SCH Number 2018092030

Project Info

Title

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Operations, Maintenance and New Construction Habitat Conservation Plan EIR

Description

In accordance with California Environmental Quality Act requirements, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) that evaluates the impacts associated with the proposed Project, which include: • SMUD’s implementation of the proposed Operations, Maintenance, and New Construction Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which provides a Conservation Strategy for avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating potential impacts on Covered Species resulting from SMUD’s various operations, maintenance, and new construction activities (Covered Activities); • Application for issuance and implementation of incidental take permits (ITPs) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which authorize take of Covered Species potentially occurring during implementation of the Covered Activities. The ITPs will provide incidental take coverage for seven Covered Species—California tiger salamander, giant garter snake, slender Orcutt grass, Sacramento Orcutt grass, valley elderberry longhorn beetle, vernal pool fairy shrimp, and vernal pool tadpole shrimp—for the next 30 years; and • The direct and reasonably foreseeable indirect effects caused by the implementation of Covered Activities that will result from issuance of the ITPs. SMUD’s lead agency approval of the proposed Project would authorize implementation of the proposed HCP and ITPs, but would not confer or imply discretionary approval by SMUD of any specific Covered Activity. Implementation of the proposed Project, instead, will condition how SMUD implements Covered Activities when the Covered Species are or may be present. The EIR is intended to serve as an informational document for the public agency decision makers and the general public regarding the characteristics and objectives of the proposed Project, potential environmental impacts, recommended mitigation measures and feasible alternatives to the proposed Project.

4 documents in project