UC, Merced Campus and Community North Project (Project) (Major Amendment No. 2 to California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit (ITP) No. 2081-2009-0

UC, Merced Campus and Community North Project (Project) (Major Amendment No. 2 to California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit (ITP) No. 2081-2009-0

As approved by UC and County of Merced, the project involves the construction and operation of a major research University campus in Merced County which will sustain up to 25,000 full time students and a contiguous associate community to support the needs of the university. The ITP and Minor Amendment No. 1 (collectively, the ITP as amended) will result in permanent impacts to 1,870 acres of California tiger salamander, Swainson's hawk, and San Joaquin kit fox habitat, portions of which are occupied by succulent owl's clover; Colusa grass, and San Joaquin orcutt grass. Major Amendment No. 2 revises the Project Description to include off-site wetland restoration work. The wetland restoration work will result in the conversion of 35.5 acres of CTS upland habitat to potential CTS breeding habitat, and result in temporary impacts to 80 acres of CTS upland habitat. The Project, as modified, is expected to result in incidental take of CTS, Swainson's hawk, and San Joaquin kit fox which are designated as threatened species under CESA; and succulent owl's clover, Colusa grass, and San Joaquin orcutt grass which are designated as endangered species under CESA. The ITP, as amended, as issued by CDFW, authorizes incidental take of these species that may occur as a result of the project. Major Amendment No. 2 documents the location and description of the wetland restoration work, including details of the increased impacts to the Covered Species and an analysis of the potential for take; adds measures to minimize take and fully mitigate the wetland restoration-related impacts to the covered species; removes a remnant reference to the originally-required small mammal burrow excavation activities which was overlooked during preparation of amendment no. 1; and allows the permittee to use alternative exclusion fence designs with CDFW written approval. In major amendment no. 2, the increased habitat disturbance is mitigated by an increase in the compensatory mitigation required of the permittee.

Merced