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Home My WebLink About1990-06-19; City Council; 10678; CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH A CITYWIDE PLAN TO PROTECT THE CALIFORNIA BLACKTAILED GNATCATCHERf, *a 0 1 \z) c\l w 0 M c .rl u E z a u u 0 a -rl cn 1 a a, a, a, u ' @ 0 o= 111 B $ N U a, U (d E z z E-c 0 F 0 1 cn -! \ !-I G a z 3 0 0 c 0 V a .. a 0 cn CI~OF CARLSBAQ - AGEN~BILL yr C AB# rc'!'c-7 * TITLE: CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION TO DEI CIT MTC. L-/?-'?O PROCEED WITH A CITYWIDE PLAN TO PROTECT THE CALIFORNIA BLACKTAILED GNATCATCHER CIT DEPT. PLN RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt Resolution No. ?o-i&& authorizing staff to purs matter of developing a Citywide Preservation/Mitigation P1 the California Blacktailed Gnatcatcher and appropriate i funding. ITEM EXPLANATION The City Council recently approved a consultant agreemf prepare the environmental impact report for the realignmc Rancho Santa Fe Road. One of the issues that was identif the early scoping for the realignment project was its imp the habitat for the California Blacktailed Gnatcatcher. Thi nests in coastal sage scrub which exist on much of the undev land in Carlsbad. The Gnatcatcher, in all likelihood, w added to the Federal Endangered Species List within the next Because of the wide prevalence of coastal sage scrub habi Carlsbad and the fact that a number of other City projects Cannon Road, City Golf Course) may impact the Gnatcatchel idea of taking a proactive, Citywide approach towards deve a preservation/mitigation plan was discussed on a staff There has also been some interest from the development com in pursuing and helping to fund a Citywide Plan sinc processing of several private development plans would a1 impacted. Staff requested the City' s environmental consultant to dl preliminary work program which could lead to the establishm a Citywide Plan. The concept is to put a proactive plan in to protect a threatened species before it becomes a 1 situation. Attached. is the memorandum from the City's environi the plan. Although the consultant recommended a brainstc session before formal consideration by the City Council, sta elected to bring the idea forward for Council consideratic initial funding before pursuing the concept and expendir staff time or City resources. The proposed work plan emph, public input from a broad range of interests and regu agencies. At this time, staff is requesting City Council authorizat. pursue the idea of developing a Citywide protection plan fc Blacktailed Gnatcatcher and related habitat. Because profesr expertise is required, it is also requested that initial fi of $10,000 be authorized. This would be used to pay fc services of the City's environmental consultant and for Sti hire a biologist to represent the city. This initial fi would allow Steps 1 through 5 in the attached memorandum tc consultant outlining the draft of a work program for deve e 0 ICI (99 8 PAGE 2 OF AGENDA BILL NO. completed. If the work plan proceeds past that step, addid City funding will be required. An initial estimate WOI; $50,000 assuming that funding from the development communi1 affected private property owners would also be pursued. additional funding would be used to actually develop and imp: the mitigation plan. FISCAL IMPACT The extent of the financial exposure to the City related 1 Blacktailed Gnatcatcher Mitigation Plan is unknown at this Staff is recommending an initial appropriation of $10,000 fr General Fund unappropriated fund balance to pay costs rela. preparation of a draft work plan. The draft plan becomf document that describes the steps necessary to create a ci mitigation plan for the Blacktailed Gnatcatcher. Costs r to the citywide plan cannot be estimated at this time but substantial. The Council should anticipate additional associated with capital projects impacting the Black Gnatcatcher as well as the investment of a considerable amc staff time. EXHIBITS 1. 2. Memorandum from City's Environmental Consultant. City Council Resolution No. CZ. 0 --I sg e e MEMORANDUM DATE : April 3, 1990 TO : Mr. Michael Holzrniller Planning Director City of Carlsbad FROM : Mr. Philip Hinshaw President A.D. Hinshaw Associates RE : Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat Conservation Element Propose Study Design BACKGROVND Several tracts of land within the City of Carlsbad contain Coast2 Sage Scrub vegetation communities that support a variety of plar and animal species. One of these species is the California (Blacl tailed) Gnatcatcher. This species is a Federally listed Categoi I1 species (Species of Special Concern). Currently the U.S. Fi! & Wildlife Service is examining the need to list the Gnatcatcher i a Category I species (Rare and Endangered). Several City projects, such as the Canon Road extension, Ranc Santa Fe Road realignment and Golf Course will impact Coastal Sa Scrub plant communities and adversely impact the Californ Gnatcatcher habitat. These impacts will most probably determined to be "significant" and unmitigable on-site. Private sponsored projects are also believed to contain similar habit that will result in significant and unmitigable impacts. At a recent meeting of City staff and Fieldstone Compa representatives the concept of establishing a Coastal Sage Scr Habitat Conservation Element for resources contained in the Coast Sage Scrub plant community was discussed. During subseque meetings with the Fieldstone representatives there were furth discussions concerning the feasibility of preparing such a pla As a result of these meetings a preliminary study design has be developed. This study design conceptualizes a planning proce which could result in the adoption of a Coastal Sage Scrub Habit Conservation Element that would include a city-wide mitiqatj program for sensitive species including the California Gnatcatck and related plant and animal species. Thus far, discussions have focused on developing a process by wh. a work program could be developed for completing the necessi study(ies) and to determine the participants that should .involved. The attached study design outlines the process alc with brief explanations. At this stage, no time lines j completing the process have been estimated. 0 m COASTAL SAGE SCRUB HABITAT CONSERVATION ELEMENT PROPOSED STUDY DESIGN Step #1 -- INITIAL MEETING WITH PLANNING DIRECTOR An initial meeting with the Director of Planning to outlir objectives, describe the proposed program and seek preliminax approval before moving forward. Step #2 -- WORK PROGRAM PREPARATION With the approval of the Director of Planning one or two meetinc would be held to develop a specific work program including task: time lines and finances that would lead to the preparation of brainstorming meetings where the input of all interested partic would be sought. It would not be the function of th brainstorming group to actually write the plan but to prepare tl work program. Participants in the brainstorming session(s) might include: Eabi tat Conservation Elerner,!:. These meetir, gs would 1 City of Carlsbad environmental consultant; City selected Biologist; Other qualified Biologists ; City Engineer (or representative); Development interest representative; Conservation group representative; California Department of Fish and Game representative; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative; and Professional facilitator. Step #3 -- WORK PROGRAM REVIEWED WITH DIRECTOR OF PLANNING A report would be prepared summarizing the meeting results and preliminary work program, Following the Director's review a revision the basic concept would be reviewed by appropriate Ci staff members. If the basic concept is considered to be sound based and adequately developed, the report would be put into t form of a proposed agenda bill and forwarded to the City Manager office for consideration. Step #4 -- CONSIDERATION OF THE REPORT BY THE CITY MANAGER The City Manager and his staff would review the proposed age: bill and make the appropriate modifications or decide not proceed. If the decision is to proceed, the matter would scheduled for consideration by the City Council. a a Step #5 -- CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION The matter would be considered by the City Council with specii attention given to the following areas: - Is the hasie idea of the implementation of a Coastal Sac Scrub Resource Conservation Plan a sound idea? - How should the planning process be financed? - Define City projects which should be addressed. (Cann Road, Ranchc Santa Fe Road, freeway interchanges, etc - What other agencies should be involved? (City of S Marcos, Fish and Game, Fish and Wildlife, Corps Engineers, Conservation Groups, etc.) - Appoint a Wcrk Group. - Make available city resource people (City Engine€ Finance Director, Bond Counsel, Director of Parks Recreation, City Attorney). - Approve or amend time schedule suggested in the ager bill. - Provide additional direction. Step #6 -- SCOPING MEETING(S) OF WORK GROUP Assuming Council approval, the Work Group would meet on a regu: basis with the purpase of developing a Biological Resou. Conservation Element and a time frame for implementation. As needed, they will call upon private and City resources or topic by topic basis. They will consider the following items drafting a plan: Determinaticn of study area; Financing; Existing biological resources: Legal considerations; Public and private land ownership; California Environmental Quality Act; Open space/recreational benefits; Connections with other regional conservation plan; and City and private development plans. The Work Group process should include periodic technical and pol review. One or two reports to the City Council are envisione? handle policy review. Technical review can be handled throug process of peer review by appropriate experts. F:\Maria\Miscinfo\RevMemo.244 0 e 2urie 21, 19’cI.C W-:iorab!e ?fE.Iv.Sr 12e;t<is :$embers cf the City CGLI~C~! CarIsbad 1200 Eh st* carlrbad. Ca!i;;‘ornia 320QP, f-lor,orable ~4;~;j~o.- and :+lerr:.beys .sf i;l.ie City Councii: Buena Vista AuduScri Ssciety wor;id like to cornniend the Mayor zy;d Ci- Council for considerir:g a city-wide plan to preserve the blaciital!~ gnatcatcher. d Carkbsd is rich in wildlife: birds, coyotes9 bobcat.^, fox? fish, porpoises, axid many other animals, Cazlsbad Is also devebpi~>.g far and t.;ithout such city--\>7ide plsr:nir.g w-ill ?~se its rich heritage of wi!d!ff Yany of the species i.trhiZk vY~,;znld be pxished o~t of‘ Carlsbad, like tl gEaetc;3,-tche:y3 hr~v:: :io wl-iere else to go. If the>- ?lose their Carlsbad hen; tJne5- ,qay :JL;elz 1:ecsrr;e .-.xtince, =:.tzLnL!:; 1 3s L~P !\(a;,ror ar;d Cil;y Courici.l !i;l:>w7 species sij.::h the gx=ttcatcher ~ri: indicator spec s: they- sigrizii the e:ivimnpr;ent .- a!iat-.catcher is g~ne, se too is gofie tki2 weait’i: of piant and sninial speci that slake ur~ :>.UT COSS~Z~ szge scrub, health of &E ecological c3m!nunity of plants and snin:als, If f,’ As lon gtin:.e i-;.rri;icipzr:t:s in “,he en-\+onn;entz’; political prccess, Bue Vista A~id?;.bcin w~uld like to applzud the city csuncil Pcr considering c:ity-witi,s plsn, The slte-rn,yti~:e to a city wide p!an, niandated by law, to address each prcject :-x it arises: :;!xch a piecemeal approach not or Sut also is much rrior’e costly, A ciey-~~z’ide plan will trulp save t gnatca.tcherr a:>$ z\: a r:::uch i,o.ii.er cxst to the taxpayer, 2:Lepiz T\T-ista kli-rd:.ii;,Gn ..;culd St? p:;.‘ieasecj to GOY!^: with %he city developing a consei-witlor; plan for the gnatcstcher. By- working with L citj- irox the beginuiing, x+-e can arrive at a phz which will eccnc?mical’.y feasible and environmentally sound., in a spirit coo,pe.raticn. T ’:I ;-2 n k you f o 1- you 1- co ii s i (I! P I’ a-tio n . 1s r=,uzh less effectixp: ;3s 4t- LL leads to sxd17 fragmefited pieces of l-iabiti S ; y:c Et re1 y f Karen ILjesser c L‘ r, s e ’” v&j .Q r: c hail T’ d -. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 lo 11 l2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 z2 23 24 25 26 27 28 0 @ 90-188 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING STAFF TO PURSUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CITYWIDE PLAN TO PROTECT THE CALIFORNIA BLACKTAILED GNATCATCHER AND APPROPRIATING FUND $10,000 FROM THE UNAPPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE FOR STAFF TO HIRE A CONSULTANT AND TO PROCEED WITH INITIAL WORK. GENERAL WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Car California has determined that it is beneficial to pursue tl of preparing a Citywide preservation/mitigation plan to r the habitat of the California Blacktailed Gnatcatche WHEREAS, a proposed program has been developed City's environmental consultant; and WHEREAS, initial funding for the work program is ne NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the City of the City of Carlsbad as follows: 1. That the foregoing recitations are true and COI 2. That the City Council authorizes staff to pur: matter of developing a Citywide Preservation/Mitigation P the California Blacktailed Gnatcatcher. I 3. That the City Council authorizes the transfer of to the Planning Department Miscellaneous Professional S account to cover costs related to the hiring of a consult proceeding with the preliminary steps in developing a plz *** *.* *** *-- ' ** 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a 9 10 11 l2 l3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 e * PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, on the day of June , 1990 by the following vote, to wit Council Members Lewis, Kulchin, Pettine, Mamaux and AYES: NOES: None ABSENT: None ATTEST: LLLctaL 2. e ALETHA L. RAUTENedlerk (SEAL) I 2