Biological Resources Assessment Proposed Moorland Park Site (APNs: 043-280-027 & 043-280-028) ROSELAND, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Prepared For: Scott Wilkinson, Park Planner II Sonoma County Regional Parks Department, 2300 County Center Drive, #120A, Santa Rosa, California, 95403 WRA Contacts: Chris Gurney [email protected] Date: March 2015 DRAFT WRA Project Number: 18154-2, Phase 8 2169-G East Francisco Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94702 (415) 454-8868 tel [email protected] www.wra-ca.com This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ v 1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 REGULATORY BACKGROUND .......................................................................................... 1 2.1 Special-Status Species ............................................................................................. 1 2.2 Sensitive Biological Communities ............................................................................. 3 3.0 METHODS ........................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Biological Communities ............................................................................................ 6 3.1.1 Non-Sensitive Biological Communities ....................................................... 6 3.1.2 Sensitive Biological Communities ............................................................... 6 3.2 Delineation of Waters of the United States and State ............................................... 6 3.2.1 Potential Section 404 Jurisdictional Wetlands ............................................ 7 3.2.2 Potential Section 404 Jurisdictional Non-wetland Waters ........................... 9 3.2.3 Areas Excluded from Section 404 Jurisdiction ............................................ 9 3.2.4 Waters of the State .................................................................................... 9 3.2.5 Areas Exempt from State Jurisdiction....................................................... 10 3.3 Other Sensitive Biological Communities ..................................................................10 3.4 Special-Status Species ............................................................................................10 3.4.1 Literature Review ..................................................................................... 10 3.4.2 Site Assessment ...................................................................................... 11 4.0 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................... 12 4.1 Prior Studies ............................................................................................................12 4.2 Biological Communities ...........................................................................................13 4.2.1 Non-Sensitive Biological Communities ..................................................... 13 4.2.2 Sensitive Biological Communities ............................................................. 15 4.3 Special-Status Species ............................................................................................15 4.3.1 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................... 15 4.3.2 Special-Status Wildlife ............................................................................. 19 5.0 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................... 22 5.1 Biological Communities ..........................................................................................22 5.2 Special-Status Plant Species ..................................................................................22 5.3 Special-Status Wildlife Species ..............................................................................22 6.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ........................................................................ 23 6.1 Potentially Significant Impacts .................................................................................23 6.2 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................23 7.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 27 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Description of CNPS Ranks and Threat Codes ........................................................... 3 Table 2. WETS Analysis for 2014-2015 Water Year to Date. .................................................. 12 Table 3. Summary of Biological Communities in the Study Area ............................................. 13 Table 4. Mitigation Ratios for Listed Plants under the Conservation Strategy .......................... 24 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Study Area Location Map ........................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Biological Communities within the Study Area .......................................................... 14 i Figure 3. Special-Status Plant Species within 5-Mile Radius of the Study Area....................... 18 Figure 4. Special-Status Wildlife Species within a 5-Mile Radius of the Study Area ................ 21 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A – List of Observed Plant and Wildlife Species Appendix B – Site Photographs Appendix C – Potential for Special-Status Species to Occur in the Study Area Appendix D – Wetland Delineation Data Sheets Appendix E – 1995 Wetland Delineation Report LIST OF PREPARERS Amanda McCarthy, Ph.D., Principal-in-Charge Chris Gurney, M.S., Project Manager Lauren Kerr, Biologist ii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CCR California Code of Regulations CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CESA California Endangered Species Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database CNPS California Native Plant Society Conservation Strategy Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy Corps United States Army Corps of Engineers ESA Federal Endangered Species Act FAC Facultative Plant Species FACU Facultative Upland Plant Species FACW Facultative Wetland Plant Species Inventory CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service NWPL National Wetland Plant List OBL Obligate Wetland Plant Species OHWM Ordinary High Water Mark PBO Programmatic Biological Opinion Rank California Rare Plant Rank RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board SWQCB State Water Quality Control Board UPL Upland Plant Species USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey WRA WRA, Inc. iii This page intentionally blank. iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis of potential biological resources on the proposed Moorland Park site (Study Area) located at the intersection of Moorland Avenue and West Robles Avenue in the community of Roseland, unincorporated Sonoma County, California. The Study Area includes two parcels (APNs 043-280-027 and 043-280-028) totaling approximately 4 acres. WRA, Inc. (WRA) conducted a reconnaissance level assessment of biological resources within the Study Area and routine wetland delineation on February 25, 2015. The Study Area consists of vacant land located within a commercially and residentially developed area just south of the Santa Rosa City limits in unincorporated Sonoma County. It is bordered by residential development to the north and east as well as commercial development to the west and south. The Study Area is dominated by non-native grassland, a non-sensitive biological community. One potential 404-jurisdictional seasonal wetland were observed in the western portion of the Study Area. No other biological communities were identified. Based on a review of relevant resources and the types and condition of biological communities observed at the site, it was determined that 11 special-status plant species have moderate potential to occur in the Study Area. Special-status plant species with potential to occur include Sonoma sunshine (Blennosperma bakeri), johnny nip (Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua), pappose tarplant (Centromadia parryi ssp. parryi), dwarf downingia (Downingia pusilla), congested-headed hayfield tarplant (Hemizonia congesta ssp. congesta), hogwallow starfish (Hesperevax caulescens), Burke’s goldfields (Lasthenia burkei), Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans), Baker’s navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala ssp. bakeri), Lobb’s aquatic buttercup (Ranunculus lobbii), and saline clover (Trifolium hydrophilum). In addition, three special-status wildlife species have moderate potential to occur within the Study Area. These species include California tiger salamander (CTS; Ambystoma californiense), white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus), and Blennosperma vernal pool andrenid (Andrena blennospermatis). The proposed project will need to comply with the conservation measures established as part of the Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy, including conducting protocol-level rare plant surveys and mitigating