Cooperative Services Agreement between the Santa Clara Valley Water District and USDA APHIS-WS
Summary
SCH Number
2024110485
Public Agency
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Document Title
Cooperative Services Agreement between the Santa Clara Valley Water District and USDA APHIS-WS
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/15/2024
Document Description
The Cooperative Services Agreement between Valley Water and USDA APHIS-WS allow feral pig management activities to be carried out by APHIS-WS on Valley Water property and commit Valley Water funding to APHIS-WS for that purpose. Pig management activities may occur at some or all of the following Valley Water properties and facilities: Almaden Reservoir, Anderson Reservoir, Calero Reservoir, Carnadero Preserve, Chesbro Reservoir, Coyote Parkway Wetland, Coyote Reservoir, Coyote Ridge Preserve, Guadalupe Reservoir, Uvas Reservoir, Upper Penitencia Creek Property, Stevens Creek Reservoir, Rancho Canada de Pala Preserve, and Lexington Reservoir. Each of the identified facilities and properties serves as a wildlife habitat area. APHIS-WS would utilize bait stations, live traps, monitoring cameras, night vision/infrared equipment, spotlights, and firearms to conduct management activities. Bait stations, live traps, and monitoring cameras would be temporarily installed on Valley Water properties to facilitate pig management. The precise locations where feral pig management would occur and frequency of visits by APHIS-WS personnel would be coordinated between Valley Water and APHIS-WS.
Once approved, the Cooperative Services Agreement would span five years, becoming effective December 1, 2024 and terminating November 30, 2029. After approval, Valley Water would secure a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Depredation Permit designating Valley Water as the landowner of properties where feral pig management would occur and APHIS-WS as the agent carrying out management activities.
Contact Information
Name
Nicholas Mascarello
Agency Name
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Job Title
Associate Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Unincorporated
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
N/A
Zip
Various
Total Acres
N/A
Parcel #
Various Valley Water Properties
State Highways
85,17
Waterways
See other location info
Other Location Info
Properties and facilities where feral pig management would occur include: Almaden Reservoir, Anderson Reservoir, Calero Reservoir, Carnadero Preserve, Chesbro Reservoir, Coyote Parkway Wetland, Coyote Reservoir, Coyote Ridge Preserve, Guadalupe Reservoir, Uvas Reservoir, Upper Penitencia Creek Property, Stevens Creek Reservoir, Rancho Canada de Pala Preserve, and Lexington Reservoir.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines §15301, Class 1, Existing Facilities and CEQA Guidelines §15304, Class 4, Minor Alterations to Land]
Reasons for Exemption
The Cooperative Services Agreement would allow APHIS-WS to carry out feral pig management activities on wildlife habitat areas on Valley Water properties throughout Santa Clara County. Subsequent to its execution, Valley Water would secure a Depredation Permit from CDFW to allow for feral pig management activities on the specified properties and facilities owned by Valley Water. Feral pig management activities would result in the temporary and minor alteration of existing facilities and land owned by Valley Water through the installation of bait stations, live traps, and monitoring cameras. Equipment installation would only require minimal ground disturbance limited to the footprint of equipment and would not involve the removal of trees that are healthy, mature, or scenic. APHIS-WS personnel would utilize night vision/infrared equipment, spotlights, and firearms as part of management when on-site at trapping locations. No expansion of use would occur at any facilities as a result of feral pig management and management activities would be temporary. Implementation of feral pig management is anticipated to reduce feral pig populations and accordingly, would reduce instances of the environmental impacts they are known to cause, maintaining wildlife habitat areas to protect native fish and wildlife resources. Therefore, the Project meets the requirements of CEQA Guidelines §15301 and §15304 and is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA.
County Clerk
Santa Clara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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