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Home My WebLink AboutPD 2019-0032; BIOLOGICAL LETTER REPORT; 2019-10-18October 18, 2019 Mr. Greg Goertzen Directing Manager GS Development & Westcal P0 Box 91335 San Diego, CA 92169 RECEV T NOV05 2J LAND DEV•ELOPM . ENGINEER1NG Subject: Biological Letter Report for the Parcel at El Fuerte Street and Acuna Court in Carlsbad, California. Dear Mr. Goertzen: Introduction The purpose of this report is to document the biological resources present on a vacant parcel for the proposed construction of a single-family home at the northwest corner of El Fuerte Street and Acuna Court in the southern portion of the City of Carlsbad (City), California (Assessor's Parcel number 215-491-09). Methods A visit was conducted on October 17, 2019 by Tierra Data biologist Scott Snover. The biologist spent approximately 45 minutes conducting wandering transects through the entire property, recording all plant and wildlife observations and creating a map of the existing vegetation communities and site conditions. The weather conditions were sunny and warm. Results The 0.77-acre property is in a highly developed neighborhood of single-family homes. The project site is bounded by El Fuerte Street to the south, Acuna Court to the east, and single- family homes to the north and west (Figure 1). The calculations of habitat areas are provided for the entire property (Table 1); this assessment will provide the City with the needed data to identify compensation for the permanent development of a single-family home, landscaping, and all necessary construction buffers. Vegetation/Flora Five vegetation communities (classified according to Holland 1986) were found to occur on the property, mostly in a highly disturbed condition from mowing for brush management/fire control. The central portion of the property consists of highly Disturbed Coastal Sage Scrub habitat that had been mowed for fire control, pursuant to a fire department order, but has undergone regrowth in the last few months. Despite its diminutive stature, the area was dominated by typical coastal sage scrub plants including: laurel sumac (Malosma laurina), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), California encelia (Encelia californica), and California buckwheat (Eriogonum californicum). Most of the remainder of the property is Disturbed Habitat supporting non-native grasses and forbs. Also present are Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) and Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) trees that were cut down but are now resprouting from stumps and roots in the soil. The southern and eastern edges of the property are a constructed slope supporting coastal sage scrub species (California buckwheat and California sagebrush) that were not mowed with the rest of the property and support mature shrubs. Also present on the western end of the slope is a small patch of non- native acacia shrubs (Acacia sp.), classified as Non-Native Vegetation. A cement brow ditch runs along the top of the slope along the southern edge of the property.. 760.749.2247 11 10110W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 www.TierraData.com Mr. Greg Goertzen El Fuerte & Acuna Biology Report October 18 Page 2 Vegetation type [j California adoiphia (Adoiphia cc/fornica) I \\\ FTPR '13 Coastal Sage Scrub - -. Coastal Sage Scrub-Disturbed . Non-native vegetation :- -! Disturbed habitat .. Developed (brow ditch) ' , \\ •...'. * e I S S I•St••I•O * I , '•:ç.\ \ .flt..,"\ I t t t t I I I ' . \,. I \." 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' : • -- . • • ':- -'.: :- * • • • . / - -. *5S • S I I I - - F •', \, \ " Current conditions .. .. •*\ '., Previously cleared/mowed for fire control Constructed slope, vegetated, not mowed 100 ft buffer from buildings - ' E1Fuerte parcel (APN 215-491-0c) Vegetation Communities , 525 0 5 10 15 Meters . - iFcet and Current Conditions 105 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Figure 1: Vegetation Communities and current conditions ofAPN 215-491-09. 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 wwwTierraData.ccm Mr. G-eg Goertzen El Fuerte & Acuna Biology Report October 18 Page 3 _ 7Sage Co III 1IIII 0.08 Co , Disturbed 0.30 Non-Native Vegetation <0.01 Disturbed Habitat 0.38 Developed (brow ditch) 0.01 Total 0.77 Table 1: Vegetation Communities found at APN 215-491-09. Also present within the mowed coastal sage scub are approximately 20 California adolphia (Adoiphia californica), a California Rare Plant Rank (CRPR) 213.1 sensitive species) (see Photo 1). The 31ants had been mowed during the fire clearing but had regrown to a height of approximately 10-20 centimetes (4-8 mci-es). While not a covered species under the City's Habitat Management Plan (HMP; City 20C4) it is fairly common in Coastal Sage Scrub in western Sar Diego County and will likely be adequately conserved under the HMP. Photo 1. Californica adolpiia (low greenish shrub in foreground). For a comple:e list cf floral species observed please refer to Appendix A. Additional pictures o the 3r03erty are presented n Apendix B. As can be seen in F gure 1 much of the parcel lies within 100 feet of the adjacent homes to the north and west and those portions are potentially subject to regular fire clearing, removing their potential habilat value. The -emainder of the parcel was also requested :0 be cleared by the fire department and the prio- i ab tat was -egrowing after clearing severa month ago; however, it too can be legally mowed or grubbed at any time and its habitat value kept extremely low (see photos in Appendix B). 760149.2247 10110W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 www.TierraData.com Mr. Greg Goertzen El Fuerte & Acuna Biology Report October 18 Page 4 ildIife Species Observed Only a single Western fence lizard (Sceloperus occident a/is) was cbserved during the survey. No mammals or birds were observed on site reflecting the site's degraded condit on. Two holes had been dug at some point in the past (Photos 2 and 3) and thougi efforts were nade to cover the holes with plywood, large gaps still remained, presenting a trapping hazard for wildlife. A piece of plywood lying nearby one of the holes was used by the biologist to fully cover that hole, but no material was available on site with which to better cover the second hole. - .... Photos 2 and 3. Excavated holes part iou j covered with plywooc!. The hole on the left was closed with the extra piece of plywocd visible in toe photo (lighter colored piece above the arge plywood). Conclusion The investigated parcel is in a residential area, surrounded on two sides by homes, and two sides by streets with homes or the opposite sides of the roads. has been put under an order :o be cleared fcr fire prevention and is within 100 feet of homes to Ihe north and west. While the parcel was ordered to be cleared, evideice of a patch of coastal sage scrub habitat remains and is re-growing; however, its habitat value is negligible, and it could be re-cleared at any time, making the parcel effectively completelt disturbed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitale to call or email me. Sincerely yours, Derek H. Langsford, PhD, CSE Biology Practice Manager Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America County of Sai Diego Approved Biologist 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 mmTie-raData.com Appendix A: Plant and Wildlife Species Observed Fanii1v Species Name Common Name Status PLANTS Monocots Poaceae Stipa sp. Needlegrass Poaceae Bromus ,nawitensis Foxtail chess E Cyperaceae Cyperus eraostis Tall sedge Diocots Aizoaceae Malephora crocea Coppery mesembrya:theirum E Anacardiaceae Malosina lai'rina Laurel sumac Anacardiaceae Schinus tereointhifolizis Brazilian pepper tree E Apiaceae Foeniculum .'ulgare Sweet fennel E Asteraceae Artemisia caifornica California sagebrush Asteraceae Baccharis scsrothroides Desertbroom bacchar s Asteraceae Centaurea melitensis Tocolote E Asteraceae Encelia califrnica California encelia Asteraceae Glebionis coonaria Crown daisy E Brassicaceae Hirschfeldia incana Mediterranean hoary mustard E Chenopodiaceae A triplex sem.baccata Australian saitbush E Chenopodiaceae A triplex watsonii Watson's saltbush Chenopodiaceae Salsola tragvs Russian thistle E Convolvulaceae Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenu[olia San diego momrng glory Cucurbitaceae Marah macrocarpa Chilicothe Euphorbiaceae Ricinus cointiunis Castor bean E Malvaceae Malacothainnusfasciculatus Chaparral bush mallow Myrtaceae Eucalypyus sr. Eucalyptus E Polygonaceae Eriogonuinfasciculaturn California buckwheat Rhamnaceae Adoiphia cal.fornica California adolphia 2B.l Rosaceae Heteroineles arbutfolia Toyon rnmn. Reptiles Phrynosomatidae Sceloperus occidentalis Western fence lizard E = exotic (non-native) 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 wv.v.Tierra Data. com Appendix B: Site Photos 'Jloz(1 I Ic ejiof U lio,ileen I ceenei looking west Icross D1-1 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Roac, Escondido, California 92026 wvwTierraData.com Photo B-3. View from northeast corner looking south, with resprouting Eucalyptus, DH, and CSS-D in the distance. Phoiu i-4. 1sprouting ]3,I:1/1dilz pepper tJe? in northwest corner ofproperty. 760.749.2247 10110W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 www.TierraData.com Phoro B-.). ReSpiU1)in hii,i LI sum (it 0H1 ()iIi?r C()(iXfUl sagc v iiih Ph to B-6. View c outheas corner looking towards El F .1 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 ww.T-erraData.com I OUt U D-1. ielt J O1fl inloale Ut / ft )f 'I(l 1 OF :á'.•)." T- _7 T -- ___;• - Photo B-8. View from middle ofpropsr' toward northeast corner with sonic cSS-D inforegroind and DH in distance. 760.749.2247 10110 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, California 92026 www.ljerraData corn