Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)

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A summary of an environmental topic examined by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

Summary

The Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is an administrative draft document revised from the 1997 Fort Ord Habitat Management Plan. The HCP addresses the conservation and enhancement of habitat for several special status plants and animals on the former Fort Ord. The plan identifies designated development areas, habitat management areas, and borderlands. Specific activities within these designated areas are also outlined.Consulting agencies involved in the Fort Ord HCP include Denise Duffy and Associciates[1], Zander Associates[2], and Jodi McGraw Consulting Services[3]

Background

Fort Ord HCP vs. HMP

Fort Ord Habitat Management Plan (HMP) - An agreement issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA), its member agencies, University of California, and California State University in regards to HMP implementation [4]. The most current HMP draft document is the 1997 revision.

Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) - Incorporates relevant information from the 1997 HMP and supersedes the HMP as the primary conservation reference document for all non-federal Fort Ord land recipients [4].

The HCP plan covers approximately 27,838 acres of former Fort Ord [5]. HCP stemmed from the Habitat Management Plan (HMP), which was first published as part of the Base Reuse Plan (BRP) in 1994. Although the 1996 HMP was never approved, it provides a foundation for the HCP. To begin implementation of the HCP, the plan must be approved by US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

The issuance of Incidental Take Permits - 2081 California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and 10(a)(1)(B) federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) - will be based on the HCP. CDFW and USFWS will be the issuing agencies, respectively.

Federal Endangered Species Act

HCP Species

Current listing status of Fort Ord special status species included in the HCP

Listing Description

FT - Federally Threatened

FE - Federally Endangered

ST - State Threatened

SE - State Endangered

NL - Not Listed

Species [8] [1] Current Listing Status [9] [10]


Sand gilia (Gilia tenuiflora arenaria) FE/ST
Monterey spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens pungens) FT
Seaside bird’s-beak (Cordylanthus rigidus littoralis) SE
Hooker’s manzanita (Arctostaphylos hookeri hookeri) SE
Sandmat manzanita (A. pumila) FE
Monterey manzanita (A. montereyensis) NL
Monterey ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus) NL
Eastwood’s goldenbush (Ericameria fasciculata) NL
Yadon’s piperia (Piperia yadonii) FE
Contra Costa goldfields (Lasthenia conjugens) FE
California Black Legless Lizard (Anniella pulchra nigra) NL
California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense) ST/FT/FE
California linderiella (Linderiella occidentalis) NL

Timeline

This timeline outlines the main milestones related to the development of the Fort Ord HMP and HCP. A complete timeline for all issues related to Fort Ord is available here: Fort Ord

  • 1992 - Flora and Fauna Baseline Study of Fort Ord (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).[11]
    • Baseline study used to create the 1993 draft HMP
  • 1993 - Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Fort Ord Disposal and Reuse Volume I of IV (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)[12].
    • This EIS evaluated the environmental impacts of base closure and explored the various alternatives within the scope of National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
    • The EIS identified the need to create and implement the HMP to protect sensitive habitats and species.
  • 1994 - Publication of first HMP (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)[13]
    • Established guidelines for the conservation and management of plant and animal species dependent on habitat within the former Fort Ord.
  • 1997 - Base Reuse Plan,Reassessment and Final Environmental Impact Report (Fort Ord Reuse Authority, EMC Planning Group Inc., EDAW, Inc.) [14]
    • This refined the shortcomings of the original plan and incorporated new developments from the land use agencies involved.
  • 1997 - HMP Revision (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) [13]
    • A revision of the 1994 HMP to reflect modifications to the reuse scenario that was informed by the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (1996)
  • 2001 - HMP Digital Republication (U.S. Arm Corps of Engineers)
  • 2002 - Redevelopment Plan for the Fort Ord Redevelopment Project (Redevelopment Agency of the County of Monterey) [15]
    • The redevelopment plan's main objective is to improve and eliminate blighting conditions in the former Fort Ord. It outlines the powers, duties and obligations for the Monterey County Redevelopment Agency to implement the plan to accomplish redevelopment and revitalization of the area.
  • 2002 - Assessment East Garrison - Parker Flats Land Use Modifications (County of Monterey & Fort Ord Reuse Authority, Zander Associates) [16]
    • An assessment of the proposed exchanged use of Parker Flats and East Garrison area between the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) and the County of Monterey. The land swap would increase the overall reserve lands occupied by HMP Species as well as expand and enhance corridor connections between the northern and southern reserve lands.
  • 2008 - Final South Boundary Road Biological Monitoring Report (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Burleson Consulting Inc.)[17]
    • This biological study was conducted as a requirement for the 1997 HMP and biological opinions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which specifies mitigation and monitoring protocol for special-status species following cleanup activities. The survey reports the first year of biological monitoring for the vegetation clearance for South Boundary Road Project.
  • 2012 - HCP Scoping Report (Fort Ord Reuse Authority, EMC Planning Group) [18]
    • The scoping report is part of the Base Reuse Plan reassessment process. It presents background information about the reuse of Fort Ord, summarizes events that occured at the former Fort Ord since the Reuse Plan was adopted as well as public input on the Reuse Plan Reassessment.
  • 2012 - Fort Ord Reuse Plan Reassessment (Fort Ord Reuse Authority, EMC Planning Group) [19]
    • A review of 2001 Reuse Plan publication is mandated in Chapter 8 of the Master Resolution, which serves as FORA's bylaws. The Reassessment report describes topics and potential modification options for the Base Reuse Plan or to FORA's operational procedures for consideration by FORA's Board.
  • 2013 - Draft HCP
    • Developed a draft of the HCP which would enable CDFW to issue a incidental take permit[20]
  • 2015 - Screen check
    • FORA made a screen check of HCP made available to members of the public for comment[21]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Denise Duffy and Associates. [Date unknown. [Cited on 10 April 2017]]
  2. Zander Associates. [Date unknown. [Cited on 10 April 2017]]
  3. Jodi McGraw Consulting. [Date unknown. [Cited on 10 April 2017]
  4. 4.0 4.1 Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA). 2013. FORA annual report. [Cited on 10 April 2017]
  5. [www.fora.org/Reports/HMP/HCP%20IA%2012-04-13.doc Fort Ord Refuse Authority. 2013. Former Fort Ord Installation wide multispecies habitat conservation plan: Draft. [Cited on 10 April 2017]]
  6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. 1998. Endangered Species consultation handbook. [Cited on 10 April 2017]
  7. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1973. Endangered Species Act | Section 10. [Cited on 10 April 2017]
  8. Denise Duffy & Associates, Inc. 2013. Annual Biological Monitoring Report Former Fort Ord, Calafornia. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. [Cited on 11 April 2017]
  9. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2017. State and Federally listed endangered, threatened, and rare plants of California. [Cited on 11 April 2017]
  10. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2017. State and Federally listed endangered and threatened animals of California. [Cited on 11 April 2017]
  11. U.S.Army Corps of Engineers. 1992. Flora and fauna baseline stuyd of Fort Ord, California. [Cited on 11 April 2017]
  12. U.S.Army Corps of Engineers. SacramentoDistrict. 1993. Fort Ord disposal and reuse environmental impact statement. [Cited on 11 April 2017]
  13. 13.0 13.1 Habitat management plan and related reports. 2017. U.S. Army Fort Ord Cleanup. [Cited on 12 April 2017]
  14. 1997. Base Reuse Plan & Reassessment. Fort Ord Reuse Authority. [Cited on 12 April 2017]
  15. [http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/housing/pdfs/Fort_Ord/redevplan_fortord.pdf Monterey County Redevelopment and Housing Division. 2002. Redevelopment Plan for the Fort Ord Redevelopment Project Area. County of Monterey Redevelopment Agency. [Cited on 12 April 2017] ]
  16. Zander Associates. 2002. East Garrison - Parker Flats Land Use Modifications Fort Ord, California. County of Monterey and Fort Ord Reuse Authority. [Cited on 12 April 2017]
  17. Final South Boundary Road Biological Monitoring Report (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Burleson Consulting, Inc.) http://199.255.250.170/ar_pdfs/ar-bw-2456a/02-19-08-final%20fort%20ord%20report.pdf
  18. http://www.landwatch.org/pages/issuesactions/fortord/FORA-ScopingReport-2012.pdf
  19. Base Reuse Plan and 2012 Reassessment http://www.fora.org/BRPReassessment.html
  20. http://www.fora.org/Board/2015/Packet/Additional/Exh_C_ConservationEasement%202014-12-02_CDFWcomments.pdf
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJxyCFl79Jk

Links

Disclaimer

This page may contain students' work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.