Rio Mesa Boulevard Project (California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit No. 2081 2021-094-04)

Rio Mesa Boulevard Project (California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit No. 2081 2021-094-04)

The Project includes construction of the Rio Mesa Boulevard (RMB), an approximately 2.3-mile segment of new roadway, that will widen an approximately 2,200-foot segment of existing roadway, known as Avenue 12, and would install utilities within the RMB right-of way and within the two linked utility line corridors. The Project would provide a connection between the State Route (SR) 41/Avenue 12 intersection in the south to the southernmost point of the internal road network within the Tesoro Viejo Master Planned Community to the north. The Project utilities installations would provide utility infrastructure between Avenue 12 and Avenue 14 and along an approximately one-mile segment of Avenue 14. The Project will be constructed in two phases, Phase I and Phase II and have an interim period of operation and maintenance. The Project is expected to cause the permanent loss of 49.90 acres of annual grassland which provides California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) dispersal and refugia habitat, 41.50 acres of disked agricultural land and 0.18 acre of seasonal wetlands and swale which both provide California tiger salamander dispersal habitat, and 0.87 acres of vernal pools which provides California tiger salamander breeding and succulent owl’s clover (Castilleja campestris ssp. succulenta) habitat. The Project is expected to result in incidental take of California tiger salamander, which is designated as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and succulent owl’s clover, which is designated as an endangered species under the Native Plant Protection Act (NPPA). The ITP referenced above as issued by CDFW authorizes incidental take of species listed under CESA and NPPA that may occur as a result of Project implementation.

Madera

Southern California

Madera