1. The San Vicente Creek Restoration Plan, Habitat Management Plan for the Red-Legged Frog and Water Quality Management Plan may include recommendations that could adversely affect special status species and sensitive habitat.
2. Project construction and tree removal could cause the loss of active raptor nests or young.
3. Placement, use and maintenance of existing and new trails could adversely impact special status plant species.
4. If plans for facilities included in the Master Plan are not in compliance with Local Coastal Plan policies that protect natural resources, adverse impacts to sensitive habitat at the Pillar Point Marsh and San Vicente Creek riparian corridor may occur.
5. If plans for the facilities proposed in the Master Plan result in waste discharges into the Reserve’s waters, there is a potential for adverse impacts to the reef and underwater communities of the Reserve, and the new discharges would be in violation of the California Ocean Plan.
Finding
1. Components to be included in the preparation of and implementation of the three plans defined in Recommended Implementation actions #10,11, and 12 (San Vicente Creek Restoration Plan, Habitat Management Plan for the Red Legged Frog, and Water Quality Management Plan). These three plans shall contain resource assessment section and a plan implementation section written by a qualified biologist. The biologist will survey for sensitive habitats and special status species in the areas to be covered by each plan during the appropriate seasons for survey. The biologist will also assess the potential for impacts to sensitive status species or habitats from actions included in each plan, and provide recommendations in the plan implementation section on how to meet the objectives of the plan while also avoiding or mitigating adverse impacts to sensitive habitats or special status species. The San Vicente Creek Restoration Plan will determine the location of the proposed footbridge over the creek, and provide recommendations and measures for avoidance of adverse impacts specific to the footbridge. If any aspect of these plans has the potential to adversely affect listed species, the County shall consult with the appropriate agencies (i.e. CDFG or USFWS) to ensure that impacts will be avoided and mitigation is adequate.
2. To avoid impacts to breeding raptors, preconstruction surveys for raptors shall be conducted and avoidance measures shall be implemented if necessary. No project activities that could cause raptors nest abandonment should occur prior to the surveys. The nesting season for raptors in the Bay Area extends from January through August. A qualified biologist shall conduct the surveys no more than 14 days prior to the initiation of these activities during the late part of the breeding season (May through August). If any raptor nesting activity is discovered, tree removal should be postponed until the young have fledged.
3. The County shall implement San Mateo County Trails Plan Design Guidelines 1.10.1.2 Native Vegetation, 1.10.1.3 Barriers, 1.10.1.4 Biology, and 1.10.2.1 Sensitive Habitat. These Design Guidelines are listed below:
D.G. 1.10.1.2 Native Vegetation Existing vegetation shall only be removed as
necessary to accommodate the trail clearing width.
D.G. 1.10.1.3 Barriers Trail design shall include barriers to control trail use and prevent environmental damage. Barriers may include fences, gates, vegetation, stiles, and/or fallen trees or branches.
D.G. 1.10.1.4 Biology Biological resources shall be conducted as specific trail routes outside of urban areas are implemented. Assessments shall be conducted by a qualified biologist and will include surveys for sensitive habitats and special status species in the appropriate seasons. These assessments shall include aligning the trail to avoid impacts to sensitive habitats, special status species, and heritage and significant trees. If any trail alignment may affect such resources, the County will consult with the appropriate agencies (i.e. the CA Department of Fish Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service) to ensure that impacts will be avoided or mitigation is adequate. The report will also discuss the trail’s consistency with relevant local and regional conservation and recovery plans. If mitigation is not feasible to a level of insignificance the trail should not be constructed at that location. Conflicts between trail alignment and resource protection shall be decided in the favor of resource protection.
D.G. 1.10.2.1 Sensitive Habitat To the maximum extent feasible, trail alignments shall avoid impacts to sensitive habitat, including habitats for special status plants and animals. Trail alignments shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by a professional biologist to identify impact avoidance measures or mitigation measures for biotic impacts. Consideration should be given to:
• Rerouting the trail
• Periodic closures
• Revegetation prescriptions including replacement vegetation based on habitat acreage or plant quantity
• Buffer plantings
• Discrete barrier fencing that accommodates wildlife passage
• Other appropriate measures
In addition to the measures described in the San Mateo County Trails Plan Design Guidelines, boardwalks could be used to avoid or minimize impacts on natural resources.
4. When construction plans for the facilities included in the Master Plan are prepared, site constraints, including sensitive habitat shall be thoroughly considered, and the facilities shall be designed to comply with Local Coastal Plan policies that protect natural resources including sensitive habitat. Additional design features and Best Management Practices, such as berms between the riparian area and parking area, grading to direct runoff away from sensitive habitat, and surfacing with permeable materials, shall be used to ensure that riparian areas will not be adversely impacted.
5. When construction plans for facilities included in the Master Plan are prepared, design features shall be included to ensure that the new facilities do not introduce new waste discharges into the Reserve.
Statement in Support of Finding
No impacts are expected to occur as a result of the adoption of the Master Plan. Impacts could occur as a result of construction or physical improvements. When specific projects are proposed they will be evaluated for CEQA compliance and any potential impacts identified will be reduced to a level of insignificance as the result of the recommended mitigation measures.
GEOLOGY AND SOIL IMPACTS
1. The project area may experience shaking or other seismic hazard from a significant earthquake during the design life of the buildings.
2. Structures included in the Reserve system may be subject to shaking or other seismic hazard from a significant earthquake.
3. The informal trail system on the bluffs may be contributing to erosion.
Finding
1. Design and engineering of the Education Center shall comply with the specifications included in a site-specific geotechnical report provided by a qualified geotechnical consultant.
2. The County shall implement San Mateo County Trails Plan Design Guidelines 1.13.1 Hazards and 1.13.3 Structures for the proposed footbridge over San Vicente Creek and all other structures associated with trails (i.e. stairways). These Design Guidelines are listed below:
D.G. 1.13.1 Hazards Appropriate surveys shall be conducted as part of the trail route site planning to identify the occurrence of any potentially hazardous geologic conditions. Such areas shall be avoided or necessary construction design measures shall be incorporated into the design of the trail to assure that:
• Users will not be exposed to the identified hazard
• Trails would not contribute to increasing the degree or extent of the instability.
• Drainage from the trail will be routed away from the instability.
D.G. 1.13.3 Structures Where structures are proposed a geotechnical evaluation shall be conducted to identify engineering methods to reduce the potential for structural failure due to geological hazards.
3. The Master Plan includes the preparation of a Master Landscape and Trails Plan, which will specify improvements to designated trails and restoration of informal trails causing resource damage. For all trail design, construction, and management proposed in the Master Plan, Design Guideline 3.7 as found in the San Mateo County Trails Plan shall be implemented in order to reduce erosion along new and existing trails to less than significant levels. All undesignated trails should be closed and repaired. Design Guideline 3.7 Grading and Drainage is as follows:
D.G. 3.7.1 Extent of Grading No large scale grading shall be used for trail construction unless in conjunction with a development project where large-scale grading has been found acceptable. Trail designs shall conform to the County Excavating, Grading, Filling, and Clearing Ordinance.
D.G. 3.7.2 Cut and Fill the degree of cut allowed on a slope depends on the soil type, hardness, and surrounding natural resources. Ultimate cuts shall be contoured to blend with the natural slopes. Berms of earth, rocks or wood on the outside of the trail may be necessary. Steep areas shall be handled by limited terracing or building steps to avoid large-scale grading. Steps must be reinforced with stone or wood.
D.G. 3.7.3 Soil Disturbance In order to reduce erosion and maintenance problems, disturbance of the soil surface shall be kept to a minimum. Only those rocks, stumps and roots, which interfere with safe passage, shall be removed.
D.G. 3.7.4 Drainage Trail designs shall comply with the County Surface Runoff Management Plan. Surface water shall be diverted from trails by out sloping the trail tread between 1% and 3% where feasible. Other trail drainage techniques may include rolling dips, culverts, or ditches on sides of trails.
D.G. 3.7.5 Erosion Control Plans Where a potential for significant soil erosion exists along a new trail alignment, specific erosion control plans shall be prepared by a qualified professional. Criteria to be used in determining the erosion potential include: slope, soil type, soil composition, and permeability and the relative stability of the underlying geologic unit. The erosion control plans shall comply with erosion control policies in the San Mateo County General Plan and the Local Coastal Plan.
Statement in Support of Finding
No impacts are expected to occur as a result of the adoption of the Master Plan. Impacts could occur as a result of construction or physical improvements. When specific projects are proposed they will be evaluated for CEQA compliance and any potential impacts identified will be reduced to a level of insignificance as the result of the recommended mitigation measures.
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