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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPINNACLE TOWNHOMES - PDP - 34-00A - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT1 Prospect Avenue i ' PLAiTCD1 4TWrY d ACCESS CASC4CNY 2 N W N W I4 N V < 1 I y W < ❑ I � M 14 C 2 Yj SHEDS A `+ 4 o I i � IW ti bo a 4 a b I Y n 0 PLATTED uTlUn' Q ACCESS CASEMENT I W:IN{2 17'Iti SEWER fASCYCNI SEWER 5SE4CNT 10' TCLEPHONE A' lELCGRAPH FASCYCT7T —• 103 SPRING .CREEK TRAIL CASEYENT N N Wetland Mappingfor the Pinnacle Project Area (813 Prospect Avenue) Scale: V = -82' I 1 r- L 7 1 water zone of the creek is not present in the vicinity of the project area because of the extent of development next to the creek. Therefore, this portion of the drainage could not support a resident population of Z. h. preblei. It is also important to note that a Z. h. preblei trapping survey completed in August 1998 for the Centre Avenue extension across Spring Creek approximately 1 mile upstream Pinnacle project area documented the absence of Z h. preblei in this area (Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 1998. This section of Spring Creek was bordered primarily by irrigated alfalfa hayfield with much less adjacent residential development than is present near the Pinnacle project area. Spring Creek does connect to a segment of the Cache la Poudre River designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a "Potential Mouse Protection Area," and there is the slight potential that the Spring Creek drainage could be used as possible mouse dispersal corridor from the Cache la Poudre River. However, as noted previously the continuity of the Spring Creek drainage and its value as a possible movement corridor for Z. h. preblei are limited by numerous road crossings and an active sand and gravel mining operation. The Spring Creek drainage has not been designated as a "Potential Mouse Protection Area" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Current City of Fort Collins guidelines require a 100-foot development setback from the Spring Creek drainage. Therefore, the proposed Pinnacle development would have no effect on Spring Creek, adjacent wetland habitats, or the drainage's limited potential as a Z. h. preblei movement corridor. References Cited Armstrong, D.M., M.E. Bakeman, N.W. Clippinger, A. Deans, M. Margulies, C.A. Meaney, C. Miller, M. O'Shea -Stone, T.R. Ryon, and M. Sanders. 1997. Report on habitat findings of the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. Edited by M.E. Bakeman. Report presented to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. 91 pp. Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 1998. Preble's meadow jumping mouse survey report for the Centre Avenue extension (Spring Creek crossing) project. Report submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Colorado State University Research Foundation, August 1998. 1 [3 I A, Photo 5. Spring Creek Wetlands West of Southwest Property Corner. (Note turf grass landscaping adjacent to Spring Creek drainage.) 7 "• _ ` r � a�-.SNP i. `_ter"',"^= A. > I thr .r IN Photo 3. Heavily Grazed Horse Pasture and Wetlands South of the Pinnacle Property and the Spring Creek Recreation Trail. i ;y' l.- ',` a sJ fi R -,v! - r's^Ma I �f yT }_Q. "a �• Photo 4. Spring Creek Wetlands East of Southeast Property Corner. (Note turf grass landscaping in background adjacent to the drainage.) 9 I J I East of the Spring Creek trail bridge crossing, the property boundary is .defined by the Spring Creek recreational trail corridor (paved asphalt trail with mowed margins consisting of grasses and weedy forb species), and wetlands along the creek are located on private property to the south of the recreation trail and the project area. Most of this area is used as horse pasture and is heavily grazed with minimal cover provided by woody species (see Photo 3). East of the horse pasture and the southeast property comer, the relatively narrow Spring Creek stream corridor is again dominated by dense stands of reed canarygrass as well as meadow (oxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) (see Photo 4). Occasional plains cottonwood and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) trees are also present. Residential landscaping, turf grass areas, and the Spring Creek Trail abut this segment of the Spring Creek corridor. Upstream and to the west of the Pinnacle project area, landscaped turf grass areas, the Spring Creek Trail, and fenced livestock pasture border the narrow drainage corridor. Wetland habitat along this portion of Spring Creek is also dominated by reed canarygrass and meadow foxtail (see Photo 5), but small pockets of coyote willow (Salfx exigua), Baltic rush (Juncus balticus), and Emory sedge (Carex emoryi) are interspersed with these two dominant grasses. A number of native and non-native trees also grow along this segment of Spring Creek. These include plains cottonwood, weeping willow (Salix babylonica), peach -leaf willow (Salix amygdaloides), Russian olive, green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and Chinese elm. No drainages or irrigation ditches large enough to serve as wildlife movement corridors exist within the property boundaries. The Spring Creek corridor along the southern property boundary represents a potential wildlife movement corridor, but wildlife use of this corridor is limited primarily to urban adapted species because of the extent of commercial/residential development in close proximity to much of the creek and the extensively used recreation trail that parallels and is immediately adjacent to most of the drainage. Spring Creek flows into the Cache la Poudre River approximately 1.8 miles east of the project area, but the continuity of the Spring Creek drainage between the project area and the Cache la Poudre River is interrupted by numerous road crossings and an active sand and gravel mining operation near the Cache la Poudre River. Discussion and Conclusions The majority of the Pinnacle project area is comprised of upland, fallow hayfield habitat that does not represent suitable habitat for Z h. preblei. Small, isolated parcels of potentially suitable habitat for Z h. preblei exist at the southwest property corner and to the east and west of the Pinnacle project area along the Spring Creek drainage, but the likelihood of the presence of Z. h. preblei along Spring Creek was judged to be extremely low because of the extent and proximity of existing development along the drainage corridor_ Suitable hibernation habitat outside of the stream corridor and above the potential high 5 Photo 1. View of Fallow Hayfield Habitat that Occupies the Majority of the Pinnacle Project Area. (Note informal dirt trail that connects to the Spring Creek Trail in the background. Trees on right side of photo are along the western property fenceline_ Trees in background are south of property.) Spring Creek Trail Br(;dg ,. Sj�rinc� l Photo 2. Reed Canarygrass Wetlands Along Southwest Border of the Project Area. H natural or created by seeps from man-made structures such as dams, irrigation structures, etc.), native hayfields, stream channels (perennial and intermittent), riparian habitats, or floodplains below 7,600 feet ' elevation in Colorado. Sites not requiring surveys include: highly disturbed or modified sites such as landscaped areas, armored stream channels, and irrigation ditches with little or no vegetation; dry upland sites; dense stands of cattails; cropland; and areas at least 300 feet away from suitable habitat. Ecological Conditions of Site 1 The majority of the project area consists of what appeared to be an old alfalfa/grass hayfield dominated 1 primarily by two vegetation species, smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and all affa (Medicago sativa). Other less dominant species recorded were orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea ), common dandelion (Taraxacum oflicinale), and false salsify (Podospermum laciniatum). All of the grasses recorded in the fallow hayfield were non-native pasture grass species. Total vegetation cover was estimated to be mostly 75 to 85 percent, but some barer areas in the northern portion of the property supported only 50 to 60 percent total vegetation cover. Height of vegetation in fallow hayfield ' ranged from 1 to 3 feet. A representative view of this area is provided in Photo 1. Well worn dirt trails also bisect the property indicating the property is used by people to access the Spring Creek Trail from Prospect Avenue (see Photo 1). A line of mature trees grows along the fenceline that forms the western property boundary as well as along ' the northern property boundary adjacent to Prospect Avenue. Five mature Chinese elms (U/mus pumila) grow along the northern property edge. Trees along the western property line are a mix of mature and sapling Chinese elms, mature domestic apple trees (Malus syftstris), a multi-trunked box elder (Acer negundo), and a possible domestic plum tree (Prunus domestica). The apple and plum trees appeared to ' be the remnants of a old fruit tree orchard. One mature plains cottonwood (Populus sargentit) and a number of small sapling Chinese elms grow within the interior of the property. The plains cottonwood is the only native tree supported within the property boundaries. The only evidence of wetland habitats on the project area was located in the southwest corner of the property immediately adjacent to the Spring Creek drainage and west of the recreational trail bridge crossing of the creek (see attached wetland map). Wetlands along the south edge of the project area west of the trail bridge are relatively narrow and dominated by reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). Reed canarygrass exhibits nearly 100 percent total cover in this wetland segment along the creek, and there is essentially no shrub or tree cover present. The wetland/upland boundary is defined by a relatively ' sharp transition in vegetation dominance from reed canarygrass to smooth brome in the adjacent uplands. A representative view of wetlands on the property is provided by Photo 2. ' 3 IVliitbet Street p C 72 14 ©1+ Ivy f i } 'r' , �i i ■ it �, i, - ` �f y it if f:•! Ir, \.. .,t -,L ,tF�,CI�ARFTH�;ST _ ta. �� p�!\:y,.� . rrq, v iz if 1 it E '�$ �j� Ilatih ych h1 Jr High Sch ilk it , •: Prospect Street _ - N +r, , y hi Pinnacle \ # Project Area a d I L.A r LI?AL II r 7 I101 i A m I • II" l� JI uV u i I �rekrs t It. 1�ke Roado 1,9E � J6 Lci r f II Itr 1 tt it pe� I ��I� �_ � .fir - �� �!' ��.� � �.� I•.. its FIGURE 1 tv Pinnacle Project Area Location Scale: 1 " = 2,000' { s Map Source: USGS 7 1/2'Quadrangle -Fort Collins, CO 1! 1__J PREBLE'S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE (Zapus hudsonius preblei) HABITAT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PINNACLE PROJECT AREA Surveyor's Name: T. Michael Phelan Surveyor's Address: Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 916 Wiltshire Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80521 Endangered Species Act subpermit number: 98-29.98 under authority of permit PRT-704930 ' Colorado Division of Wildlife Scientific Collection License Number: 00-TR805 ' Project Description The proposed project would develop a 6.9-acre parcel located in Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado. The property will be subdivided and developed into residential housing. The property boundaries are defined by Prospect Avenue on the north, Spring Creek and the Spring Creek Bike Trail to the south, and existing residences and a fenced livestock pasture to the east and west. The location of the property and property boundaries are shown on Figure 1. tSurvey Site Location Northwest 1/4, Northeast 1/4, Northeast 1/4, Section 24, Township 7 N., Range 69 W. UTM Coordinates: 13; 494750 4490340 (center of wetlands at southwest property corner) 1 Elevation: 4,950 feet Survey Methodology ' No trapping was conducted. The survey consisted solely of an evaluation of site conditions to determine if suitable habitat for Z h. preblei exists within or near the property boundaries. The site evaluation consisted of recording dominant vegetation species present, estimates of the extent of vegetation cover in vegetation communities on the property, and taking photographs of representative portions of the ' property. Habitats within the project area were evaluated based on information provided in the Interim Survey Guidelines for Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, May 19, 1999) and Armstrong et al. (1997). According to these sources suitable habitat for Z h. preblei is provided by low undergrowth consisting of grasses, forbs, or both in open wet meadows and riparian corridors or where tall shrubs and low trees provide adequate cover. Potential habitat includes wet meadow habitats (both ' �PPSN,ENT OF Ty�ya United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE CN a �0°9 Ecological Services ' Colorado Field Office 755 Parfet Street, Suite 361 Lakewood, Colorado 80215 ' IN REPLY REFER TO: ES/CO: T&E/PMJM/Survey Mail Stop 65412 AUG .8 2000 T. Michael Phelan Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 916 Willshire Avenue ' Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Dear Ms. Phelan: Based on the authority conferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) by the Endangered ' Species Act of 1973 ((ESA, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Service reviewed the Preble's meadow ,Jumping mouse, opus hudsonius preblei, (Preble's) survey report submitted with your letter of June 26, 2000. This report regards the Pinnacle Project in Fort Collins, Larimer County, I Colorado (Section 24, Township 7 North, Range 69 West). The project, as proposed, may disturb wetlands and other riparian habitats. Given your compliance with the Preble's survey guidelines, the Service finds the report acceptable and agrees that a population of Preble's is not likely to be present within the subject area. Thus, the Service concludes that development or other actions on this site should not directly affect the continued existence of Preble s. Should Preble's populations exist downstream from the site, actions on the site that result in significant modification of Preble's habitat downstream (for example, through alteration of existing flow regimes, or sedimentation) may be subject to provisions of the ESA. If the Service can be of further assistance, please contact Peter Plage of my staff at (303) 275-2370. LeRoy W. Colorado 1 ' pc: U.S. Army COE, Littleton, CO Plage Reference: Peter/PMJM/2000.94 Supervisor 0 I .i 1 1 t i I I I 1 PREBLE'S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE (Zapus hudsonius preblei) HABITAT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PINNACLE PROJECT AREA Prepared by Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. Fort Collins, Colorado Prepared for Anchor Development Corporation Fort Collins, Colorado June 23, 2000