Agmt 2008 California State Coastal Conservancy

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in the FEIS/R adopted by the Conservancy in September 25, 2003. (See Exhibits 1 - -and 2). - 5. On May 24, 2007, the Conservancy authorized 2007 funding for the ISP Control Program treatment and eradication project at the Petaluma River Watershed site (the Petaluma River treatment project), under asite-specific plan for the site, and made appropriate findings under CEQA. Work under the ISP Control program at the Petaluma River treatment project site will continue into 2008, without the need for additional funding. The nature, duration and extent of the Petaluma River treatment project, including environmental effects and proposed mitigation measures, was fully described and considered by the Conservancy in connection with the initial funding authorization and has not changed, other than by extending the same (or less extensive) work into 2008 (See Exhibit 9). Extending work into 2008 for the Petaluma River treatment project is, thus, consistent with the previous CEQA finding: that the environmental effects associated with the proposed treatment projects and the mitigation measures needed to reduce or avoid those effects were fully identified and considered in the FEIS/R adopted by the Conservancy in September 25,2003. (See Exhibits 1 and 9). 6. This authorization provides funding for an additional treatment and control project at the North San Pablo Bay site (North San Pablo Bay treatment project). Based on the "Site-specific Invasive Spartina Control Plan for North San Pablo Bay" and the "Environmental Documentation: North San Pablo Bay Invasive Spartina Mitigation Matrix", attached to the accompanying staff recommendation as Exhibits 6 and 7, respectively, the environmental effects associated with the North San Pablo Bay treatment project proposed for grant funding and coordination by the Conservancy under this authorization and the mitigation measures to reduce or avoid those effects were fully identified and considered in the FEIS/R adopted by the Conservancy September 25, 2003. (See Exhibit 1)." PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Introduction As detailed in previous staff recommendations (Exhibits 1 and 2), treatment and control of invasive Spartina and its hybrids within the San Francisco Bay Estuary are critical to the long-term health of the Estuary and to the species which inhabit and rely upon the salt marshes and tidal flats along its perimeter. Invasive Spartina spreads at a greater than exponential rate, and every tidal marsh restoration project implemented within the south and central San Francisco Bay Estuary in the past 15 years has been invaded by non- native invasive Spartina. Invasive Spartina also threatens to spread out the Golden Gate and north and south along the California coastline. For the past eight and one half years the Conservancy has managed the regionally coordinated effort to bring the infestation under control and is now moving towards eradication. The Conservancy advanced the project through, among other actions, 1) in 2003 adoption of the "Programmatic Environmental Impact StatementlEnvironmental Impact Report, San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project: Spartina Control Program" (FEIS/R), 2) in 2004 implementation of treatment at 12 demonstration sites .~ ~-~; ~; E.: ~.