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Biological Resources <br /> Special-status plant and wildlife species present or potentially present in the biological <br /> study area were identified through a literature search using the California Department of <br /> Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB; CDFW <br /> 2021 a) and the California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered <br /> Vascular Plants of California (CNPS 2021 a). Dudek's wildlife biologist Matt Ricketts <br /> conducted a reconnaissance-level field assessment of the biological study area on April <br /> 12, 2021. The reconnaissance consisted of documenting vegetation communities and <br /> land cover types present on the project site, searching for potentially jurisdictional <br /> aquatic resources, and assessing habitat for special-status plant and wildlife species <br /> within the biological study area. Twenty-seven wildlife species or signs of them were <br /> observed during the April 2021 field reconnaissance and 26 special status plant species <br /> were identified as occurring or potentially occurring in the project's vicinity. <br /> Based on the results of the literature review and the April 2021 field reconnaissance, 39 <br /> special-status wildlife species were identified as occurring or potentially occurring in the <br /> project's vicinity. Of these, 31 species were removed from consideration due to the lack <br /> of suitable habitat within or adjacent to the project site or the project site being outside <br /> of the species' known range. <br /> The project site does not overlap with any designated critical habitat units for California <br /> red-legged frogs. However, the project site does contain suitable habitat for the <br /> Alameda whipsnake and is also within Unit 3 (Hayward-Pleasanton Ridge) of USFWS- <br /> designated critical habitat for Alameda whipsnake. Most of the existing unofficial bike <br /> trail passes through coast live oak woodland with closed-to-semi-open canopy with <br /> occasional openings supporting small areas of coyote brush scrub. There is also a small <br /> patch of high-quality Alameda whipsnake habitat associated with California sage scrub <br /> growing on the steep and rocky east-facing slope in the western portion of the biological <br /> study area between the existing trail segments. There are several known Alameda <br /> whipsnake occurrences on Pleasanton Ridge, thus the project site is contiguous with <br /> occupied habitat and high-quality scrub habitat likely to support the subspecies. <br /> • Mitigation Measure BIO-1 — Special-Status Plant Compensatory Mitigation <br /> Cultural Resources <br /> Dudek's staff completed a cultural resources report that evaluated the project's potential <br /> impacts on cultural resources and its archaeologist, William Burns, conducted an <br /> extensive survey of the Area of Potential Effects (APE). No cultural resources were <br /> identified during the survey. <br /> • Mitigation Measure CUL-1 —Treatment of Unanticipated Cultural Resources <br /> • Mitigation Measure CUL-2 —Treatment of Unanticipated Human Remains <br /> Page 4 of 7 <br />