Source: http://dissertation.xlibx.info/d1-biology/5775-1-introduction-and-purpose-the-conservation-special-status-native-p.php
Timestamp: 2017-09-22 22:32:30
Document Index: 82398197

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1802', '§15386', '§2050', '§2081', '§2050', '§2062', '§2067', '§1900', '§1901', '§15380', '§15125', '§15380', '§15380', '§15380']

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE The conservation of special status native plants and their habitats, as well as natural communities, is integral to
«INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE The conservation of special status native plants and their habitats, as well as natural communities, is integral to ...»
Protocols for Surveying and Evaluating Impacts to
Special Status Native Plant Populations and Natural Communities
November 24, 20091
The conservation of special status native plants and their habitats, as well as natural communities, is integral to maintaining biological diversity. The purpose of these protocols is to facilitate a consistent and systematic approach to the survey and assessment of special status native plants and natural communities so that reliable information is produced and the potential of locating a special status plant species or natural community is maximized. They may also help those who prepare and review environmental documents determine when a botanical survey is needed, how field surveys may be conducted, what information to include in a survey report, and what qualifications to consider for surveyors. The protocols may help avoid delays caused when inadequate biological information is provided during the environmental review process; assist lead, trustee and responsible reviewing agencies to make an informed decision regarding the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of a proposed development, activity, or action on special status native plants and natural communities; meet California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)2 requirements for adequate disclosure of potential impacts; and conserve public trust resources.
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME TRUSTEE AND RESPONSIBLE AGENCY MISSION
The mission of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is to manage California's diverse wildlife and native plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. DFG has jurisdiction over the conservation, protection, and management of wildlife, native plants, and habitat necessary to maintain biologically sustainable populations (Fish and Game Code §1802). DFG, as trustee agency under CEQA §15386, provides expertise in reviewing and commenting on environmental documents and makes protocols regarding potential negative impacts to those resources held in trust for the people of California.
Certain species are in danger of extinction because their habitats have been severely reduced in acreage, are threatened with destruction or adverse modification, or because of a combination of these and other factors. The California Endangered Species Act (CESA) provides additional protections for such species, including take prohibitions (Fish and Game Code §2050 et seq.). As a responsible agency, DFG has the authority to issue permits for the take of species listed under CESA if the take is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity; DFG has determined that the impacts of the take have been minimized and fully mitigated; and, the take would not jeopardize the continued existence of the species (Fish and Game Code §2081). Surveys are one of the preliminary steps to detect a listed or special status plant species or natural community that may be impacted significantly by a project.
Botanical surveys provide information used to determine the potential environmental effects of proposed projects on all special status plants and natural communities as required by law (i.e., CEQA, CESA, and Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA)). Some key terms in this document appear in bold font for assistance in use of the document.
For the purposes of this document, special status plants include all plant species that meet one or more of the
following criteria3:
1 This document replaces the DFG document entitled “Guidelines for Assessing the Effects of Proposed Projects on Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants and Natural Communities.” 2 http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/ 3 Adapted from the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy available at http://www.fws.gov/sacramento/EACCS/Documents/080228_Species_Evaluation_EACCS.pdf
 Listed4 or candidates for listing by the State of California as threatened or endangered under CESA (Fish and Game Code §2050 et seq.). A species, subspecies, or variety of plant is endangered when the prospects of its survival and reproduction in the wild are in immediate jeopardy from one or more causes, including loss of habitat, change in habitat, over-exploitation, predation, competition, disease, or other factors (Fish and Game Code §2062). A plant is threatened when it is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future in the absence of special protection and management measures (Fish and Game Code §2067).
 Listed as rare under the California Native Plant Protection Act (Fish and Game Code §1900 et seq.). A plant is rare when, although not presently threatened with extinction, the species, subspecies, or variety is found in such small numbers throughout its range that it may be endangered if its environment worsens (Fish and Game Code §1901).
 Meet the definition of rare or endangered under CEQA §15380(b) and (d). Species that may meet the
definition of rare or endangered include the following:
 Species considered by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) to be “rare, threatened or endangered in California” (Lists 1A, 1B and 2);
 Species that may warrant consideration on the basis of local significance or recent biological information5;
 Some species included on the California Natural Diversity Database’s (CNDDB) Special Plants, Bryophytes, and Lichens List (California Department of Fish and Game 2008)6.
 Considered a locally significant species, that is, a species that is not rare from a statewide perspective but is rare or uncommon in a local context such as within a county or region (CEQA §15125 (c)) or is so designated in local or regional plans, policies, or ordinances (CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G). Examples include a species at the outer limits of its known range or a species occurring on an uncommon soil type.
Special status natural communities are communities that are of limited distribution statewide or within a county or region and are often vulnerable to environmental effects of projects. These communities may or may not contain special status species or their habitat. The most current version of the Department’s List of California Terrestrial Natural Communities7 indicates which natural communities are of special status given the current state of the California classification.
Most types of wetlands and riparian communities are considered special status natural communities due to their limited distribution in California. These natural communities often contain special status plants such as those described above. These protocols may be used in conjunction with protocols formulated by other agencies, for example, those developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to delineate jurisdictional wetlands8 or by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to survey for the presence of special status plants9.
4 Refer to current online published lists available at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata.
5 In general, CNPS List 3 plants (plants about which more information is needed) and List 4 plants (plants of limited distribution) may not warrant consideration under CEQA §15380. These plants may be included on special status plant lists such as those developed by counties where they would be addressed under CEQA §15380. List 3 plants may be analyzed under CEQA §15380 if sufficient information is available to assess potential impacts to such plants. Factors such as regional rarity vs. statewide rarity should be considered in determining whether cumulative impacts to a List 4 plant are significant even if individual project impacts are not. List 3 and 4 plants are also included in the California Natural Diversity Database’s (CNDDB) Special Plants, Bryophytes, and Lichens List. [Refer to the current online published list available at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata.] Data on Lists 3 and 4 plants should be submitted to CNDDB. Such data aids in determining or revising priority ranking.
6 Refer to current online published lists available at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata.
7 http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/vegcamp/pdfs/natcomlist.pdf. The rare natural communities are asterisked on this list.
8 http://www.wetlands.com/regs/tlpge02e.htm 9 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Survey Guidelines available at http://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es/protocol.htm
Conduct botanical surveys prior to the commencement of any activities that may modify vegetation, such as
clearing, mowing, or ground-breaking activities. It is appropriate to conduct a botanical field survey when:
 Natural (or naturalized) vegetation occurs on the site, and it is unknown if special status plant species or natural communities occur on the site, and the project has the potential for direct or indirect effects on vegetation; or  Special status plants or natural communities have historically been identified on the project site; or  Special status plants or natural communities occur on sites with similar physical and biological properties as the project site.
Conduct field surveys in a manner which maximizes the likelihood of locating special status plant species or special status natural communities that may be present. Surveys should be floristic in nature, meaning that every plant taxon that occurs on site is identified to the taxonomic level necessary to determine rarity and listing status. “Focused surveys” that are limited to habitats known to support special status species or are restricted to lists of likely potential species are not considered floristic in nature and are not adequate to identify all plant taxa on site to the level necessary to determine rarity and listing status. Include a list of plants and natural communities detected on the site for each botanical survey conducted. More than one field visit may be necessary to adequately capture the floristic diversity of a site. An indication of the prevalence (estimated total numbers, percent cover, density, etc.) of the species and communities on the site is also useful to assess the significance of a particular population.
Before field surveys are conducted, compile relevant botanical information in the general project area to provide a regional context for the investigators. Consult the CNDDB10 and BIOS11 for known occurrences of special status plants and natural communities in the project area prior to field surveys. Generally, identify vegetation and habitat types potentially occurring in the project area based on biological and physical properties of the site and surrounding ecoregion12, unless a larger assessment area is appropriate. Then, develop a list of special status plants with the potential to occur within these vegetation types. This list can serve as a tool for the investigators and facilitate the use of reference sites; however, special status plants on site might not be limited to those on the list. Field surveys and subsequent reporting should be comprehensive and floristic in nature and not restricted to or focused only on this list. Include in the survey report the list of potential special status species and natural communities, and the list of references used to compile the background botanical information for the site.
Surveys should be comprehensive over the entire site, including areas that will be directly or indirectly impacted by the project. Adjoining properties should also be surveyed where direct or indirect project effects, such as those from fuel modification or herbicide application, could potentially extend offsite. Pre-project surveys restricted to known CNDDB rare plant locations may not identify all special status plants and communities present and do not provide a sufficient level of information to determine potential impacts.
Conduct surveys using systematic field techniques in all habitats of the site to ensure thorough coverage of potential impact areas. The level of effort required per given area and habitat is dependent upon the vegetation and its overall diversity and structural complexity, which determines the distance at which plants can be identified. Conduct surveys by walking over the entire site to ensure thorough coverage, noting all plant taxa 10 Available at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb 11 http://www.bios.dfg.ca.gov/ 12 Ecological Subregions of California, available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/projects/ecoregions/toc.htm
TIMING AND NUMBER OF VISITS
Conduct surveys in the field at the time of year when species are both evident and identifiable. Usually this is during flowering or fruiting. Space visits throughout the growing season to accurately determine what plants exist on site. Many times this may involve multiple visits to the same site (e.g. in early, mid, and late-season for flowering plants) to capture the floristic diversity at a level necessary to determine if special status plants are present14. The timing and number of visits are determined by geographic location, the natural communities present, and the weather patterns of the year(s) in which the surveys are conducted.
When special status plants are known to occur in the type(s) of habitat present in the project area, observe reference sites (nearby accessible occurrences of the plants) to determine whether those species are identifiable at the time of the survey and to obtain a visual image of the target species, associated habitat, and associated natural community.
USE OF EXISTING SURVEYS
For some sites, floristic inventories or special status plant surveys may already exist. Additional surveys may be
necessary for the following reasons: