Page 893 - trc_centennial_deir201705

5.7 Biological Resources

and stature typical of condor nests. As the condor population increases, the Project site may
receive flyovers by California condors; however, based upon known condor movements,
flyovers would likely be rare events. Possibly as a result of limited big-game hunting or
reduced wind currents and thermals, the Centennial Project site appears not to have the
essential elements needed to attract condors (Snyder and Snyder 2000; Bloom 2009).
Unreliable seasonal winds and/or thermals may be the reason for the area’s limited use by
past and present condors.

In the Project region, condors have been reported from the Sespe Reserve, Tejon Ranch, and
Redrock Mountain (CDFW 2015a); On the Project site, a few hundred records,4 representing
high flying birds, exist including one landing (CDFW 2015a; Bloom 2009). Relative to the
plethora of observation data that have been gathered for this species over the past 20 years,
occurrence on the Project site is extremely rare. The thousands of other records for this
species in the region are almost entirely located more than ten miles from the site. A study
of all available California condor data gathered by the USFWS in recent years shows a
preference for several high elevation areas in the region and an obvious avoidance of the
low-lying western Antelope Valley, including the Project site (Bloom 2009). The California
condor is not expected to occur on site for nesting or foraging.

On September 24, 1976, the USFWS designated Critical Habitat for the condor consisting of
9 areas that encompass approximately 600,000 acres (USFWS 1976). These areas occur in
the following counties: Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara, and Los
Angeles. The Sespe-Piru, Matilija, Sisquoc-San Rafael, and Hi Mountain-Beartrap condor
areas were considered critical for nesting and related year-long activity and the Mt. Pinos
and Blue Ridge condor areas were considered critical for roosting. Tejon Ranch, Kern County
rangelands, and Tulare County rangelands were considered important for feeding and
related activities. Tejon Ranch and the Bitter Creek Wildlife Refuge were considered to be
important because they contained the only significant feeding habitat remaining in close
proximity to the Sespe-Piru condor nesting area (USFWS 1976). The Project site is not
located within designated Critical Habitat for this species.

Bald Eagle

The bald eagle was a federally listed Endangered species until 2007 when USFWS removed
the bald eagle from the federal Endangered species list (USFWS 2007b). It does remain a
California State-listed Endangered and California Fully Protected species; and it is also
protected by the Federal Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act of 1918 (U.S. Congress 1994, 2005). Several recovery plans from 1982 to 1990 were used
to help the bald eagle populations recover. California is located within the Pacific Recovery
Plan approved in 1986. Currently, there is no Critical Habitat designated for this species. Bald
eagles usually nest in trees near water, but are known to nest on cliffs and are rarely on the
ground. Fish are the major component of its diet, but waterfowl, gulls, and carrion are also
eaten. The species may also use prairies if adequate food is available. Bald eagles frequent
estuaries, large lakes, reservoirs, major rivers, and some seacoast habitats. Conditions
marginally suitable for nesting and foraging are present on the Project site. The bald eagle

4 It is important to note that hundreds of records does not equate to hundreds of condors. Rather, multiple data points
for one bird would be recorded as it flew over the site.

R:\Projects\PAS\CEN\000306\Draft EIR\5.7 Bio_051117.docx 5.7-120 Centennial Project
Draft EIR