Appendix F – Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Assessment Update Prepared by Cogstone dated January 2013 November 2013 Esperanza Hills ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT UPDATE FOR THE ESPERANZA HILLS PROJECT, UNINCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Prepared for: Yorba Linda Estates, LLC Authors: Sherri Gust and Molly Valasik Principal Investigator: Sherri Gust, Orange County Certified Professional Paleontologist and Archaeologist January 2013 Cogstone Project Number: 2530 Type of Study: Paleontological and archaeological assessment (Phase I) update Fossil Localities: None Archaeological Sites: None USGS Quadrangle: Yorba Linda 1964, photorevised 1981, Prado Dam 1967, 1981 Area: 468.9 acres Key Words: Monterey Formation, Sycamore Canyon Formation, Quaternary older alluvium, Quaternary alluvium, Quaternary Landslide Debris, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Gabrielino/Tongva, historic ranching, historic oil industry use 1518 West Taft Avenue Branch Offices cogstone.com Orange, CA 92865 West Sacramento - Morro Bay - Inland Empire – San Diego Office (714) 974-8300 Toll free (888) 497-0700 Esperanza Hills Cultural TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... IV INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE OF STUDY ................................................................................................................................... 1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................................. 2 PROJECT PERSONNEL ................................................................................................................................. 5 REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................... 5 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT OF 1970 ............................................................................. 5 CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................. 6 DEFINITION OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ........................................................ 7 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................................... 8 GEOLOGICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................................... 8 STRATIGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Monterey Formation .............................................................................................................................. 9 Sycamore Canyon Formation .............................................................................................................. 10 Quaternary Older Alluvium ................................................................................................................. 10 Quaternary Alluvium ........................................................................................................................... 10 Quaternary Landslide Debris .............................................................................................................. 10 PREHISTORIC SETTING ............................................................................................................................. 12 PROJECT AREA CULTURES ....................................................................................................................... 13 ETHNOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................ 16 HISTORIC SETTING ................................................................................................................................... 18 KNOWN RESOURCES INVENTORIES .............................................................................................. 20 PALEONTOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 20 ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY ................................................................................................................. 24 Additional sources ............................................................................................................................... 27 NATIVE AMERICAN CONSULTATION ....................................................................................................... 29 SURVEY UPDATE ................................................................................................................................... 29 IMPACT ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................... 30 RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 30 PALEONTOLOGICAL MITIGATION PLAN ..................................................................................... 33 PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES SENSITIVITY TRAINING ....................................................................... 33 PERSONNEL .............................................................................................................................................. 33 MONITORING REQUIREMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS ................................................................................. 34 FOSSIL DISCOVERY AND TREATMENT ..................................................................................................... 34 REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................................................................ 37 APPENDIX A: QUALIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX B: PALEONTOLOGY RECORD SEARCH ................................................................... 42 Cogstone ii Esperanza Hills Cultural LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. PROJECT VICINITY........................................................................................................... 1 FIGURE 2. PROJECT AREA ................................................................................................................ 3 FIGURE 3. ESPERANZA HILLS SITE PLAN .......................................................................................... 4 FIGURE 4. MIOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................... 8 FIGURE 5. SUBMARINE FAN COMPONENTS ....................................................................................... 9 FIGURE 6. PROJECT GEOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 11 FIGURE 7. PREHISTORIC GABRIELINO/TONGVA COMMUNITIES NEAR ESPERANZA HILLS .............. 17 FIGURE 8. LAND GRANT MAP ....................................................................................................... 19 FIGURE 9. STONEHAVEN OPTION CUT AND FILL MAP ................................................................... 31 FIGURE 10. ASPEN OPTION CUT AND FILL MAP ............................................................................ 32 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. CULTURE CHANGE CHRONOLOGY ................................................................................... 14 TABLE 2. FOSSIL LOCALITIES NEARBY .......................................................................................... 21 TABLE 4. RECORDED SITES WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS ................................................................. 25 TABLE 5. PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS ................................ 26 TABLE 6. ADDITIONAL SOURCES CONSULTED ................................................................................. 28 TABLE 7. BLM LAND PATENTS FOR PROPOSED PROJECT AREA ........................................................ 28 Cogstone iii Esperanza Hills Cultural EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to determine the potential effects on paleontological, archaeological and historic resources of the proposed Esperanza Hills Project in unincorporated Orange County, California. The project proposes to construct 340 single family residential units on 468.9 acres. The project will consist of a gate-guarded community with low density residential and estate lots. The project will retain approximately 230 acres of open space including undisturbed natural open space and landscaping as part of a fuel modification plan. The eastern Puente Hills, also known as the Chino Hills, of the project area are comprised of middle Miocene to early Pliocene (16-3.6 million years old) marine sedimentary rock units overlain in some areas by Pleistocene Epoch (1.8 million to 10 thousand years old) terrestrial sediments. The project area is within the traditional tribal territory of the Gabrielino/Tongva. No fossils are known within the project area or a one mile radius. Fossils are known nearby from some of the same rock units that occur in the project area. These include Miocene and Pliocene marine fishes in addition to marine