AgdaPkt 2014-09-08 Closed and Joint with SA

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2fSanfCarlosfAirportfandf Environsf 9.A. - Page 62 2.74slaturalEnvironmenty San Carlos Airport is located adjacent to Bair Island,which is a part of the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge(Refuge). The 30,000-acre Refuge,which was created in 1974,was largely the result of grassroots efforts by the local community to protect the San Francisco Bay ecosystem (USFWS, 2014a). The Refuge is made up of marsh,pond,mudflat,vernal pool, and upland habitats, and provides habitat to several federally-listed endangered species as well as millions of migrating birds(USFWS,2014b). Bair Island itself,which is located in Redwood City less than a mile east of the Airport,is divided into three distinct areas separated by slough channels: Inner,Middle and Outer Bair Islands. The California Depai intent of Fish and Wildlife and the Refuge both own portions of Bair Island. Inner Bair Island is connected to the mainland and can be reached directly by land from Whipple Avenue. Inner Bair Island is separated from Middle Bair Island by Smith Slough which, in turn, is separated from Outer Bair Island by Corkscrew Slough(USFWS &CDFW,2006). Over the last few years,Bair Island has undergone a series of restorative improvements. Most recently,the refuge opened a new pedestrian bridge near the south eastern levee of Inner Bair Island and a portion of the Inner Bair Island Trail. The pedestrian bridge spans across"No-Name Slough"and connects Uccelli Boulevard with Inner Bair Island. The bridge is the new and only public access point to enter the Inner Bair Island Trail(USFWS,2014c). Management and conservation of both the Refuge and Bair Island is guided by the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan(CCP). The CCP is intended to achieve the following: • Provide a clear statement of direction for the management of the Refuge during the lifetime of the CCP. • Provide long-term continuity in Refuge management. • Communicate the Service's management priorities for the Refuge to its neighbors and the public. • Provide an opportunity for the public to help shape the future management of the Refuge. • Ensure that management programs on the Refuge are consistent with the legal and policy mandates for the Refuge System and the purpose of the Refuge as set forth in establishing documentation. • Ensure that management of the Refuge is,to the extent practicable, consistent with Federal, State, and local plans. • Provide a basis for budget requests to support the Refuge's needs for staffing, operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. • Evaluate existing and proposed uses on each of the Refuges to ensure that they are compatible with the Refuge purpose(s); the Refuge System mission; and the maintenance of biological integrity,biodiversity, and environmental health(USFWS, 2012). SanfCarlosfAirportV 2-41 ESAfAirportsfi130753f ALUCPf W hitef Pape/ Junef2014f