PG&E Land Transfers
Section 2-XVII Mandatory Findings of Significance
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MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE DISCUSSION

The proposed project involves two applications submitted by PG&E to market value, transfer and donate a portion of its land assets in the Burney Falls and McArthur Swamp areas of Shasta County. Portions of these areas are contained within the Pit 1, 3, 4 and 5 hydroelectric projects. PG&E propose to transfer these lands to the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and the California Waterfowl Association (CWA). The transaction includes a Conservation Easement and adaptive management plan (MSMP) and other terms designed to maintain existing land uses, enhance and create additional waterfowl habitat, and preserve cultural and historical resources.

1. As discussed in the Air Quality, Biological Resources, and Cultural sections, the proposed project has the potential to result in several potentially significant impacts related primarily to land disturbing activities proposed in the MSMP which have some potential to degrade the quality of the environment. Mitigation measures contained in each of the subject resource area descriptions are considered adequate to reduce these individual impacts to a less than significant level.
   
   

   As described in the Biological Resources Section, the project does not have the potential to substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, nor does it restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal community, or reduce the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal. The Shasta Crayfish is currently a state and federally listed endangered species whose habitat is located in the project area. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is currently preparing a Biological Opinion as part of the ongoing FERC relicensing process for the Pit River I Project. This opinion includes the evaluation of the withdrawal of certain land areas from the Pit River Hydroelectric Project boundaries. Once completed, this Biological Opinion will provide information from which to determine the extent of this impact from the relicensing process. Careful consideration of the potential for this project to impact the Shasta Crayfish was conducted as part of the analysis contained in this document, and it was determined that a significant impact resulting from the actions proposed by this project would not occur.

   The Cultural Resources Section concluded that the project does have some potential to eliminate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory; but the mitigation measures imposed in the section would reduce the potential to a less than significant level. As a part of the Conservation Easement, CWA would agree to the terms contained within the deed requiring the protection and future preservation of any known cultural or historical sites that exist or may be found in the future. Additionally, CWA has agreed that, prior to the commencement of any activity on the property which may materially disturb the ground at McArthur Swamp (e.g., development of ground water, grading, construction, excavations), a site survey shall be conducted to determine if any cultural materials or sites exist in the area of the proposed activity. As result, no impact to cultural resources is anticipated.

2. None of the activities proposed as part of the project have the potential to result in impacts, which are considered to be individually limited but cumulatively significant. While there are ground disturbing activities proposed as part of the adaptive management plan which would result in temporary air emissions which may be cumulatively significant, mitigation measures described in the Air Quality Section of this document are considered adequate to reduce this impact to a less than significant level. Additionally, the proposed projects potential to result in a cumulative impact to the endangered Shasta Crayfish was carefully considered in the Biological Resources section. The analysis in this section concluded that the proposed project or any of the subsequent activities under the adaptive management plant would not result in a cumulatively considerable impact to this species. Finally, related to cultural resources, the proposed project involves the reopening of the Glenburn Dredge Site river access pursuant to a FERC recommendation on the Pit 1 relicensing. The Pit Rive Tribe has provided comments on this project expressing concern for the sensitive nature of the area surrounding the Glenburn Dredge Site. While the reopening of this public access site may re-introduce additional recreational visitors, it is highly speculative to assume that this action would directly result in a cumulatively considerable impact to undiscovered cultural resources in the area.
   
   
3. With the mitigation measures imposed in this document, the proposed land transfer and subsequent activities as part of the MSMP would not have environmental effects that could cause adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. Ultimately, the proposed project will enhance and create additional habitat for migrating waterfowl and will be managed under the terms of an adaptive management plan.
   
   
4. The proposed project has no potential to achieve short-term environmental goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals. On the contrary, the project will actually enhance and contribute to long-term environmental goals with some short-term environmental impacts which, with the mitigation imposed in this document, will be reduced to a less than significant level. The proposed donation of fee title for both the Burney Falls and McArthur Swamp transfers is intended to place these land areas into the jurisdiction or management of the most appropriate parties. The MSMP has been developed with the goal of long-term environmental benefit and will be implemented and adjusted to achieve this goal over the long-term. Over the 5-year period following the transfer of McArthur Swamp to CWA, the MSMP calls for CWA, and its successors, to take specified actions to improve wildlife habitat, stabilize levees, protect and create habitat for the Shasta crayfish, and improve grazing and vegetation management.