California High-Speed Train Project: Merced to Fresno Major Amendment No. 2 (California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2013-025-04 (ITP)

California High-Speed Train Project: Merced to Fresno Major Amendment No. 2 (California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2013-025-04 (ITP)

The Project approved by CDFW consists of the ITP identified above, which address construction and operation of the Merced to Fresno segment of the California High- Speed Train (HST), as approved by the lead agency, affecting or generally related to fish and wildlife resources subject to the regulatory authority of CDFW, including natural resources subject to the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). For purposes of CESA, the ITP authorizes incidental take of California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense, CTS), Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni, SWHA), and San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica, SJKF) (collectively, the Covered Species), all in connection with otherwise lawful activities within the Project area. The ITP in this respect will facilitate construction and operation of the Project. As contemplated in the ITP, the Project would result in permanent impacts to 73.43 acres of upland refugia habitat and temporary impacts to 2.26 acres of aquatic breeding for CTS; permanent impacts to 193.54 acres of foraging habitat arid one nest tree for SWHA; and 339.91 acres of permanent impacts to foraging and denning habitat for SJKF. ITP Amendment No. 1 made the following minor modifications to the ITP: 1) allowed a Designated Biologist to be approved on an individual species by species basis rather than only for all of the Covered Species; 2) clarified allowable activities at the Mitigation Site to accommodate ITP requirements; and 3) deleted a redundant Condition of Approval. ITP Amendment No. 2 revises the Project Construction Footprint in the vicinity of the Fresno River and adds two additional staging areas, one near the San Joaquin River and a second near Golden State Boulevard. Cumulatively these changes add an additional 54.49 acres to the Construction Footprint. ITP Amendment No. 2 also: 1) requires additional mitigation (HM lands and associated management costs) to compensate for Covered Species impacts associated with both the Construction Footprint increase and a June 2014 non-compliance event; 2) allows a slight relocation wildlife crossing #5; and 3) changes the Designated Biologist(s) to two types of Biological Monitor(s), a Designated Biologist(s), and a General Biological Monitor(s). The General Biological Monitor(s) can be individuals with less species specific training which could be used for less technical monitoring tasks. The Project is expected to result in incidental take of the Covered Species.

Fresno, Madera

Fresno