................... 3538 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3538 Bay Checkerspot Butterfly .................................................................................................................................................... 3539 Donald Von Raesfeld Power Plant (02-AFC-03) Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan i 6.1.4 Reports ................................................................................................................................................................. 3640 6.2 Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................................................ 3741 6.3 Scope ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3741 6.4 Permit Holder .............................................................................................................................................................. 3741 6.5 Access ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3741 6.6 Permit Amendments/Renewal Process ................................................................................................................... 3741 6.6.1 Permit Amendments .......................................................................................................................................... 3741 6.6.2 HCP Amendments ............................................................................................................................................. 3842 6.6.3 Permit Renewal ................................................................................................................................................... 3842 6.7 Public Input