Crimson Solar Project (California Endangered Species Act Amended Incidental Take Permit No. 2081- 2021-015-06 Amendment No. 4 (ITP))

Crimson Solar Project (California Endangered Species Act Amended Incidental Take Permit No. 2081- 2021-015-06 Amendment No. 4 (ITP))

This proposed project involves a major amendment to the ITP to include western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) as a Covered Species after it became a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The modifications to the ITP include the addition of western burrowing owl avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. The amendment to the ITP will increase the amount of authorized take as stated in the original ITP. The Project will result in impacts to 1,983.6 acres of desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) habitat. The project is expected to result in incidental take of desert tortoise, which is designated as an endangered species under the CESA, and western burrowing owl, which is designated as a candidate species under the CESA. The ITP referenced above as issued by CDFW authorizes incidental take of species listed under CESA that may occur as a result of Project implementation. While issuance of the amendments to the ITP will increase the amount of take of these species compared to the Project as originally approved, analysis of impacts to these species were fully analyzed in the prior EIR such that these are not new Project impacts. In addition, by implementing additional western burrowing owl-specific take minimization measures, it is not expected that the ITP amendment will substantially increase such Project impacts.

Riverside

Southern California