The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCT 02-16; ROBERTSON RANCH EAST VILLAGE; BIOLOGICAL SERVICES; 2006-10-12'" " Barbara Ke,nnedy Merkel & Asso~;ate,$, Inc. 5434 Ruffirt Road, Sari' Die'go,CA' 92123 Tel: 858/560-5465· Fax: 858/560-7779 ' e-mail: associates@merketinc.com City ,of Carlsbad Planning Department 1635 Faraday Avenue ; , Carlsbad, CA 92008 Octobet'12, 2006 M&A #01-046.;;08 ',R~: Merkel & Associates, Inc. Retained to Perform Biological Services' in Conipliance ~ . ' with the Robertson Ranch :tv,IlVIRP , .,'. "" Dear Barbara: This letter confinns that McMillin Land, Development, has retafned the s~rV1Ces of Merkel & ,Assodates, bic. (M&A) to perfonn biological surv.eys, monitoring, and -repDrting'and -r~storatioi1 maintenance, monitoring, and reportiI!g in compiianc~ with toe MMRP for the'Robertson 'Ranch Project East Village development located within the City of ·Carisbad.' :As palt-'of M'&A"s -responsibilities, we will .perform the following items, which-are ~escribed in the· RobertsOil' Ranch Project MMRP: ' ., (B-4) An M&A biological monitor: would verify that an impact-open space interfaces have. construction fencing, which Clearly delineates the edge' of the a,pproved .limits .of grading 'and clearing and environrp.entaliy sensitive "areas beyond. The M&A monitor, would t'uttber ensure that the fencing, is maintained during construction. The verification of initial placement and maintenance would be reported to the City of Carlsbad Planning Department per the MMRP. ' • (B-4) The project applicant 'win temporarily fence (wit~ silt: barriers) the limits i)f project impacts (including construction'stagingareas and access routes) to 'prevent additional 'habitat impacts and prevent the spread of sHt from the construction zone into adjacent habitats to be 'avoided. The M&A biological monitor wilrensure that the silffencing is maintained, .duting construction. " ' . • (B-4) Working with the applicanUlnd on-site co~tractor, at least 'seven days prior initiating '~ project impacts, M&A will photo.,.document the fenced' limits of. impact, ~nd all ar~as (including riparian/wetland or CSS) to, be impacted 'or. avoided ,and· submit: this documentation to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (tl)e Service) .. ,Tbe :City of Carlsbad ,(City) will be cc'ed on this documentation. . . ' . . . • (B-5) A Service-approved M,&A biological monitor will be present to . monit-ot dearing, , grading, and construction activities in'the vicinity of biological open space areas. " '0\ ,,' (l?\-. ><'!-' ' ( . • • • • • (B-10) M&A will ,cenduct pre-grading surveys fer j:mn:ewirtg 'ewl prier to any consttuction . 'The surveys will serve to identify owl burrew locatiens' fer ~he purpeses ~ef' avoidance , ',(w:here practicable) er passiyerelecatien. ' , • (B-S/B-9/B-ll) Ifactive rapter and/er migratery,bird nests are observed dUrli1g censtruction, an adequate buffer area (to. aveid interrupti en ef nesting) will be 'determined 'and established by the M&A biel<;>gical meniter. • (B-17) The M&A bielegical monit,er will be en site during initiai dearing 'aJ~d' grubblfig ef '. "habitat, which sheuld eccur eutside ef the ,gnatcatcher bre~ding 'Sellsen, 01: as' allowed ': :pursuant·te Mitigatien Measure B-S. ' " , ' , , • " (:8:-17) M&A permitted bielegists will, perferm a m.inimum qf '3 :focused "surVey.s .~Q " , determine the preserice/absence ef gnatcatchers in the projec;t' impact fe6tprjI1t eutside"the ' '. gnatc~tcher breeding'seasen. Surveys will begin ,a:maximum ef 7 days prio.r to':perfertning,' '00:-, vegetatien clearing/grubbing and ene survey shall be cenducted the day Imm¢ciiately'prier to. , • • the initiatien ef remaining werk. If any, gnatqitchers are feund ,within the 'preject impact feetpIint, the biolegist will direct censtnictien' ,persen}1el te" begIn vegetation clearing/grubbing jn an area away frem-the g11atcatcher(~). In',additien; the:M<$iA 'bielegist', will walk ahead ef clearing/grubbing equipment'te flush birds,teward areas ef CS:S' ,to. ,be , , aveided. It will be, the respensibility ef theM~A bielogist -to. ensure that gnatcatchers ,an~ " net dii'ectly inju'red er killed by vegetatio.n d,eariilg/grubbing. The biplegist will -recerd .the number and lecatien ef gnatcatchers, disturbed by .vegeta~ien clearing/grubbing., Also,. the' . applicant, er the M&A monitoring biolegist (with the 'applicant's kno.wledge),~i1l I}otify the,' ,Service at least 7 days 'prier to. vegetatien clearingigrul;>bing ,to. allow the Service to. ceerdinate with the bielo.gist en bird, flushing activities. ' (B-lS) Fer subseq~ent constn.ictiop work p~rfQrnied during the gnatcatcher breeding s~ason, , . an M&A menitering bielegist will be., en site d~ring 'significant noi-se-:,generating. pr6je~t -, ,censtructiefj activities within 30.0 feet ef preserved habitat to. ensure cempliance with' all censervatien measures. The bielegist win-be kn9wleqgeable ef upland 'b.iolegy and ecelegy. ' , The 'applicant will submit the biel,egists ileirne, address,telephene, number, and wQrk .-schedule en the preject to. the Se~vice at least 30. Days prior,to' in~ti'atit1g preject impacts; -' . . '.' ---' (B-lS) ,The M&A bielegical menitor' will det~ftnine' the ,presence ef 'gnatcatchers; nest building activities, egg incubati9h activities, or broed rearing activities 'Within 300 feet efthe, project impact limits within the gnatcatcher breeding'seasen. , The applicant; er ,the: M&A menitering bielogist (with ,the 'applicant's knewledge), will notify the.Service, within 24,: heurs ef locating any gnatcatcher., 'If a nest is 'fo.~nd ~iihin 3QO feet -of :initi&l vegetation' clearing/grubbing or proje<;;t construction, werk will qe postpened within' 500 feet of ~he nest. The applicant"er the M&A menito.ring bielogist (with the,applicant'"sR:nQwledge), wjll centact the Service to. ,discuss: 1) the best appreach to aveid/minimize impacts to ,nesting , birds, and 2) a nest menitering pregraJ11., Once the avoidarice and/or niini.miz;at~on measures and nest -menitoring pre gram . has been appreyed: 'by the ~ervi'ce, and .-werk has been reinitiated, nest success er failure will be "established py regular and fJ'~qllerit rnerutbting triPs to. the site by the M&A pe:fmitted biolegist. The bielegist wjll deterriiine .whether: bi~d '. 'activity is being disrupted., and if it is being disrupted" the applicant will stop, work, and ' , , ceerdinate with the Service withIn 48 heurs to. :review the aveidan,ce/mill~mizati0n appreach .... Wo.rk will resume ence a revised 'aveidance/minimizatie~ appreach hasoeen, agreed upen'. • •• • • Nest monitoring will continue until fledglings ·have .dispersed or the .nest has been· determined to be a failure, as approved by tbe S.ervice. (B-1 8)' The M&A biological monitor wili inspeCt the fencing and erosion coritrol measures 'within or up-slope of aU restoration andlor preservation areas' a 'minimum of once. per week and daily dUf;ing all rain events to ensure that any breaks in the fence or'erosion control Ineasu~es are repaired immediately. . . • (B-18) M&A will produce a training video (in I):nglish and Spanish) to train aU contractors and construction personnel on the biological resources associated with .this project. . At' a minimum, the training video 'will include: 1). the: purpose fQrresoufc~ protecti'on; 2) a . description of the .gnatcatcher-and its habitat; '3) t~e conservation measures given.in the dra·ft .. . su'l~sequent EIR that shall be implemented during project construoti0l); iilcluding -strictly limiting activities, vehicles, .equipment, and constructiQil materials to the fenc~d proje~t footprint to avoid .sensitive resourc~ areas in the field;' 4) environmentally l:eSlJOQSIOJ-e . . construction practices as outlined in measure 8; 5)'the proto'col'to resolveconfUcts that.may arise at any time during the· construction process; and, 6). the.general· provisions of. the Endangered Species Act, the .need. to adhere to the pf0v.isionsof. the Endan.gered Sl~ecies . Act, the penalties associated with violating the . Endangered Species' Act. '[To ehsute that training is implemented by' construction personnel, logs of training education will 'be·: maintaIned.(on-site) by the site supervisor.] . • (B-18) The 'M&A ~onitoring biologist will hait work, if n¢cessary and' confer 'witb the" Service to ensure the proper implementation of species and.habitat protection measures .. Tbe : -. • M&A, monitoring biologist will' als.o report any violation· to' the. Service wlthi'n 24: hours of its . , ,.' occurrence. (13'-1.8) The M&A monitoring biologist will .subinit weekly letter·' reports {induding . photographs of impact areas) to the Service during c1e~ring of habitat and/or,' project construction within 300 feet or' avoided habitat. The weekly ·reports will documen.t that' authorized impacts were not .exceeded, work did not occur within. the: 300;-foot· setback except as approved by the Service, and .general compliance with all conditions. Tpereports will also outline the duration of gnatcatc.hei monitoi~ing, the.' location of con~truction activities, the type of construction that occurred, as. well as the equipment used, These reports will specify numbers, locations, ·and sex of gnatcatchers (if. -present),' observed' . gnat~atcher behavior (especially in relation 'to. construdion activities), and temedial me.asures employed to avoid,. minimize, and mitigate impacts to gnatcatchers. "(Rawfield ·notes will be available upon request by the Service.) ,. - (B-18) The M&A monitoring biologist will submit a .fina~ monitoting report to the :Service within 60 days of -project completion. The report· will include: as.:built GOilstmction: drawings with an overlay of habitat that·was iII~pactedand avoided, photographs of habitat . areas that were to be avoided, and other relevant sUIiuuary· infonrtation documenting' that authorized impacts were' not exceeded and that general compli~nce with all· miti.gation . measures in the EIR was achieved . , . 0' • •• • 0 •• • (WQ-l IWQ-2) The M&A monitoring biol()gist will be responsible foi-monitoring'the BMPs 0 ' identified within the project's City of Carlsbad Standard Urban Storm Water Mitigation 'Plan' " (SWMP) and General Construction StonTIwater Permit (SWPPP) andrepolting to th~ City on this monitoring on a weekly basis., ' 0 " , o In addition, M&A will provide the maintenance, 'monitoring, 4lnd reporting services for the' upland o and wetlandtestoration areas established in association with the Eas,t Vilhtgedevelopment. " 'Finally; M&A ,has already completed the 2006 proto,cool .California gn'at<;;atcher stirv:~ys and 20'06 " loggerhead 'shrike surveys (B-8), and winter and spdng focused~oburrowing owl su{~veys (B~lO). Copies of these reports are provided as part of t~~s sU~inittai Eseeattached). Sincerely, ~~ ,Bar ara:L,. Merkel , President ' Cc: Don Mitchell, McMillion Land Development 275Q Womble Road San Dtego;CA."92.106 , Joshua Gates, McMillin Land Development 2750 Womble Road San Diego, 9A 92J.06' .. '.