The California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) has certified the final EIS/EIR for the 14,000 acre Newhall Ranch and Santa Clara River and issued the Master Streambed Alteration Agreement and Incidental Take Permits for state-listed species.
This means the environmental permits are in place for the Newhall Ranch Master planned community for the next 25 years.
Dudek provided the biology team that worked on the innovative approach to preserving 8,500 acres of the project as natural open space at the Los Angeles County project site.
“We appreciated the opportunity to be the EIS/EIR biological team for Newhall Land,” said Sherri Miller, the Dudek biology team leader.
“It was a great opportunity to work with a really talented and sophisticated team of consultants and agency staff. We are so proud of the final product!”
Highlights include:
- A Spineflower Conservation Plan establishing seven preserves on 227 acres that will save 76 percent of occupied spineflower habitat, safely buffering this rare plant from adjacent development. This plan conserves most of the state’s known population of spineflowers.
- The Santa Clara River and adjacent upland habitats are home to three state-listed endangered species–least Bells’ vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher and the western yellow-billed cuckoo–as well as a host of aquatic, bird and mammal species. With these permits, development is avoided on 93 percent of riparian jurisdiction in the Santa Clara River corridor, and 86 percent of throughout the site.
- Important wildlife movement corridor along the river that allows wildlife populations to stay healthy and diverse.