Title
Development Services Department recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Receive the Draft Wildlife Movement and Corridors Report; and
2) Accept the report for the purpose of completion of Task 1.d of Phase 1 of the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan. (Est. Time: 1 Hr.)
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: N/A
Background: The Draft Wildlife Movement and Corridors Report (Attachment A) has been prepared as Task 1.d of Phase 1 of the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP). This is the fourth of five tasks set forth in the contract with Sierra Ecosystems Associates (SEA) for Phase 1. The final task, development of options for Phase 2, is underway and will be brought to the Board as provided in the scope of work and work schedule.
Task 1.d requires the consultant team to "evaluate the need for north-south wildlife movement corridors and to analyze the barrier effect of Highway 50 and other major roadways. The team was to identify crossing areas for Highway 50 and examine the possibility of retrofitting existing drainage structures and under-crossings to improve wildlife movement. (See Attachment B for full text of Task 1.d.)
The Draft Wildlife Movement and Corridors Report addresses these issues by discussing wildlife movement needs in general, and the effect that roads, specifically Highway 50, have on wildlife mortality and the barrier effect they create for more sensitive terrestrial species. The report references larger scale studies previously completed that describe the effect that Highway 50 and Interstate 80 have on wildlife movement throughout the Sierra Nevada foothills. The report then focuses on the existing and potential improvements to under-crossings for ground-dwelling animals along the Highway 50 corridor. It concludes with an analysis of different strategies that could be utilized in Phase 2 of the INRMP.
This report is informational only, and does not compel the County to take any specific course of action for development of the actual mitigation strategy of Phase 2.
The issue of wildlife movement and corridors was discussed at four successive INRMP Stakeholders Advisory Committee (ISAC) and Plant and Wildlife Technical Advisory Committee (PAWTAC) meetings, beginning in July 2010. The meetings included an introduction of the topic and review of draft reports by the committees. The work product is the result of significant input from committee members. Both committees unanimously recommended that the Board accept the report as completion of Task 1.d, subject to additional edits recommended by committee members. Those edits have been incorporated into this report. Copies of the meeting minutes and notes are attached (Attachments C through J.)
After discussion of the report and the progress made on the INRMP, DSD recommends that the Board receive and file the report as meeting the requirements of Task 1.d of Phase 1 of the INRMP.
Action to be taken following Board approval: DSD staff will continue to work with PAWTAC, ISAC, and SEA to complete Task 2 of Phase 1 of the INRMP (Identify a Range of Alternatives (Options) for INRMP).
In order to ensure conformance with Board direction, staff anticipates that the next hearing will be a discussion of the different options, as described in Task 2.a of the work program. This will provide the opportunity for the Board to review the data provided in the work products from Phase 1 (Tasks 1.a through 1.d), to consider the effects of various options and provide direction for completing Phase 1 and developing a proposed scope of work for Phase 2.
Contact: Peter Maurer x5331
Concurrences: Plant and Wildlife Technical Advisory Committee, INRMP Stakeholders Advisory Committee