The environmental requirements for this federal aid construction project dictate compensatory mitigation for the permanent loss of the habitat for endangered species and seasonal wetlands impacted by the project. Environmental mitigation credits must be purchased prior to ground breaking of the project. Wildlands, Inc. has mitigation credits available for purchase that will satisfy these requirements. These actions will allow the department to expedite the mitigation bank purchase requirements, and proceed with construction.
BACKGROUND
The County Road (CR) 98 Safety Improvement Project will widen a 4.8-mile length of CR 98 between the City of Woodland and the City of Davis to improve travel conditions and safety for automobiles, farm equipment, farm-to-market trucking, aggregate material trucking, and bicyclists. It will bring County Road 98 up to current standards, including wider shoulders, left turn lanes, and clear recovery area from the City of Woodland, to about 1,300 feet south of County Road 29, which will improve the safety of this busy corridor. The widening at the intersections will allow large trucks and farm equipment to make right turns without going into opposing traffic lanes and will also improve visibility for traffic on the intersecting roads. The eight foot paved shoulders throughout the length of the project will improve the safety of trucks, farm equipment and all vehicles entering and leaving driveways from farming operations, businesses, and homes.
On December 13, 2007, the CEQA document for this project was approved by the Yolo County Planning Commission. The NEPA document was approved by Caltrans on September 4, 2008. On February 26, 2013, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Department to advertise for construction once Caltrans authorized the federal funds for construction. Caltrans authorized construction on April 30, 2013. Advertisement of the project began on May 3, 2013 and bids will be opened on June 12, 2013.
As part of the environmental approvals, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Caltrans-approved NEPA Categorical Exemption, and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers require the purchase of mitigation credits to compensate for impacts to the habitat for the Giant Garter Snake, Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle and Riparian Wetlands. Mitigation credits must be purchased from an approved mitigation bank to compensate for the potential habitat impacts of the project. The mitigation bank uses the funds to develop and maintain habitat in accordance with procedures of environmental resource, state and federal agencies like USFWS and CDFG.
After a thorough search of the region, it was discovered that Wildlands has the only USFWS approved conservation banks that provide all of these credits close to our project site and within the affected area as defined by the resource agencies. It is recommended to purchase the credits from Wildlands, because Yolo County is within the agency-approved Wildlands service area, which will reduce County costs by working with only one mitigation bank, rather than several entities
The Giant Garter Snake (GGS) habitat credits (acres) will be purchased from Wildlands’ Ridge Cut GGS Conservation Bank in Yolo County. The Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle (VELB) habitat credits will be purchased from Wildlands’ River Ranch VELB Conservation Bank located in Yolo County. The Riparian Wetland habitat (acres) will be purchased from Wildlands’ River Ranch Wetland Mitigation Bank. These mitigation banks are approved by the USFWS and the US Army Corps of Engineers to satisfy the requirements of the environmental documents. The credits and cost for the project are as follows:
HABITAT MITIGATION COST
GGS 1.95 acres $87,750.
VELB 3 units $ 12,000
Riparian Wetlands 0.05 acre $ 5,000
Following the purchase of these mitigation credits, the County will have satisfied these mitigation requirements of the environmental documents. |