For accessibility assistance with this document, please contact the Sonoma County Department of Parks at (707) 565-2041 or through the California Relay Service (by dialing 711). FINAL CEQA INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION HOOD MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVE LAWSON EXPANSION MASTER PLAN SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Prepared for: Sonoma County Regional Parks Department 2300 County Center Drive, Suite 120A Santa Rosa, California 95403 Prepared by: LSA 157 Park Place Pt. Richmond, California 94801 510.236.6810 Project No. SOG1401A May 2018 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CEQA INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION MAY 2018 HOOD MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVE LAWSON EXPANSION MASTER PLAN SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA This page intentionally left blank. P:\SOG1401A Hood Mountain\CEQA\Final IS_MND\LawsonExpansion_Final IS_MND_05182018.docx (05/18/18) i LS A AS S O CI AT ES , INC . CE Q A INIT I AL ST U D Y /MIT I G AT ED NE G AT I VE DE C L AR AT ION M AY 2018 HOO D MO UNTAI N REG IO N AL P ARK AND O PEN SP AC E PRESERVE L AW S O N EXP AN SIO N M AS TER PL AN SO NO M A CO UNTY, C ALI FO RNI A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Project Name. Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve – Lawson Expansion Master Plan (Lawson Expansion Master Plan) Project Location. The Lawson Expansion is located adjacent to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, east of the City of Santa Rosa in unincorporated Sonoma County, California. The project site includes two vacant parcels (Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 030-030-002 and 030-110-007) totaling 273 acres. Project Description. Sonoma County Regional Parks (Regional Parks) proposes to adopt and implement a proposed Master Plan/Resource Management Plan (MP/RMP) for the 247 acre Lawson Expansion (project site) that has recently been added to the Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve (Hood Mountain). The Lawson Expansion encompasses approximately 247 acres of open space that includes grasslands, oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forest and chaparral. The diverse landscape and topography provides spectacular views and opportunities for a variety of visitor experiences. The planning process has studied the opportunities for the public to enjoy the site and to enhance and protect its unique and sensitive environment. This Initial Study evaluates the potential environmental effects of implementing the proposed draft MP/RMP. Findings. It is hereby determined that, based on the information contained in the attached Initial Study, the project would not have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Mitigation measures necessary to avoid the potentially significant effects on the environment are included in the attached Initial Study, which is hereby incorporated and fully made part of this Mitigated Negative Declaration. Sonoma County Regional Parks has hereby agreed to implement each of the identified mitigation measures, which would be adopted as part of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. _______________________________ ______________________________________ Steve Ehret, Park Planning Manager Date Sonoma County Regional Parks P:\SOG1401A Hood Mountain\CEQA\Final IS_MND\LawsonExpansion_Final IS_MND_05182018.docx (05/18/18) ii LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CEQA INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION MAY 2018 HOOD MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVE LAWSON EXPANSION MASTER PLAN SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA This page intentionally left blank. P:\SOG1401A Hood Mountain\CEQA\Final IS_MND\LawsonExpansion_Final IS_MND_05182018.docx (05/18/18) iii LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CEQA INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION MAY 2018 HOOD MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVE LAWSON EXPANSION MASTER PLAN SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA TABLE OF CONTENTS MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION ................................................................................ I INITIAL STUDY ....................................................................................................................... 1 PROJECT INFORMATION ......................................................................................... 1 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED .................................... 18 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..................................................... 19 I. AESTHETICS ...................................................................................................... 20 II. AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST RESOURCES ................................................. 23 III. AIR QUALITY ...................................................................................................... 26 IV. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 31 V. CULTURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................. 42 VI. GEOLOGY AND SOILS ...................................................................................... 48 VII. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ..................................................................... 54 VIII. HAZARDS.......................................................................................................... 57 IX. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ............................................................... 63 X. LAND USE AND PLANNING............................................................................... 70 XI. MINERAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................... 73 XII. NOISE ................................................................................................................. 74 XIII. POPULATION AND HOUSING ......................................................................... 78 XIV. PUBLIC SERVICES .......................................................................................... 80 XV. RECREATION .................................................................................................... 82 XVI. TRANSPORTATION/TRAFFIC.......................................................................... 84 XVII.UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS .............................................................. 93 XVIII. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE ............................................... 97 REPORT PREPARERS AND REFERENCES ...................................................................... 99 REPORT PREPARERS ............................................................................................ 99 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................... 99 P:\SOG1401A Hood Mountain\CEQA\Final IS_MND\LawsonExpansion_Final IS_MND_05182018.docx (05/18/18) iv LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CEQA INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION MAY 2018 HOOD MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVE LAWSON EXPANSION MASTER PLAN SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA FIGURES Figure 1: Regional Map........................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: Location Map ........................................................................................................... 3 Figure 3: Trail Map .................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 4: Lawson Azalea CreekTrail Map ............................................................................. 11 Figure 5: Lawson Center Trail Map ....................................................................................... 12 Figure 6: Lawson Lower Johnson Trail Map ......................................................................... 13 Figure 7: Facilities Development Plan ................................................................................... 14 Figure 8: Land Management ................................................................................................. 16 Figure 9: Vegetation Types...................................................................................................33 Figure 10: Plant Communities and Proposed Trails .............................................................. 36 Tables Table 1: Proposed Multi-Use and Hiker-Only Trails on the Lawson Property ....................... 10 Table 2: Maximum Allowable Exterior Noise Exposures for Non-transportation Noise Sources................................................................................................................................. 75 Table 3: Existing Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service .................................................. 85 Table 4: Future Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service .................................................... 86 Table 5: Trip Generation Summary....................................................................................... 87 Table 6: Existing Plus Project Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service ............................. 88 Table 7: Future Plus Project Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service ................................ 88 Appendices A: MP/RMP Policies B: Traffic Study B: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program C: Response to Comments P:\SOG1401A Hood Mountain\CEQA\Final IS_MND\LawsonExpansion_Final IS_MND_05182018.docx (05/18/18) v LS A AS S O CI AT ES , INC . CE Q A INIT I AL ST U D Y /MIT I G AT ED NE G AT I VE DE C L AR AT ION M AY 2018 HOO D MO UNTAI N REG IO N AL P ARK AND O PEN SP AC E PRESERVE L AW S O N EXP AN SIO N M AS TER PL AN SO NO M A CO UNTY, C ALI FO RNI A INITIAL STUDY PROJECT INFORMATION