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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/18/2000, 4 - NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 2 Pursuant to Council direction, staff solicited comments from interested citizens and received a request to meet from Dr. Richard Krejsa and Mr. Phil Ashley. Staff met with Dr. Krejsa and Mr. Ashley on June 15, 2000, and again on June 30, 2000, in an attempt to reach common understanding of both the purposes and the scope of the NRI. It was apparent that there were differing views on the matter, but the two meetings in staff's opinion served to correct misunderstanding and led to basic agreement on what the NRI seeks to accomplish and what should be included within it. This is described below. Furthering the Natural Resources Inventory Staffs rationale regarding the scope of the NRI is that a biological inventory should start with species that are listed as threatened or endangered under State or Federal laws, plus the habitats that are critical for those species. This information is necessary for management of City-owned open space lands as well as for land use and project review decisions affecting privately owned land. The inventory would then go on to identify"Species of Local Concern". These are species which are not given formal protection by State or Federal listing,but are of concern because their populations are declining or are at risk in some manner. In California the Department of Fish and Game has identified such species by creating a list of"Species of Special Concern". Ideally, a full biological inventory would go beyond even Species of Local Concern to identify (at least) all vertebrate animal species and vascular plant species occurring in the area. In the discussions with Dr. Krejsa and Mr. Ashley, several points of agreement emerged. These were: 1. There is a fundamental difference between inventory of City-owned lands and private lands. The City has an obligation as steward of its lands to know as much as possible about them, while the detail needed to make reasonable land use decisions for private lands designated for urban development is not as great. Also, City-owned open space lands are not under any development pressure and therefore not in need of immediate inventory. Therefore it was agreed that there should be ongoing effort to develop databases for City-owned open space lands using a variety of City and outside sources, with the goal of having a complete and "ground-truthed" inventory of the biological resources of each open space area. 2. The converse is true for private lands. There is a need for rapid development of a fuller database for making sound land use decisions, and it was agreed that the database need not be as detailed as for City-owned lands. Therefore it was agreed that the proposed "Species of Local Concern"within the Conservation Element should serve as the starting point for a general biological inventory of the City, and that this information would be added to as required studies and plans for such lands are prepared. Furthermore it was agreed that the species comprising the "Species of Local Concern" could be added to from time to time as new information was developed by the Federal or State government, or as a resulted of pertinent information generated locally. 3. Having stated the above, it was pointed out that it is desirable to know more wherever we can. Mr. Ashley stated, for example,that he had compiled a list of over fifty bird species 4-2 Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position .Page 3 observed in a small riparian area on Sydney Creek behind his home, and that this represented a quantum leap in biological knowledge of that creek environment. Staff supported the point and it was agreed that it should be a goal of the City to develop as complete a biological database as possible for lands within the City's urban reserve line, primarily by entering data generated from site visits or other data gathering mechanisms, into that database. This would,however,be done on an as-time-is-available basis. Staff believes that the meetings with Dr. Krejsa and Mr. Ashley leave us with no major disagreements over the scope and nature if the NRI. Relationship of the Natural Resource Inventory to the Duties of a City Biologist Given the concerns that initially reactivated the request for a City Biologist position, Council instructed staff that the initial emphases for the City biologist position should be: 1. Developing an improved project mitigation program — mitigation development, project oversight, and ongoing mitigation monitoring and reporting; 2. Furtherance of natural resource inventory work through some combination of consultant assistance and direct involvement (including participation in reconciling identified land use-sensitive resource conflicts through the specific planning process); and 3. Developing formal policies for management of City-owned open space lands, including a "Best Management Practices" policy, and follow-up management plans for major City- owned properties; Next Steps If Council concurs with the agreements with Dr. Krejsa and Mr. Ashley regarding the biological components of the NRI, staff will begin the process of detailing the "Species of Local Concern". It is anticipated that this list will total about 50 species, derived from the State of California's "Species of Special Concern" which occur locally (paying particular attention to the needs of local birds of prey), plus the native fish species in San Luis Obispo Creek and its tributaries. This "detailing" will consist of a list of such species, the reason or reasons why they are listed, and a statement of conservation strategy for each species. This will be done in conjunction with the consultants for the Conservation Element Update, and will include the reasons for the species being included in the list and the conservation strategy or strategies for those species. This is seen as the most important and most immediate need. Using student study programs, mitigation studies, and other efforts, an ongoing program to inventory City-owned open space lands will also get underway. This will be a long-term effort, that will be added to regularly. 4-3 Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position . Page 4 FISCAL EWPACT It is not anticipated that development of the above-described databases will require significant new expenditures. If Council concurs with the "Species of Local Concern" approach to furthering the NRI, this will be addressed in the Conservation Element Update through additional staff and consultant effort. Staff will return to Council for additional funding if necessary. ALTERNATIVE The Council may choose to seek some other approach to the NRI, such as separate surveys undertaken under the direct supervision of the City Biologist. Staff believes that the remaining inventory, focusing on about 50 plant and animal "Species of Local Concern", is straightforward enough to permit an immediate effort in that direction by staff and the consultant preparing the Conservation Element Update. The City Biologist will, of course, add to the inventory over time, though various planning and maintenance efforts, and will in all likelihood, be the primary individual involved in establishing and maintaining the databases described above. Note: Additional information concerning the NRI is in the May 16,2000 agenda report and white paper. This information is available in the Council Reading File. 4-4 councit °�°� j acEnaa Repout 1m N.A. C I T Y OF SAN .L U I S O B I S P O c} spa FROM: Ken Hampian, Assistant CAO Prepared By: Neil Havlik,Natural Resource Manager Ann Slate, Human Resources Director SUBJECT: CITY BIOLOGIST POSITION CAO RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve the establishment of the position of City Biologist, including its recommended organizational placement,overall scope of responsibilities, and initial priorities (including the approach to completing the Natural Resource Inventory). 2. Direct staff to include an appropriation of $68,800 in the 2000-01 budget to support salary and benefits ($48,800 prorated for nine months), general budget support ($11,500) and "one-time"setup costs($8,500)necessary for the position. 3. Direct staff to return with a policy resolution that reinforces the stewardship responsibilities of all City employees relative to major areas of shared responsibility, and 4. Concur with the annual distribution of a"sustainable city progress report". REPORT-IN-BRIEF Pursuant to Council direction at the February 29, 2000, Council meeting, staff has met with affected departments and with interested members of the community and crafted a job description for the position of City Biologist (included as Attachment 1). The position will initially focus on two main programs: completion of the City's natural resources inventory; and development and oversight of an improved mitigation monitoring program for City projects. The position will also provide assistance to the Natural Resources Manager for a variety of activities involved with the City's Natural Resources Protection Program. With regard to remaining inventory work, development of an information base identifying "Species of Local Concern" is presently included in the contract with the consulting firm of Jones and Stokes Associates for the update of the General Plan Conservation Element. Development of conservation strategies for these species, combined with the substantial information that already exists and is being used, will bring our overall inventory to a satisfactory level of completion. However, such an inventory is always a `work in progress", and will be added to as further information is developed through the specific planning efforts underway in the major expansion areas. The City Biologist will assist in these added efforts, including resolving land use and resource conflicts when they surface. The City Biologist will also assist in the ongoing maintenance of the inventory. DISCUSSION Council Agenda Report–City Biologist Position Page 2 Background In the adoption of the 1995-97 Financial Plan, the Council created a position of Natural Resources Manager (NRM). The position was created largely as the result of recommendations of the Environmental Quality Task Force (EQTF), which, in February 1995, recommended creating two positions: Open Space Manager and City Biologist. At that time, approval of two separate positions was not feasible. This was because the City was still overcoming the severe financial repercussions of the recession (other City positions were being eliminated) and because "only" one position (Economic Development Manager) was also being created for the Economic Development Program. These two factors—financial constraints and the perceived need to ensure "perfect equality" between our newly created "economic" and "environmental" programs—combined to limit the City to one position in the Natural Resource Protection Program. Since only one position could be created, staff worked to include a combination of the duties recommended by the EQTF for Open Space Manager and City Biologist into the job description for the Natural Resources Manager. As a result, the City's current Natural Resources Manager has worked not only on open space acquisition, but has also advanced several of the goals that would have been met through the City Biologist position. These are described in the Natural Resources Protection Program section of the Financial Plan (D-112) and in a recently completed program brochure(previously distributed; a copy may be found in the Council Reading File). Several factors have combined to make the creation of a specialized City Biologist position appropriate at this time. ■ Open space acquisition remains a high priority of the City, and places a great demand on the City's Natural Resource Manager. This leaves less time for some of the duties originally intended to be carried out by a City Biologist (e.g. assistance with natural resources inventory work, land management plans, etc.). ■ The increasing complexity of project mitigation development, completion and monitoring has simply outgrown the Public Works Department staff's ability to adequately oversee mitigation contracts and ongoing mitigation work without added resources. ■ Consultant contracts for project mitigation have grown more expensive. ■ The need to maintain a perceived "perfect equality"between the Economic Development and the Natural Resource Protection Programs has,hopefully, subsided. As a result of these changes, early this year the Council asked staff to reconsider the need for the City Biologist position. Then, on February 29, 2000 during Mid-Year Budget Review, the Council concluded that such a position was definitely needed and conceptually approved its creation. Staff was directed to return to Council after defining more thoroughly the proposed duties, placement and priorities for the position. Staff was also asked to give "heavy weight" to Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 3 the suggestions set forth in a February 29, 2000 letter from Dr. Richard Krejsa recommending the new position (Attachment 1). Evaluation of Position Duties Over the last several weeks, staff has worked to establish the scope of duties for the position. Consistent with Council direction, staff organized its analysis around the suggestions provided by Dr. Krejsa, who had essentially summarized the former EQFT's recommendations. The departments involved in this internal analysis included all those likely to have some interaction with the City Biologist position, including Community Development, Public Works, Utilities, Fire, Parks and Recreation, Human Resources and Administration. The work of this group resulted in a proposed matrix of duties, organized under major EQTF goals (Attachment 2). This matrix, along with biologist job descriptions from other agencies, was then used to help prepare a draft job description. Job Description and Position Qualifications The next step in the process was to review this internal work with interested community members. Therefore, on April 7, 2000, a meeting was held to review the matrix, draft job description, and status of our existing and future natural resource inventory work with members of the Natural Resource Inventory Group (NRIG), former EQFT members, and other interested individuals (Attachment 3). Since a draft job description had been distributed in advance to those invited to the April 7 meeting, Dr. Kresja presented to the group a number of suggested revisions and comments. Many, though not all, of the suggested revisions were incorporated into the recommended job description(Attachment 4). This is described more fully below. Concern was expressed by some attending the meeting over the number and scope of duties in the description, as these might relate to workload. Staff and others in attendance agreed that the description represented more than could be accomplished by one individual. Staff explained, however, that job descriptions typically list the broadest scope of responsibilities possible in a position with the understanding that priorities and tasks will vary dependent upon workload demand. The initial suggested priorities for the position are outlined later in this report. Although Dr. Krejsa indicated a preference for requiring higher levels of experience and education than found in the draft description, consensus seemed to be reached that requiring a minimum of three years.work experience and a related bachelor's degree would yield a strong applicant pool (noting that an advanced degree and certification as a fisheries and/or wildlife biologist were highly desired). It was generally recognized that minimum qualifications are just that, i.e. minimums, and experience has shown that applicants and final candidates usually exceed those minimums. For example, the qualifications for the Natural Resources Manager position requires a bachelor's degree (with Master's degree or higher preferred)plus five years of related experience. The City's Natural Resource Manager has a Doctorate degree and twenty years related experience. Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 4 In summary, staff strongly recommends that, consistent with our general practice, the position qualifications remain open to various combinations of experience and education. We are confident that this will yield an applicant pool from which to select a highly qualified individual. Reporting and Team Relationships As currently proposed, the City Biologist will be under the supervision of the Natural Resources Manager. In addition to the formal organizational structure, it is essential that the position be integrated into the organization in such a manner that it is perceived by other staff as being fully a part of the City team. Only in this way can the goal of further instilling environmental sensitivity and protection into the mainstream ethic of City staff be accomplished. Education and change, whether environmental or otherwise, cannot be effectively accomplished through "command and control"; instead, it should occur through positive experience, and through new information and practices shared in ways that can be understood and accepted. In this way, lasting improvements can be made. Relationship of the Natural Resource Inventory to the Duties of a City Biologist Prior to determining the priorities for this new position, staff feels it is essential to bring greater clarity to the goal of creating a natural resource inventory. The reason for doing so is that, to a large extent, the amount of time available to a City Biologist for "non-inventory related work" hinges heavily on the goals, expectation and needs relative to completing the inventory. Up to this point, while there has been much interest expressed in completing an inventory and related overlay maps, there has been little consensus relative to: (1) What resources are to be inventoried? (2) What data and maps already exist and are being used by staff, relative to these resources? (3) What added data and work are needed? (4) When "completed," how are we to use the information(recognizing that such work will require regular updating)? In order to shed more light on these questions, a "white paper" was prepared by the Natural Resources Manager with the assistance of Community Development Department staff (Attachment 5). The white paper indicates that a significant effort to complete our inventory is already underway by consultants Jones and Stokes through the update of the Conservation Element. If Council concurs, this effort will be expanded to permit development of a database of "Species of Local Concern". The database will focus on plant and animal species that are uncommon or rare in our area, although not so overall. In other words, this listing will cover a number of species that are not given any protective status by the State or Federal government but are of interest or concern in the local area. In addition to simply listing these species, however, the effort will provide guidelines for their conservation during development projects. This approach to adding to our inventory was presented to and affirmed by the Natural Resource Inventory Group prior to undertaking the update of the Conservation Element. The overall approach was also presented to those attending the April 7 meeting. Some of those at the meeting may not feel that this effort will go far enough. However, it is staff's opinion that, combined with the substantial amount of data that already exists and is being used, the work Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 5 underway with the Conservation Element should bring our inventory to a reasonable level of completion. We recognize that such an inventory is always a "work in progress". It will be added to as further information is gathered through the specific planning efforts underway in our major expansion areas (Airport Area, Margarita Area, and Orcutt Area) and as other properties develop or are incorporated into open space protection programs. This leads to an important point, to wit: Without the consent of property owners, we cannot expect that City staff will be granted access to conduct inventory work on private property. Such consent typically comes when property is proposed for development, or in the case of open space, when the owner is contemplating a transaction with the City. The City Biologist will assist in gathering data through all of these added efforts — expansion area specific plans, developing property inventories, and open space investigations — and in resolving conflicts in land use, should they emerge. The City Biologist will also oversee the ongoing maintenance of much of our inventory database. Initial Priorities for the City Biologist As mentioned earlier,job descriptions are typically crafted to cover the full range of possibilities for given City positions. They do not, however, set forth priorities. Priorities are determined based on Council goals and the staff activities necessary to complete those goals. Goals, of course, can change over time, depending upon current needs and interests. Given the concerns that initially reactivated the request for a City Biologist position, and the interest in furthering our natural resources inventory work, staff believes that the initial position focus should be: Highest Emphasis • Developing an improved project mitigation program—mitigation development, project oversight, and ongoing mitigation monitoring and reporting; and • Finalization of natural resource inventory work through some combination of consultant assistance and direct involvement, and participation in reconciling identified land use- sensitive resource conflicts through the specific planning process. Other Important Areas of Participation • Development of formal policies for open space land management, including a"Best Practices"policy, and follow-up management plans for major properties; • Development and implementation of restoration plans; • Environmental review of various projects; • Open space acquisitions; • Natural resource and environmental education and stewardship efforts. Council Agenda Report–City Biologist Position Page 6 Recruitment Process and Timeframe With Council approval of the City Biologist position, the Natural Resources Manager will work with Human Resources Department (HR) staff to develop a job announcement that will focus on the most immediate priorities of the new position. By early June, the announcement will be published and circulated with a closing date of approximately 45 days from the date of announcement. The Natural Resources Manager will assist HR in determining which professional publications and organizations might be good sources of applicants. Staff has also invited members of the NRIG and EQTF to offer suggestions in this regard. Once the application-filing period is ended, the applications will be screened and only those most highly qualified will be invited to interview. Typically for positions such as this that have considerable public contact as well as interdepartmental relationships, two interview panels are convened—one focusing on technological expertise and external interaction, the other focusing on internal dynamics and organizational fit. "Subject matter experts", including some members of the community, will be invited to participate on the external panel. It is anticipated that interviews would be scheduled by mid-to-late August, and, barring unforeseen delays, the City Biologist should be on board by late September or early October. It should be pointed out that the Public Works Department anticipates requesting a new position of Environmental Engineer in the upcoming budget; this position is intended to handle much of the permitting involved with City projects and would work closely with the Biologist. "Environmental Protection is Everyone's Job" Members of the former EQTF also recommended that the Council adopt a policy stating relative to City staff, that "Environmental Protection is Everyone's Job." This had been an earlier suggestion of the EQTF. There are a number of staff positions which invest a considerable amount of their time in work related to environmental protection. These staff members, and hopefully many others, perceive environmental protection to be at least a part of their job. We also believe that other staff members embrace environmental stewardship as a responsibility of all of us, not only as employees, but as citizens. However, continuous improvement in our environmental protection and understanding is important and necessary, and staff believes that a Council resolution reinforcing this goal would provide greater momentum behind such efforts. However, staff also feels that such a resolution should be larger in context, encompassing other major areas of stewardship responsibility, such as neighborhood protection. With Council concurrence, staff will work with Department Heads to further define these areas and return with a recommended resolution. Measurable Performance Objectives Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 7 In his February 29, 2000 letter, Dr. Krejsa reminded the Council of the EQTF suggestion that the addition of "the measurable performance standards" would help our citizens better determine how the City is meeting its environmental goals. At the present time, the City has an elaborate process of goal setting and goal status tracking. For example, Council goals are tracked and reported on, in writing, six times during any two- year budget cycle. In addition, further goals, objectives, and workload and performance indicators are set forth and tracked in the budget document. The City's performance appraisal system also assures integration of Council priorities into the work programs of City employees. As cities go, we are clearly among the leaders in sustainable policies, programs, and activities, and in recent years, staff has worked to better communicate the City's efforts. One example is the "SLO Stewards" newsletter jointly prepared with the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo. In addition, the City's Conservation Office has a substantial public information program and the Community Development Department distributes an annual report. There are other examples as well. Staff agrees, however, that we have not sufficiently promoted the progress we are making across the full range of environmental protection, conservation and sustainable community initiatives that are being carried out by the City. Therefore, in addition to existing reporting systems, staff anticipates preparation of an"Annual Sustainable City Progress Report," similar to such a report prepared by the City of Santa Monica (Attachment 6). The idea would be to detail our efforts, not only for purposes of measurement, but also to more effectively communicate the many progressive efforts being made by the City. CONCURRENCES Following the direction by the City Council to formulate the City Biologist position, City staff worked to develop a preliminary set of duties based on the needs of several affected City departments. Staff then prepared a detailed matrix of duties, comparing our perceived needs with those goals recommended by the EQTF. Based on this work, and on biologist job descriptions from other agencies, a draft job description was prepared. Other suggestions outlined in the February 29, 2000 letter from Dr. Kresja were also considered (e.g. employee training, performance measurement). Staff reviewed all of this work with the Natural Resource Inventory Group and former EQTF members in a meeting held on April 7, 2000. During this meeting, staff also reviewed current information available relative to our natural resource inventory goals, and discussed alternatives for completing our remaining needs. There was lengthy discussion regarding job duties and qualifications, and some disagreement. However, it is staff's feeling that, while not unanimous on every issue, agreement, was reached at a high level and the CAO Recommendations are, overall, very responsive to the suggestions that have been made. FISCAL IMPACT Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 8 The fiscal impact of this position will revolve primarily around the added salary and benefit expense. This is estimated at $48,800 for nine months of 2000-2001 (rising to $61,240 the next year), plus certain one-time position set-up expenses estimated at approximately $8,500 ($2,500 for a computer, $1,000 for supplies, including a telephone, and$5,000 for office furnishings) and general support costs estimated at$11,500 per year(an increase in contract services of$5,000, an increase in printing and reproduction of$1,000, an increase in education and training of$2,000, an increase in operating materials and supplies of$3,000 and miscellaneous increases of$500). These will be reflected in the Natural Resources Protection Program budget for 2000-2001 and subsequent years. The position will not fully replace the use of monitoring consultants, but is expected to partially do so. It is estimated that perhaps one-third of the on-going salary and benefit costs of the position will be in the form of redirected consultant costs (about $20,400). One area to `watch" is the impact of the position on Administration secretarial support. Added workload is anticipated, especially as it relates to mitigation monitoring and reporting. If Council concurs with the "Species of Local Concern"approach to completion of the Inventory, this will be addressed in the Conservation Element Update through additional staff and consultant effort. Staff will return to Council for additional funding if it is necessary to do so. ALTERNATIVES 1. The Council may choose to not approve the City Biologist position and continue to use biological consultants on an as-needed basis. Given the increasing complexity of project mitigation development, implementation and monitoring, staff believes that City control and oversight can be enhanced though the use of our own staff biologist. In addition, because of the increasing amount of environmental consulting that the City utilizes, there are economies associated with creating an in-house biologist position. 2. The Council could approve alternative position qualifications or placement elsewhere within the City hierarchy. Staff believes that the proposed qualifications are commensurate with requirements that other agencies place on a biologist position. They are also compatible with the requirements of the Natural Resource Manager position, which would be supervisory to the City Biologist. It is clearly stated in the proposed job description that an advanced degree and certification as either a fisheries biologist or wildlife biologist is preferred. This will also be made clear in the job announcement. Locating the Natural Resources Protection Program in Administration has been successful in influencing City matters with regard to natural resource issues, and placing the City Biologist in the same location would strengthen that effect. 3. The Council may decide to use another approach to completing and using our Natural Resource Inventory. The Council may decide to seek some other approach to the Natural Resource Inventory, such as separate surveys undertaken under the direct supervision of the City Biologist. Staff believes that the remaining inventory, focusing on about 30 - 40 plant and animal "Species of Local Concern", is straightforward enough to permit an immediate effort in that direction by staff and the consultant preparing the Council Agenda Report—City Biologist Position Page 9 Conservation Element Update. The City Biologist will, of course, add to the inventory over time, though various planning and maintenance efforts. ATTACHMIENTS 1. February 29, 2000 Letter from Dr. Krejsa 2. Duties Matrix 3. April 7, 2000 Meeting Attendees 4. Recommended job description 5. Natural Resource Inventory"White Paper" 6. Santa Monica Sustainable City Progress Report Current Status of the City of San Luis Obispo's Natural Resource Inventory Program May, 2000 I. What is the City's Overall Resource Inventory Goal, as Stated in the Land Use Element of the General Plan? The General Plan says that overlay maps should be used in designating appropriate uses for land in the City, as well as for making land use related decisions such as approving development plans. With regard to designating land uses,the General Plan says the overlay maps shall provide the basis for determining where urban development is most appropriate, and where other needs of the community(such as resource protection)outweigh the desire or need for urban development. Furthermore,the overlay mapping information is to be used to re-evaluate previous land use designations and future plans for undeveloped areas, and revise the LUE land use map accordingly. The key policies that determine this land use decision making framework are: Land Use Policy 6.0.1 in the City of San Luis Obispo's General Plan Land Use Element states that W is a policy of the City to protect its unique natural resources and systems by induding their considerations and needs within its planning program and giving those considerations and needs a planning priority co equal with that accorded other community needs. Under this policy, the City will make provisions for the continued existence of its natural resources within the community. The term "community"thus indudes not only the urbanized human community dominated by urban land development and technological systems, but also a natural community rich in biological and geological diversity, as well as a pre-urban human community with a strong agricultural base." Land Use Policy 6.0.2 which states that 'the City shall develop overlay maps of the City, the urban reserve, and the planning area to guide in land use designations and decision making. Maps of these areas shall be in sufficient detail to highlight all significant natural resources and systems. The overlay maps will show at least native plant communities, wildlife habitats and corridors, aquatic ecosystems, productive or potentially productive soils, viewsheds, hillsides, and greenbelt areas The overlay maps shall also show development constraints such as flood hazard areas, geologic hazard areas, soil hazard areas (subsidence, liquefaction), noise impact areas, airport hazard and noise areas, radiation hazard areas" Land Use Policy 6.0.3 then states that "the overlay maps shall provide the basis for determining where urban development is appropriate and where other needs of the community outweigh the desire or need for urban development. As a result of the findings embodied in these overlay maps, the City shall re-evaluate its land use designations and future plans for undeveloped areas, and revise the LUE land use map accordingly." Land Use Policy 6.0.4 then states that "once resource areas worthy of protection are ident7fled, the City shall seek to protect them by easement or other permanent means" Other General Plan elements contain policies that further refine this land use decision making framework. Policies in the Open Space, Conservation, and Safety elements also provide specific guidance on land use according the to presence of natural resources or natural hazards. A general inventory of the City's natural resources was used to adopt the City's current land use map. An environmental impact report(EIR)was prepared on this map as a part of the Land Use Element. Mitigation measures from that EIR are embodied in the resource protection policies. G:HavhkBiologisdWhue Paper II. Current Status of City Efforts in Natural Resource Inventory Efforts in overlay mapping are considerably advanced. Most, if not all, of the overlay mapping described in land use policy 6.0.2 has been undertaken in one form or another and that information is available either in descriptive form or in computer-generated map form. Additional detailed data is currently being compiled by Jones & Stokes, the consultants working on an update of the City's General Plan Conservation Element. Some information is adapted from other government agency work such as the Soil Survey, California Natural Diversity Database, or Federal Emergency Management Agency flood information. In addition to this, however, the City is undertaking its own mapping of vegetation communities and of the corridors of San Luis Obispo Creek and its tributaries both within the City and in other selected areas of the watershed. Other activities in this regard are described below. A. Work of the Natural Resource Inventory Group (NRIG) The Natural Resource Inventory Committee(NRIG) is an ad hoc group established to assist City staff(particularly the Natural Resources Manager) in the development and refinement of this overlay information and other information on the City's natural resources. Members include: Phil Ashley; Ray Belknap; David Chipping; Gary Felsman; V. L. Holland;Brad Schram; and Pat Veesart. The Group first met over three years ago. Initially, it was the Group's idea to develop its own effort in the task of assembling (primarily biological) inventory data. However, after several attempts to do so, it became clear that this was a huge and daunting task for volunteers, with questionable benefits in terms of enhancing community awareness of our natural resources. Therefore, after considerable discussion, it was the Group's decision that inventory information be developed in an educational format for publication and general distribution to interested citizens in the community and that that information be held for later application to mapping. Natural vegetation mapping was considered the highest priority for immediate application to planning uses. Consequently, considerable work has been done in educating or providing opportunities for educating the public about natural resources of the community. These have focused primarily on biological resources but have by no means been restricted to those resources. Major publications include the Creek Care Guide, Reptile and Amphibian Guide, and Bird Guide to the San Luis Obispo area and the publication of the Natural San Luis Poster which contains a significant amount of information on biology, geology, meteorology, and hydrology. Vegetation mapping is being finalized as part of the Conservation Element Update. B. Other Major Contributing Efforts As noted above, several other efforts, either before or at the same time as the work of the Natural Resource Inventory Committee, have been made. These include: • Open Space Element. This document provides guidance on identification and selection of lands for public acquisition of fee title or easements, and direction on the management and protection of significant natural resources within the community, both publicly or privately owned. • Land Conservancy's "Saving Special Places"Report (1995). The"Saving Special Places"report carries the above information further to concentrate on the G:HavlikBiologisOMile Paper greenbelt area outside the City. Sixteen resource categories were evaluated in that report, identifying (both on a topographic basis and on a property basis)the relative values of resource and agricultural lands in the greenbelt area.. • Waterway Management Plan for San Luis Obispo Creek. This study, now moving into its second phase,has developed fairly detailed information on the plant communities lining San Luis Obispo Creek. The second phase of the study will expand this study both on San Luis Obispo Creek and onto its major tributaries_ This information will be gathered and made available in GIS data base, and will include hydrologic information, topography of the waterway, and descriptions of vegetation types and aquatic habitat along the creek. • Conservation Element Update. Much of the material from the above source will be consolidated in the Conservation Element of the General Plan, which is currently being updated. Furthermore, the City and consultants are developing specific information on what we are terming"species of local concern'which will go beyond the discussions of endangered or threatened species. Species of local concern may be common elsewhere but are rare in San Luis Obispo or are on the edge of their natural range in our area, both of which are valid reasons to be concerned with their occurrence and survival here. C. Summary of All Efforts Native Plant Communities- being mapped as part of the Conservation Element Update Wildlife and Habitat Corridors—mapped for the greenbelt by the Land Conservancy; additional information in the California Natural Diversity Data Base, Natural San Luis Poster, Bird Guide, Reptile and Amphibian Guide, and Mammal Guide Aquatic Ecosystems—being mapped as part of the Waterway Management Plan, and incorporated by reference into the Conservation Element Update ProductiveJPotentially Productive Soils—available from the Soil Survey of San Luis Obispo County View sheds—not a biological issue Hillsides—not a biological issue Greenbelt Areas—Areas within and surrounding the City proposed for permanent open space are described(not mapped) in the Land Use and Open Space Elements of the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan. Flood Hazards—available from FEMA data Geological Hazard Areas—available in City of San Luis Obispo Safety Element Soil Hazard Areas—available in Safety Element Noise Impact Areas—available in City of San Luis Obispo Noise Element Airport Hazard Areas—available in the County of San Luis Obispo Airport Land Use Plan Radiation Hazard Areas—available in Safety Element D. What Other Planning Efforts Will Contribute to Our Information Base? • Specific Plans and EIRs (Airport Area, Margarita Area, Orcutt Area). The City has three major areas of anticipated growth and development. These are the Airport,Margarita, and Orcutt Areas, generally referred to as "expansion areas". G.Havli/✓Biologistl0jite Paper Detailed studies of each of these areas are either underway or will be underway in the near future. Combined with existing information,planners will have highly detailed resource data to guide development in these areas. Decisions about location and nature of development of these areas will be in large part derived from this information. • Unocal Property Baseline Inventory. Unocal has undertaken a highly detailed study of its major property on Tank Farm Road. As a result of the information covering planning requirements, legal restrictions (such as airport approach zones), and biological and hydrologic data,Unocal and City staff have jointly developed a conceptual Conservation and Development Plan for that significant property. This study effort has incorporated much of the existing knowledge and other City database information in developing the concept. As a result of that information, some significant changes are expected to be proposed for the General Plan designations for the Unocal area. These will be formally considered by the Council during review of the Airport Area Specific Plan. III. What Remains to be Done? Significant effort has gone into (and continues to go into) improving our natural resources data base, and the recommended last step in this effort is the development of a database for"species of local concern". This database will focus on plant and animal species which are uncommon or rare in our area(though perhaps not so overall), and provide guidelines for their conservation. This will cover a number of species which are not given any protective status by the State or Federal government but are of interest or concern in the local area. It is staff's opinion that, combined with the substantial amount of data that already exists and is being used, the work underway with the Conservation Element Update will bring the inventory to a reasonable level of completion. However, such an inventory is always a"work in progress". For example the inventory will be added to as further information is gathered through the specific planning efforts underway in our major expansion areas (Airport Area, Margarita Area, and Orcutt Area) and as other properties develop or are sold into open space protection programs. These specific plans will provide biological and other natural resource information in greater detail, and may result in changes or refinements to land use designations. IV. How Other Communities Use Natural Resource Inventories: Two Examples Fort Collins, CO. This environmentally aware city has an adopted"Framework for Environmental Action"which describes actions that the City will take or initiate in dealing with a variety of situations or subjects. The City Council of Fort Collins has identified certain open space and natural lands, as well as the Poudre River, as environmentally sensitive areas and has developed policies for their protection and management. The map information, despite being somewhat general in scope, is nevertheless the basis for land use decisions. Santa Cruz County, CA. The County of Santa Cruz has maintained resource inventory maps for the last twenty years. These maps are centrally located in the Planning and Building Department and are used to facilitate many of the Department's functions. Generally speaking, the inventories are used by many different people as a reference and a dynamic information source for such tasks as: G.Havlik/BiologisdWhite Paper • Land use planning; • Determining the development capacity of a given parcel of land; • Providing property owners with information about their property; • Analyzing environmental impacts of development proposals by triggering a need for more site specific analyses; • Analyzing, monitoring, and protecting watershed areas; • Monitoring timber production and harvesting; • Protecting endangered species; • Reducing natural hazards (from such sources as floods, landslides, and earthquake faults); and • Identifying areas or resources that merit special recognition or protection. V. Using the Inventory/Overlay Information With more inventory information it should be possible to identify areas where certain resources are known to exist in quantities large enough to affect area-wide land use. These areas should then be considered for protection as open space under the City's land use planning program. Information from existing and future inventory information is/will be used in a manner consistent with the policy framework described in Section I of this report. As the City's resource inventory nears completion, our ability to anticipate the presence of particular resources is increased. With this ability, the City will be more effective in reevaluating General Plan programs controlling land use designations, and in"fine-tuning" of land use designations. Reevaluating the land use designations as a result of having more detailed inventory information, however, does not necessarily mean that the Citywide Land Use Map should be amended. Because legal access to private property is limited, on-site inventories for every property as a part of a public resource inventory program is not practical. Evaluation of resources on individual private properties occurs when an individual development that could affect those resources is considered. Application to the City by the property owner gives the City the right to enter the property and evaluate impacts of a proposed project. At such time resources anticipated to be on the property are looked for, and if found, protected (or mitigated)pursuant to the strategy or strategies set by policy for that resource. In this way the General Plan policy framework addresses resources at the parcel or intra-parcel level. G:Havlik/Biologis1/W7We Paper