INITIAL STUDY / ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST Habitat Conservation Plan For Elk Hills Oil & Gas Field Kern County, CA LEAD AGENCY: Department of Fish and Game 1234 East Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 Contact: Julie Vance (559) 243-4005 (Ext. 141) CONSULTANT: 5080 California Ave., Suite 400 Bakersfield, CA 93309-1697 Contact: Nina Hostmark (661) 616-2600 June 2009 INITIAL STUDY / ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST Habitat Conservation Plan For Elk Hills Oil & Gas Field Kern County, CA LEAD AGENCY: Department of Fish and Game 1234 East Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 Contact: Julie Vance (559) 243-4014 (Ext. 222) CONSULTANT: 5080 California Ave., Suite 400 Bakersfield, CA 93309-1697 Contact: Nina Hostmark (661) 616-2600 June 2009 Initial Study Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. iii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations............................................................................................. iv Section 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose .............................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................1-3 1.3 Regulatory Setting .............................................................................................1-5 1.4 Program EIR and Subsequent Environmental Review......................................1-8 1.5 Previous Environmental Documents .................................................................1-9 Section 2.0 Project Description ........................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Project Location..................................................................................................2-1 2.3 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................2-2 2.4 Description of Project Analyzed in 1997 SEIS/PEIR ..........................................2-5 2.4.1 1997 SEIS/PEIR and Associated Impacts................................................2-6 2.4.2 1997 SEIS/PEIR Mitigation Monitoring Program ......................................2-7 2.5 Description of the New Project (Proposed ITP)................................................2-10 2.5.1 Covered Activities...................................................................................2-10 2.5.2 Covered Lands .......................................................................................2-12 2.5.3 Covered Species ....................................................................................2-13 2.5.4 ITP Permittee..........................................................................................2-16 2.5.5 Habitat Disturbance Envelope ................................................................2-17 2.6 Gap Analysis....................................................................................................2-17 2.6.1 Projected Oil Field Activities ...................................................................2-18 2.6.2 Habitat Disturbance Envelope ................................................................2-19 2.7 Intended Uses of This Document .....................................................................2-21 Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist .................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected........................................................3-1 3.2 Environmental Determination.............................................................................3-1 3.3 Evaluation of Environmental Impacts .................................................................3-2 Notice of Preparation for i June 2009 The Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field HCP Initial Study Table of Contents Section 4.0 Discussion of Environmental Evaluation........................................ 4-1 4.1 Aesthetics...........................................................................................................4-3 4.2 Agricultural Resources.......................................................................................4-6 4.3 Air Quality.........................................................................................................4-23 4.4 Biological Resources ........................................................................................4-48 4.5 Cultural Resources...........................................................................................4-75 4.6 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................4-89 4.7 Greenhouse Gas Emissions...........................................................................4-104 4.8 Hazards and Hazardous Materials .................................................................4-108 4.9 Hydrology and Water Quality..........................................................................4-137 4.10 Land Use and Planning ..................................................................................4-157 4.11 Mineral Resources..........................................................................................4-162 4.12 Noise..............................................................................................................4-166 4.13 Population and Housing .................................................................................4-177 4.14 Public Services...............................................................................................4-181 4.15 Recreation......................................................................................................4-190 4.16 Transportation/Traffic.....................................................................................4-192 4.17 Utilities and Service Systems .........................................................................4-205 4.18 Energy Conservation ......................................................................................4-217 4.19 Mandatory Findings of Significance................................................................4-224 References ........................................................................................................... 4-225 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 EHOF Unit Land Map....................................................................................1-12 Figure 2.2 EHOF Site Vicinity Map ................................................................................2-22 Figure 2.3 EHOF Legal Land Description ......................................................................2-23 Figure 2.4a EHOF Conservation Lands ...........................................................................2-24 Figure 2.4b EHOF Regional Context Map ..…………………………………….….............2-25 Figure 4.2a EHOF Kern County Important Farmland.......................................................4-17 Figure 4.2b EHOF Kern County General Plan Land Use Map.........................................4-18 Figure 4.2b-1 EHOF Kern County General Plan Land Use Elk Hills...................................4-19 Figure 4.2c EHOF Kern County Zoning Map ...................................................................4-20 Figure 4.2c-1 EHOF Kern County Zoning Map Elk Hills......................................................4-21 Figure 4.2d EHOF Williamson Act Lands Map.................................................................4-22 Figure 4.3 EHOF Elk Hills Historical Production and Case Projection...........................4-47 Figure 4.4a EHOF Utilities Map .......................................................................................4-73 Figure 4.4b EHOF CNDDB Sensitive Natural Community Observations.........................4-74 Figure 4.8a EHOF Public Facilities Map ........................................................................4-118 Figure 4.8b EHOF Airport Compatibility Land Use Map.................................................4-129 Figure 4.9 EHOF Floodplain Map ................................................................................4-156 Notice of Preparation for ii June 2009 The Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field HCP Initial Study Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES Table 2.5-1 Covered Special Status Species, Potential to Occur .......................................2-15 Table 2.5-2 Covered Special Status Plants, Potential to Occur ..........................................2-16 Table 2.6-1 Total Acreage Disturbance Envelopes: 1997 SEIS/PEIR versus Elk Hills Oil field Proposed ITP ...........................................................................................2-19 Table 2.6-2 Pre-Sale and Future Conditions For EHOF (Developed/Undisturbed Acres) . 2-20 Table 4.2-1 Williamson Act Lands .......................................................................................4-12 Table 4.3-1 Stationary Source Emissions............................................................................4-34 Table 4.3-2