Yolo County began managing the Knights Landing Boat Launch in 1978, after the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) granted a long-term lease agreement with the County. The lease agreement between the County and WCB allows the County to operate the facility until at least 2023. On March 21, 2006, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution allowing the Yolo County Parks Division to apply for grant funds from the California State Department of Boating and Waterways’ Local Assistance Grant Program. In 2009, an Initial Study/Negative Declaration was approved for the project and a Notice of Determination was filed, and the Department of Boating and Waterways awarded grant funding for the project. The design plans were completed in 2015; however, the improvement project was not implemented under the Department of Boating and Waterways grant.
In February 2017, the Parks Division was awarded a $1.45 million grant from WCB to complete construction of the newly designed ramp. The previous engineer who prepared the design plans went out of business and did not provide the County with AutoCAD files of the completed plans. Therefore, the Parks Division was required to hire a new engineer to recreate the plans and ensure the plans meet current building codes so they can be used for permit submission and public bidding. The cost to hire a new engineering firm to recreate the plans was not accounted for in the WCB grant. The Board of Supervisors authorized the use of General Fund Contingency in the amount of $100,000 for engineering services on January 9, 2018.
The Knights Landing Boat Launch Improvement Project, as analyzed in the IS/MND, includes the following improvements: installing two fiberglass boarding floats anchored with concrete deadman (no pilings); re-paving the existing parking lot, including re-striping and re-curbing, and enlarging the parking lot by approximately 1,000 square feet; landscaping parking area with sustainable vegetation; constructing a permanent vaulted restroom; completing utility services for a park host (electrical, phone, potable water, water well); replacing existing iron-ranger self-pay station with an automated pay station; constructing a new monumental sign and an educational/informational kiosk; constructing a handicap accessible fishing platform; installation of security cameras; construction of a water well; stabilizing the slough banks with cellular confinement fabric and vegetation to stabilize the slopes against boat wake erosion, and to increase wildlife habitat; and widening the existing launching ramp to accommodate two launching lanes. Project construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2019, pending approval of local, state, and Federal permits.
As described in the IS/MND, the project would incorporate design features intended to avoid, minimize or reduce the potential for environmental impacts. All potential impacts from the proposed project would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with implementation of the mitigation measures identified in the IS/MND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. The IS/MND was released on September 21, 2017 for a 30-day public comment period. Staff received five comment letters on the document. Although CEQA does not require a lead agency to prepare formal responses to comments on a proposed IS/MND, staff has prepared responses to each letter. A few of the comments received merited minor revisions to the IS/MND document. All changes made to the IS/MND are described in the text of the Response to Comments document and listed on the Errata Sheet prefixed to the IS/MND. The five comment letters and responses to each letter are included in the Response to Comments document. The IS/MND in Attachment B contains three components (Errata Sheet, Response to Comments Document, IS/MND) that taken together comprise the entire IS/MND.
The County General Services Department staff also consulted with interested Native American Tribes with a tribal or cultural affiliation to the project area, in accordance with AB 52. The United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria (UAIC) accepted the invitation to consult on the project, and requested additional project information and cultural studies performed for the project. The County provided UAIC with the requested documents, including the Cultural Resources Study prepared by Tom Origer & Associates, and invited UAIC to contact the County for further coordination on the project. UAIC has not further contacted the County.
The County General Services Department staff also provided project materials to Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation with an invitation to contact the County for further coordination on the project. On December 14, 2017, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation informed the County of its desire to have a formal consultation meeting. On January 4, 2018, Yolo County staff and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation representatives held a formal consultation meeting. At the January 4, 2018 meeting, County staff provided Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation representatives with additional copies of requested information, including project plans, cultural resources study, and the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. On March 7, 2018, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation sent a letter to County staff requesting copies of documents that were previously provided. On March 8, 2018, County staff responded to Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation explaining that the project documents had not changed since they were previously provided.
In accordance with the provisions of AB 52, after a reasonable effort to consult with Tribes in good faith, as described above, the County has concluded consultation without reaching mutual agreement. County staff believes the mitigation measures proposed in the IS/MND adequately address potential impacts to cultural resources. This includes consideration of the measures described in California law when AB 52 consultation is concluded without mutual agreement, and incorporation of elements of those measures into Mitigation Measure 8. It should be noted that USACE will conduct tribal consultation pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act as a separate process associated with United States Army Corps of Engineers permitting.
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