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Santa Ana Blvd. Grade Separation <br />project - related construction activities within the buffer will occur until it has been determined <br />that all young have fledged or the nest is no longer active. <br />13I0-2 Preconstruction Nesting Raptor Survey. If project - related site disturbances are <br />scheduled to occur during the core nesting period (February 15 through September 1), a <br />qualified biologist will perform preconstruction nesting raptor surveys. The survey will be <br />completed within seven days prior to any project - related disturbances. If raptors are nesting <br />on or within 500 feet (as accessible) of the limits of disturbance (LOD), a 500 -foot buffer (or <br />an alternative width, as determined by a qualified ornithologist) should be flagged around <br />the nest, and no project - related construction activities within the buffer will occur until it has <br />been determined that all young have fledged or the nest is no longer active. <br />13I0-3 Preconstruction Bat Survey. To prevent impacts on daytime bat roosts and <br />maternity roosts, a qualified biologist will be retained to conduct bat and bat roosting site <br />surveys prior to commencement of building demolition or mature tree removal activities. This <br />pre- construction survey will be conducted at any abandoned buildings, as well as any <br />mature tree proposed for removal and within 100 feet of the LOD. If no roosting sites or <br />bats are found, a report confirming their absence will be sent to the California Department of <br />Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and no further mitigation will be required. <br />If the pre- construction survey finds bats to be roosting, and building demolition /mature tree <br />removal is scheduled to occur between October 1 and March 30 (outside of the maternity <br />season of April 1st through September 30), the bats shall be evicted by the following <br />methods. Eviction of bats shall be conducted using bat exclusion techniques, developed by <br />Bat Conservation International (BCI) and in consultation with CDFW. These techniques <br />allow the bats to exit the roosting site but prevent re -entry to the site. This process will <br />include, but not be limited to, the installation of one -way exclusion devices on buildings and <br />a two -step cutting process for trees. Sealing buildings at the time of abandonment may <br />prevent the need for the exclusion process. Where exclusionary devices would be installed <br />on buildings, the devices shall remain in place for seven days, and then the exclusion points <br />and any other potential entrances shall be sealed. A visual inspection of each building <br />would be required prior to demolition to verify that all bats have been successfully excluded. <br />Where the two -step cutting process would be applicable for tree roosts, surrounding <br />branches, not housing bats, would be removed during step one. This would alter the <br />condition of the roost tree, causing bats to abandon the roost. The tree can then be fully <br />removed, as step two. A visual inspection of the roost tree would be required prior to <br />removal to verify that all bats have been successfully excluded. This work shall be <br />completed by a bat exclusion professional. <br />If the pre- construction survey finds bats to be roosting and building demolition /mature tree <br />removal is scheduled to occur during the maternity season (April 1 through September 30), <br />a qualified biologist will monitor the roost to determine if the roost site is a maternal roost. <br />This may be determined by either visual inspection of the roost for bat pups, if possible, or <br />monitoring the roost after the adults leave for the night to listen for bat pups. If the roost is <br />determined to not be a maternal roost, then the bats shall be evicted as described above. If <br />the roost is determined to be a maternal roost, eviction of a maternal roost cannot occur <br />during the nursery season, as bat pups cannot leave the roost until they have reached <br />maturity. In this case, a 250 - foot -wide buffer zone (or an alternative width, as determined in <br />consultation with CDFW) shall be established around the roosting site, within which no <br />construction - related impacts shall occur until the bat pups are mature enough to <br />permanently leave the roost. <br />PROJECT REPORT EQUIVALENT 19E-27 18 <br />