APPENDIX D BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT - …

APPENDIX D BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT

Draft Biological Resources Technical Report Proposed Banducci Substation and Associated Facilities

2012

Table of Contents

1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Description ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Projected Project Impacts................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Project Location ............................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Report Purpose and Need ................................................................................................. 2 1.5 Document Organization ................................................................................................... 2

2 Regulatory Setting .................................................................................................................. 5 2.1 Federal .............................................................................................................................. 5 2.1.1 Endangered Species Act ........................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Clean Water Act........................................................................................................ 6 2.1.3 Migratory Bird Treaty Act ........................................................................................ 8 2.1.4 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act ..................................................................... 9 2.2 State .................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.1 California Endangered Species Act .......................................................................... 9 2.2.2 California Fish and Game Code (Sections1600-1616) ............................................. 9 2.2.3 Other Applicable California Fish and Game Code Sections .................................. 10 2.2.4 Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Sections 670.2 and 670.5...................... 10 2.2.5 CEQA Significance Criteria ................................................................................... 10 2.3 Local............................................................................................................................... 12 2.3.1 Kern County General Plan ...................................................................................... 12 2.3.2 Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP)........................................ 13

3 Methods................................................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Analysis Area ................................................................................................................. 14 3.3 Literature and Records Review ...................................................................................... 14 3.4 GIS Analysis .................................................................................................................. 16 3.4.1 Vegetation and Jurisdictional Waters ..................................................................... 16

Draft Biological Resources Technical Report Proposed Banducci Substation and Associated Facilities

2012

3.4.2 Sensitive Biological Resources............................................................................... 17 3.5 Field Survey Methods .................................................................................................... 17

3.5.1 Nomenclature and Mapping Conventions used in this Report ............................... 17 4 Results................................................................................................................................... 18

4.1 Geographical Setting ...................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Dominant Vegetation Types........................................................................................... 18

4.2.1 Blue Oak Woodland................................................................................................ 22 4.2.2 Foothill Pine-Oak Woodland .................................................................................. 22 4.2.3 Big Sagebrush Scrub............................................................................................... 23 4.2.4 Rubber Rabbitbrush ................................................................................................ 23 4.2.5 Nonnative Grassland ............................................................................................... 23 4.2.6 Agricultural and Rural Lands.................................................................................. 24 4.2.7 Developed ............................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Dominant Wildlife.......................................................................................................... 24 4.3.1 Insects and other Invertebrates................................................................................ 24 4.3.2 Reptiles and Amphibians ........................................................................................ 25 4.3.3 Birds ........................................................................................................................ 25 4.3.4 Mammals................................................................................................................. 25 4.4 Wildlife Movement ........................................................................................................ 26 4.5 Special Status Species .................................................................................................... 26 4.5.1 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................................... 29 4.5.2 Special-Status Wildlife ........................................................................................... 30 4.6 Sensitive Species Summaries ......................................................................................... 38 4.6.1 Sensitive Plants ....................................................................................................... 38 4.6.2 Sensitive Reptiles and Amphibians ........................................................................ 41 4.6.3 Sensitive Birds ........................................................................................................ 42 4.6.4 Sensitive Mammals ................................................................................................. 49 4.7 Sensitive Habitats ........................................................................................................... 50 4.7.1 Special-Status Vegetation Types ............................................................................ 50

Draft Biological Resources Technical Report Proposed Banducci Substation and Associated Facilities

2012

4.7.2 Jurisdictional Areas................................................................................................. 50 4.8 Critical Habitat and Other Special Management Areas ................................................. 52 5 Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 54 5.1 Project Impact Analysis ................................................................................................. 54

5.1.1 Vegetation ............................................................................................................... 54 5.1.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 55 5.1.3 Sensitive Species..................................................................................................... 55 5.2 Sensitive Habitats and Regulated Waters Requirements ............................................... 58 5.3 Applicant Proposed Mitigation ...................................................................................... 59 6 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................... 61

Tables Table 1-1. Anticipated Surface Disturbance ................................................................................... 1 Table 4-1. PSA Vegetation Acreage ............................................................................................. 22 Table 4-2. Special Status Species in PSA and Vicinity ................................................................ 27 Table 5-1. Potential Impacts to Sensitive Species ........................................................................ 55

Figures

Figure 1-1. Project Vicinity ............................................................................................................ 3 Figure 1-2. Project Location ........................................................................................................... 4 Figure 3-1. Project Study Area ..................................................................................................... 15 Figure 4-1. Topography ................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 4-2. Soils............................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 4-3. Vegetation .................................................................................................................. 21 Figure 4-4. CNDDB Occurrences................................................................................................. 28 Figure 4-5. Critical Habitat and Special Management Areas ....................................................... 53

Appendices

Appendix A. Plants and Wildlife Detected

Appendix B. Quadrangles Queried for CNDDB

Draft Biological Resources Technical Report Proposed Banducci Substation and Associated Facilities

2012

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Project Description

Southern California Edison (SCE) proposes construction of new facilities in Cummings Valley and Tehachapi, Kern County, California. The proposed Banducci 66/12 kV Substation and associated components (Proposed Project) include a substation and subtransmission and telecommunications routes. SCE intends to make these facilities operational by June 2016.

The Proposed Project includes the following components:

? Construction of a new Banducci 66/12 kV Substation. The Banducci Substation would be an unstaffed, automated, 56.0 MVA, low-profile substation with a potential capacity of 112 MVA at final build out. The proposed 66/12 kV distribution substation would be located on an approximately 6.3 acre parcel in the unincorporated Cummings Valley area of Kern County.

? Construction of two new 66 kV subtransmission line segments that would loop the existing Correction-Cummings-Kern River 1 66 kV Subtransmission Line: one that would enter and one that would exit the proposed Banducci Substation creating the new Banducci-Kern River 1 66 kV Subtransmission Line and the new Banducci-CorrectionCummings 66 kV Subtransmission Line.

? Construction of three new underground 12 kV distribution getaways. ? Installation of telecommunications facilities to connect the proposed Banducci Substation

to SCE's existing telecommunications system.

1.2 Projected Project Impacts

Table 1-1 summarizes the anticipated surface disturbance from the Proposed Project.

Table 1-1. Anticipated Surface Disturbance

Project Component Substation Subtransmission Telecommunications TOTAL

Temporarily Disturbed Acres 6.3 16.2 4.95

27.45

Permanently Disturbed Acres 6.3 0.14 0.006

6.4406

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Draft Biological Resources Technical Report Proposed Banducci Substation and Associated Facilities

2012

1.3 Project Location

The Proposed Project would be located within the Tehachapi, Brite, and Cummings Valleys in eastern Kern County (Figure 1-1: Project Vicinity). The Banducci Substation would be a new facility encompassing approximately 3.3 acres of an approximately 6.3 acre parcel located in the unincorporated Cummings Valley area of Kern County. The proposed substation site would be located at the southeast corner of Pellisier Road and future Dale Road (Figure 1-2: Project Location). The subtransmission and telecommunications lines would exit the Banducci Substation and connect the Cummings and Monolith Substations as shown in Figure 1-2.

1.4 Report Purpose and Need

This report provides a description of biological resources potentially affected by the Proposed Project. The analysis is needed to address environmental concerns associated with the Proposed Project.

1.5 Document Organization

The document is divided into five major sections (including this Introduction). The ensuing sections describe:

? The pertinent regulatory drivers for natural resources on this project (Regulatory Setting); ? The methods employed to accomplish the survey and prepare the report (Methodology); ? A description of plants, animals and sensitive habitats of concern to the project (Results);

and, ? Discussion of potential impacts and recommended mitigation measures to offset those

impacts (Discussion).

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Figure 1-1. Project Vicinity

Project Location

Legend

Proposed Project Alignment

?

0 5 10 20 30 40 Miles

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