• A comprehensive one-year evaluation of the biological sensitivity of More Mesa was prepared in 1982 by the Environmental Research Team of the UCSB Herbarium.
• The County designated approximately 225 acres of the More Mesa site as Environmentally Sensitive Habitat in 1993.
• The entire study site occurs within the Coastal Zone, as defined by the Santa Barbara County Local Coastal Program, and thus environmental concerns for the area are governed by the California Coastal Act.

The prospective study shall follow a similar format as the study completed in 1982. Special attention shall be paid to how habitats and species previously identified and evaluated have changed, if at all, since the 1982 study.

Setting: The site is generally flat with two ravine systems which drain into Atascadero Creek to the north of the site. Vegetation/habitat types generally include grassland, oak woodland, coastal scrub, and wetland (including vernal pool).

Scope: The biological resource study shall cover the extent of the property, including lands along the peripheries. The study shall be of sufficient length to cover the extent of seasonal variation associated with the identified resources on site.

Task 1: Review Past Studies and Reports

• The consultant will review existing biological surveys and investigations of the site and its immediate surroundings. Sections of the 1982 report that are still applicable will be identified.

• The study area and region of influence may vary depending on the unique resource in question; this variability will be identified and discussed.

• The consultant will conduct detailed field surveys of the different habitats, vegetation
  communities, and physiographic areas of More Mesa to determine the overall extent and condition of habitats throughout the site.
• Wildlife surveys will identify the species present, their distribution on the site, and an
  identification of what aspects are critical to their persistence and maintenance of normal population fluctuations.
• Updated maps for all resources, as determined appropriate by the consultant
  and County staff, shall be prepared.
  
• Invasive exotic species shall be mapped and evaluated to determine their potential impacts to sensitive habitats, vegetation, and wildlife on the site.
• Native grassland habitats will be mapped using the California Department of Fish and Game’s methodology.
• Voucher specimens will be collected and housed at appropriate herbariums to document the presence of plant species.
• Historical data from different climatic regimes should be considered, where possible, to provide comparisons between drought and non-drought years.
• A vegetation map identifying the various plant communities and habitats on site will be prepared and included in the final report.

Task 3: Conduct White-tailed Kite Investigation

• White-tailed kites are known to roost and nest on More Mesa. The consultant will perform a detailed investigation of the White-tailed Kite population, including analysis of historical data, long-term foraging, roosting, and nesting patterns onsite and relative to other nesting and foraging areas on the south coast.

• Formal wetland delineations using both the County/CDFG/California Coastal Commission and Federal (Army Corps of Engineers) criteria will be performed across the site in potential wetland areas so that wetlands under both jurisdictions are identified. Consideration will be given to climatic variation and the presence or absence of drought conditions at the time of the delineations.

• The consultant will identify and evaluate the sensitivity of identified special status flora and fauna, including special status species included on Federal, State, or other appropriate lists.
• Species not found on such lists but which are considered locally rare or sensitive shall also be identified and evaluated.South Coast regional and site specific status of each of the identified sensitive species shall be addressed in the final report.

• The consultant will evaluate the environmental sensitivity of the various physiographic areas, habitats, and vegetation communities, as well as the ecosystem as a whole.

• In light of the biological sensitivity of the resources on site, the County, in consultation with the consultant, shall provide recommended guidelines and options for development, the potential number of units, and areas to be preserved as permanent open space.

• The consultant will compile the above information in a detailed, comprehensive report. Deliverables will include an internal Administrative draft, public draft, and proposed final report. The appearance by the consultant at at least one public hearing may be required to explain the findings of the biological study.
  

 Marsh Hawk/Northern Harrier on More Mesa, November 2006