The SFPUC Alameda Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) will provide long-term conservation measures for threatened or endangered species that could be affected by ongoing water system operations and maintenance efforts within the SFPUC-owned portion of the Alameda Watershed, or by recreation, lease, and easement activities.
The first three draft chapters of the HCP were completed and then revised in response to comments from federal and state agencies and the public. Two more draft chapters--4, Impact Analysis, and 5, Conservation Strategy--are now available. They address impacts to and conservation of non-fish species only. (Fish species are being addressed separately and results will be integrated as they become available.)
Upcoming Panel Proceedings
An independent review panel of distinguished scientists will review the modeling tools developed to evaluate the potential benefits and impacts to covered fish species. The public is invited to attend the panel proceedings on May 17 and 18 at the Richard Trudeau Training Center in Oakland. For details please see the panel meeting announcement.
Public Meeting
A public meeting is scheduled for June 12, 2012 to share updates on the HCP, including Draft Chapters 6 (Implementation and Funding), 7 (Assurances) and 8 (Alternatives), and discuss current modeling efforts to evaluate benefits and impacts to covered fish species. The meeting agenda and informational materials will be posted on the Website later this month. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center Regional Meeting Room, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin CA.
The summary report and informational materials for the public meeting that took place on December 8, 2011 is available. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Draft Chapter 4 (Impact Analysis) and 5 (Conservation Strategy).
Preliminary Draft Chapters
All five preliminary draft chapters are posted below as separate attachments, along with the comments on the first three chapters and the SFPUC responses. However, these preliminary chapters do not represent either the final public draft chapters, since information is still being collected and analyses have yet to be completed.
Chapter 1: Introduction (January 2010)
Provides the scope, its regulatory context, and the methodology for selecting the 18 special-status species for coverage.
Chapter 2: Covered Activities (January 2010)
Addresses the evaluation and selection of covered activities associated with our water supply system operations and maintenance in the study area, lease permitting and easements, and HCP implementation.
Chapter 3: Physical and Biological Resources (January 2010)
Covers the physical and biological setting for the Alameda Watershed HCP, the baseline conditions, and the data collection methods used to define them.
Chapter 4: Impact Analysis (November 2011)
Analyzes impacts from covered activities to covered species. Current version addresses plants and wildlife (terrestrial and non-fish aquatic species).
Chapter 5: Conservation Strategy (November 2011)
Includes a fully integrated program of avoidance and minimization, mitigation, monitoring, and adaptive management to mitigate impacts on covered species. Current version addresses conservation of non fish species.
Current Covered Species Profiles, providing known and validated information for each, are also available for your reference. See the Summary Report from the December 8, 2011 community meeting.
Throughout the development of this plan, we have been in consistent consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game. We anticipate presenting the entire draft HCP through the public outreach process during the summer of 2012, and look forward to your comments at that time. The environmental review process will also provide opportunities for formal public comment.
For further information about the Alameda Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan, please contact project manager Joanne Wilson, Land and Natural Resources Management, (650) 652-3205, jwilson@sfwater.org.