DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Tin House Road Improvement Project Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park December 2009 Lead Agency State of California DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION Acquisition and Development One Capitol Mall - Suite 410 Sacramento, California 95814 This page left blank intentionally Tin House Road Improvement Project Draft EIR Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park California Department of Parks & Recreation December 2009 1 TABLE of CONTENTS Chapter/Section (ctrl +click to follow link) Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................9 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................9 1.2 Lead Agency ..........................................................................................................9 1.3 Public Notice and Review.......................................................................................9 1.4 Responsible and Trustee Agencies......................................................................10 1.5 Organization and Scope.......................................................................................11 1.6 Findings................................................................................................................13 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................14 2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................14 2.2 Local and Regional Setting ..................................................................................14 2.3 Background and Need for the Project ..................................................................14 2.4 Project Objectives ................................................................................................15 2.5 Design Requirements...........................................................................................16 2.6 Project Details ......................................................................................................23 2.7 Project Implementation ........................................................................................24 2.7 Regulatory Requirements, Permits, and Approvals..............................................24 3.0 ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT ..............................................................25 3.1 Alternatives ..........................................................................................................25 3.2 Alternatives Considered and Rejected as Infeasible ............................................26 3.3 Environmentally Superior Alternative ...................................................................26 3.3 Findings................................................................................................................27 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS .......................................................................................28 4.1 AESTHETICS .............................................................................................................28 4.1.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................28 4.1.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................30 4.1.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................31 4.1.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements and Mitigation Measures ............31 4.1.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................34 4.1.6 Findings................................................................................................................34 4.2 AIR QUALITY.............................................................................................................35 4.2.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................35 4.2.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................42 4.2.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................43 4.2.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measures ...........44 4.2.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................46 4.2.6 Findings................................................................................................................47 4.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..........................................................................................47 4.3.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................47 4.3.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................60 4.3.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................63 4.3.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measures ...........63 Tin House Road Improvement Project Draft EIR Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park California Department of Parks & Recreation December 2009 2 4.3.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................67 4.3.6 Findings................................................................................................................67 4.4 CULTURAL RESOURCES.............................................................................................68 4.4.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................68 4.4.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................69 4.4.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................71 4.4.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measure .............71 4.4.5 Findings...............................................................................................................72 4.5 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................................72 4.5.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................73 4.5.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................76 4.5.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................78 4.5.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measures ...........78 4.5.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................78 4.5.6 Findings................................................................................................................79 4.6 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS .....................................................................79 4.6.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................80 4.6.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................82 4.6.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................82 4.6.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measures ...........83 4.6.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................84 4.6.6 Findings................................................................................................................84 4.7 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ............................................................................84 4.7.1 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................85 4.7.2 Regulatory Setting................................................................................................85 4.7.3 Thresholds of Significance ...................................................................................86 4.7.4 Environmental Impacts, Project Requirements, and Mitigation Measures ...........87 4.7.5 Effects Considered No Impact or Less than Significant without Project Requirements .................................................................................................................88 4.7.6 Findings................................................................................................................89 4.8 LUAND SE AND PLANNING (INCLUDES AGRICULTURE, MINERALS, AND RECREATION)......90 4.8.1 Land Use and Planning........................................................................................90 4.8.2 Agriculture............................................................................................................91