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HomeMy WebLinkAbout40 Technical Background Report reduced APPENDICES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 4.0 TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT DRA F T DRAFT TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT DRAFT TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT DRA F T DRAFT TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT AUGUST 27, 2015 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 1-1 1. Introduction 1.1 Introduction This Existing Conditions Report provides a comprehensive look at the baseline conditions in the City of Palm Desert and its Sphere of Influence. The existing conditions analysis is meant to set the stage and serve as a discussion tool for the visioning and alternatives analysis process. Accompanying the Existing Conditions Report is a key issues memo, which identifies the preliminary issues and opportunities in Palm Desert that have emerged through the existing conditions analysis, discussions with City staff, and stakeholder interviews held to date. 1.1 General Plan Update Process California State Law identifies the scope and authority of local jurisdictions to prepare, adopt, and amend General Plans. Communities prepare General Plans to guide the long-term physical development of the jurisdiction and any land within the jurisdiction’s sphere of influence. At a minimum, the California Government Code requires General Plans to address land use, circulation, housing, noise, conservation, open space, and safety issues. The General Plan update process includes a series of defined phases or steps to ensure the Final Plans address the community needs, goals, and vision in a comprehensive and integrated manner. The City’s current General Plan was last updated in 2004, and is in need of update to better guide current development in the city. The information and analysis in this report will allow the community and decision makers to understand changes the city has experienced in the last decade and the current conditions, goals, and growth projections. 1.2 Planning Area The Planning Area for the Existing Conditions Report includes all land within the Palm Desert city limits and its Sphere of Influence (SOI). This area covers 44,533 acres of property that is privately or publically owned in the city and the SOI. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 1-2 FIGURE 1.1: PALM DESERT CITY BOUNDARY AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 1-3 1.3 Report Structure The existing conditions sections are organized to ensure all topics required by State Law, and the unique characteristics of Palm Desert are considered in both the General Plan and associated Environmental Impact Report. • Aesthetics. Defines the established visual character of the city, view sheds, and aesthetics of the city as a resource. • Agricultural Resources. Identifies any agricultural property, or agricultural related land uses within the city. • Air Quality. Describes existing pollutants, odors, and toxic air contaminants in the atmosphere surrounding Palm Desert. • Biological Resources: Identifies plants, animals, or natural community habitats in the city, and determines if any species is considered endangered, sensitive, or threatened. • Cultural Resources. Provides data and location of culturally significant, or potentially culturally significant, resources in the city. These could include historic routes, homes, buildings, or landmarks. • Geology and Soils. Addresses existing geological conditions that include faults, landslides, liquefaction, and expansive soil. • Hazards and Hazardous Material. Identifies current environmental hazards in the city. Such hazards include any use, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials, superfund sites, and exposures to toxic or hazardous materials. • Hydrology and Water Quality. Provides an overview of water supply, demand, and quality of water sources and surface water in the city. • Land Use and Planning. Describes existing land use allocations in the city, including planned and built development, types of land uses, and associated regulatory framework impacting land use. • Mineral Resources. Identifies and describes any existing mineral resources, including mining or use of mineral resources in the city. • Population and Housing. Provides an overview of current population, demographics, and housing statistics that make up the city today. This section includes a snapshot of current housing availability and potential gaps in housing stock. • Transportation. Describes the physical and operational conditions of the circulation network in Palm Desert, including roadways, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, public transit, goods movement, and neighborhood electric vehicles. • Public Services, Utilities, and Recreation. Outlines the existing availability, or stock, of public services in the city, as well as utilities that serve businesses and residents, and a snapshot of recreational resources in the city. • Energy use, GHG and Adaptation. Outlines the energy sources used within Palm Desert including natural gas, electricity, and alternative energy sources. This section also provides an overview of greenhouse gases data in the city, from source, climate conditions, and impacts from climate change. Each section is organized for consistency in the following order: • Introduction: Provides an overview of the topics covered and relationship to the General Plan. • Environmental Setting: Collects and analyzes the relevant quantitative and qualitative data. • Regulatory Framework: Describes the local, regional, state, or federal regulations, plans, or guidelines that may influence local policies related to the topic. • References: Identifies the resources and data sources used in evaluating the topics covered. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 1-4 This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-1 2. Aesthetics 2.1 Introduction This section identifies the aesthetic and visual resources in Palm Desert. The aesthetic of an area is subjective, as “beauty is in the eye of beholder.” For purposes of this section, the setting is divided into the natural and the built environment. The natural environment includes the mountain ranges, terrain, and desert surrounding the city. The built environment includes the buildings, roads, parks, and lighting that define a city. 2.2 Environmental Setting Natural Scenic Resources San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains Major scenic viewsheds include the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, San Bernardino, and other mountain ranges surrounding and encompassing the city, as well as the desert floor. While preservation of these scenic resources has been an important community goal, various types of land development, the construction of buildings and walls, landscaping, roads, and the extension of utility lines and other facilities have all impacted these scenic resources and their views within the region. San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains National Monument The US Congress and the President established the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains Monument in October 2000, creating a monument that extends from the San Gorgonio Pass southeast into the Imperial Valley. The monument designates 440 square miles in five climate zones, ranging from desert to arctic pine. The National Monument designation resulted in prohibitions on mining and off-road vehicle use. Santa Rosa Mountains National Scenic Area The Santa Rosa Mountains National Scenic Area has been recognized by the US Congress as a nationally important scenic and national resource area, which warrants planning for the long-term protection of the mountains and its valuable wildlife and scenic resources. The scenic area is also part of the Coachella Valley Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) planning area. Image 2-1 Vista Point City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-2 Natural Scenic Vistas The lack of towering buildings and the wide boulevard style streets provide ample views to the mountains that surround the city. Appropriate landscaping materials are also low and do not obscure the adjacent views. As seen in Photos 2-5 and 2-6, the surrounding topography provides a dramatic background to the city. Built Environment Community Form and Design Planning The 2004 General Plan identifies key areas of concern regarding community form and design. Since its last adoption, the City has provided guidance in the following areas:  Planning Context Assessment  Site Analysis and Development Planning  Building Height  Building and Structural Setbacks  Proportions and Massing  Pattern and Rhythm of Structures  Roof Types and Materials  Surface Color and Texture  Building Projections  Architectural Details  Landscape Design and Materials Focus in these areas has allowed the city to maintain a high level of aesthetic quality for both new developments and existing developments. Building Heights Within the context of existing development and appropriate design, new structures should be similar in height to and compatible with other buildings in the vicinity, with the goal of preserving and enhancing design qualities of the built environment while maintaining important viewsheds. Most of the development within the city is two stories or less, which coupled with height restrictions that limit new buildings to three stories or less, ensures that new development will fit into the surrounding areas of the city and not detract from the views of the many scenic resources within the region. Building Setbacks Assigned setbacks should be harmonious with the streetscape, surrounding structures and scenic resources. Variations in building massing are encouraged but should reflect a sense of compatibility as a group. In addition, building proportions should not dominate the street or other structures, and should limit the fragmentation of viewsheds to the greatest degree practical. Image 2-3 Aboveground Utility Infrastructure, South Palm Desert City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-3 Overhead Powerlines When cities develop over long periods of time there are usually issues that can be magnified as a result of changing development standards and practices. One of the most common place issues is the presence of overhead powerlines and their ability to obscure views and detract from the visual quality within older neighborhoods within the city. Many of these neighborhoods were developed prior to the placement of electrical utilities underground. As a result, certain parts of the city look different than others, which impacts aesthetics. This condition can also make it difficult to maintain landscaping around these facilities, since trees must be maintained at certain heights to ensure encroachment of the towers and wires does not occur. In addition, by being located above ground, this infrastructure is exposed to the elements, which increases the chance of being impacted by weather and other natural phenomena. Placing this infrastructure underground would reduce this exposure. It is estimated that approximately 67 miles of overhead utility lines are located in the city. Estimated costs to place these lines underground is approximately $235 million; however no plans are in place by the City to make these improvements at this time. However, Palm Desert residents have access to an established, citizen-initiated, democratic process by which neighborhoods can pursue utility undergrounding through the formation of assessment districts. Desert Landscape Design The city’s landscaping manual recommends using aesthetically pleasing color choices when choosing cobble and decomposed granite as decorative elements. This design aspect is used to stabilize sandy soils and to assist surface water to drain rather than to evaporate from the soil’s surface. Furthermore, the 2004 General Plan states that landscape design can also create microclimates providing protection from strong winds, shade from the sun, and reduced outdoor and indoor temperatures. Image 2-2 Aboveground Utility Infrastructure City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-4 Bus Shelter Improvement Program The Bus Shelter Improvement Program was approved by the City Council on October 28, 1999, and provides more aesthetic and environmentally efficient bus shelters throughout the city. Features include solar-powered security lighting and the elimination of advertisements on all new bus shelters within the city limits. Traffic Calming Traffic calming is typically accomplished by imposing constraints on vehicle movement and by providing less generous roadway paved sections. Such design features as curvilinear streets, narrow travel lanes, and landscaped median islands act to slow traffic and require greater driver awareness. More generous parkway landscaping resulting from narrower paved streets also improves neighborhood aesthetics. Image 2-5 Highway 111 Corridor Image 2-4 Bus Stop on Higway 111 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-5 Image 2-6 Palm Desert Monument Sign Landmarks and Focal Points The city implements a thematic entry signage program, which utilizes Arizona sandstone and Native American imagery. Signage and Viewsheds of Public Rights-of-Way Commercial signage along major roadways provides important business identification but also can degrade the value of the viewshed along public rights-of-way. Balancing the needs of business with the importance of preserving scenic views is an on-going process within the city. Art in Public Places Program Palm Desert’s General Plan states that the Art in Public Places program has been an extremely successful enhancement to the attractiveness of the city and provides significant opportunities to express and reinforce the diversity and cultural cohesion of the community. Consistent with the principle of a resort community that values its mountains and wild places, public art can also integrate native landscaping to reflect the surrounding mountains and desert dunes and washes. It can include the attentive design and placement of public buildings, as well as placement of man- made monumental sculpture on public lands or within the rights-of-way of major roadways. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-6 Scenic Roadways/Highways Within the Planning Area there are a series of scenic roadways/highways. The only official route designated by the State of California is State Route 74, which is considered the “Palms to Pines Scenic Byway”. This highway runs from the west boundary of the San Bernardino National Forest to Highway 111, with 3.5 miles of the scenic highway in Palm Desert. Local Scenic Roadways In addition, the 2004 General Plan identifies the following as local scenic roadways:  Highway 111  Cook Street  Portola Avenue  Fred Waring Drive  Washington Street  Frank Sinatra Drive  Gerald Ford Drive  Country Club Drive The intent of this designation is to require special setbacks and landscape requirements where applicable. Light and Glare The City of Palm Desert General Plan states that desert colors and tones that are integrated into the attractiveness of the community are important to both residents and visitors. Desert colors and tones are integrated into street signs, traffic signals, and lighting standards to soften the city’s impact on the surrounding views. The City preserves the value of the community’s night sky by avoiding unnecessary lighting and glare from signage, building and landscape illumination, or other sources of outdoor lighting. Standards for lighting establish the maximum height and number of fixtures, and the intensity of lighting needed to provide sufficient parking lot and building security and identification for public safety, and to enhance landscaping and other site aesthetics. Image 2-7 Aquatic Center Parking Lot Lighting City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-7 Shade and Shadow As stated in Program 6.B in the City of Palm Desert General Plan: The City shall encourage the incorporation of energy-efficient design measures into site plans, including appropriate site orientation to assure solar access, and the use of shade and windbreak trees, to enhance the use of alternative energy systems and to reduce the need for excessive heating and cooling. Furthermore, the General Plan states that residential living space can be enhanced through the use of porches and verandas that provide protection from sun and wind. 2.3 Regulatory Setting Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws No federal plans, policies, regulations, or laws related to aesthetics apply to the Planning Area. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws California State Scenic Highway Designation Many state highways are located in areas of outstanding natural beauty. California's Scenic Highway Program was created by the Legislature in 1963. Its purpose is to protect and enhance the natural scenic beauty of California highways and adjacent corridors, through special conservation treatment. The state laws governing the Scenic Highway Program are found in the Streets and Highways Code, Sections 260 through 263. The standards for official scenic highways shall also require that local governmental agencies have taken such action as may be necessary to protect the scenic appearance of the scenic corridor, the band of land generally adjacent to the highway right-of-way, including, but not limited to, (1) regulation of land use and intensity (density) of development; (2) detailed land and site planning; (3) control of outdoor advertising; (4) careful attention to and control of earthmoving and landscaping; and (5) the design and appearance of structures and equipment. State Route 74 According to the California Department of Transportation, State Route 74 is designated as a state scenic highway. Highway 111 According to the California Department of Transportation, Highway 111 is an eligible state scenic highway; however, it is not officially designated as such. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-8 Assembly Bill 325, the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act This 1990 California Legislature recognized the state’s responsibility in mitigating the effects of urbanization on its finite water resources and the potential savings from water-conserving landscape practices. Water conservation in landscape design has a profound effect on Palm Desert’s community design. Thus, environmentally and aesthetically sensitive design is essential to the preservation and values of the community. California Environmental Quality Act The CEQA Guidelines require projects with visually aesthetic land to address several potential impacts based on the following threshold statements: a) Will the project have a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista? b) Will it substantially damage scenic resources, including, but not limited to, trees, rock outcroppings, and historic buildings within a state scenic highway? c) Will the project substantially degrade the existing visual character or quality of the site and its surroundings? d) Will it create a new source of substantial light or glare which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area? Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Palm Desert Municipal Code The Palm Desert Municipal Code provides regulations and standards related to development and operations within the Planning Area. The relevant sections to aesthetics and visual resources include: Title 25: Zoning Title 25 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code contains the zoning regulations that govern development within the city. Within this part of the Municipal Code are the particular development standards for building heights, building setbacks, landscaping standards, building and roofing materials, signage requirements, and parking requirements for residential, commercial, and industrial uses within the city. The zoning code also contains standards and provisions for many of the Special Districts, Overlay Districts, and Special Uses within the city. Below are certain standards from the Zoning Code that specifically address aesthetics within the city: 25.28.080 Scenic Preservation (SP) Overlay District A. Purpose. It is the purpose of the Scenic Preservation Overlay (SP) district to designate those scenic corridors that have a special aesthetic quality and to provide the opportunity for special standards for development in these areas to protect that quality. This district and the related provisions may be applied according to the procedures established in Section 25.78.030 (Amendments–Zoning Ordinance). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-9 B. Permitted and conditional uses. Any permitted or conditional use which is allowed within the base district requires the review and approval of the ARC which shall have taken specific notice of the fact that such development is within a scenic corridor as noted within the city’s General Plan. C. Development standards. At a minimum, the development standards of the underlying base district shall apply. The ARC may apply additional standards to ensure that the aesthetic quality of the scenic corridor is preserved. At a minimum, the ARC will consider the following: 1. Preservation of scenic vistas. 2. Setbacks. 3. Landscaping. 4. Building heights. 5. Signs. 6. Mitigation of excessive noise impacts. D. Specific standards. All SP designations added to the R-2 and R-3 residential districts on the zoning map shall be limited to one story, with the maximum height determined by a line of sight study. (Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013) Chapter 25.34.130 Communication Tower and Antenna Regulations 1. That there is a unique land use characteristic or nearby geographic feature which results in a compelling technological need to locate the commercial communication towers and/or commercial communication antennas in the location and/or at the height proposed. 2. That the unique land use characteristics or geographic features mitigate any negative aesthetic concerns. Chapter 25.56.080 Standard for Specific Types of Permanent Signs When approving any freestanding sign, the ARC [Architectural Review Commission] shall affirmatively make the finding that the approval shall visually enhance the aesthetic quality of the property on which the sign is to be located. Thus, signs shall be located only on the front of a building and comply with the appropriate sign standards. Additionally, gasoline service stations shall no exceed one wall or ground sign, 8 square feet in area and 8 feet in height, advertising the actual lowest price per gallon including all taxes at which gasoline are currently being offered. Any special conditions required for sale at the lowest price shall also be indicated. (Ord.. 1263 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1262 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013) Chapter 25.56.050 The city prohibits a number of signs, including advertising devices, awnings that are back-lit, business and identification signs that mention more than two good or services sold or available on the premises, cabinet or can signs that are internally illuminated, electronic changeable signs, commercial mascots, neon signs (except those place in windows), billboards, pole signs, roof signs, signs that rotate, move, flash, or blink, signs on public property, in the public right-of-way, or on public utility poles, temporary or portable freestanding signs, and vehicle signs (Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-10 Chapter 24.16 Outdoor Lighting Requirements (Ordinance 1272) Ordinance 1272 (recently amended on June 14, 2014) from the Palm Desert Municipal Code defines the outdoor lighting requirements for the city in order to minimize light pollution and light trespass, and preserve the nighttime environment. Lighting requirements are required for outdoor lighting systems and shall include a site plan, fixture cutoffs, and a photometric plan illustrating that the proposed outdoor lighting system complies with the requirements outlined in the ordinance. Chapter 8.16.035 Storage of Containers in Residential Districts Every person in charge of a residence shall upon completion of the normal collection, as defined in Section 8.16.030, store containers in such a manner as not to be viewable by the public from a public right-of-way in order to maintain the aesthetic and property values of surrounding property. (Ord. 360 § 1, 1984) Chapter 8.70.150 Neighborhood Compatibility Property shall be maintained in reasonable consistency and compatibility with the maintenance standards of adjacent properties so as not to interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of such properties or to depreciate their aesthetic or property values. This section shall not be construed as relieving a property owner, manager, or occupier from complying with any property maintenance provisions of this code or applicable state law. (Ord. 801 § 1, 1996) Chapter 4.10.080 Approval for Placement of Artwork on Private Property The public art department shall review the completed application and make a recommendation to the art in public places commission concerning the proposed artwork and its proposed location, considering the aesthetic quality and harmony with the proposed project, and the public accessibility to the artwork, including any recommended conditions of approval. Chapter 24.04.010 (CVWD Ordinance 1302) The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) has created a water-efficient landscape ordinance in compliance with the Department of Water Resources Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; Attachment A of Ordinance 1302.1 Landscape and Irrigation System Design Criteria (“CVWD Ordinance”). The city hereby adopts by reference CVWD Ordinance No. 1302 (in its most current edition as of the date of plan submittal) as the city’s water-efficient landscape criteria. It is the intent of the city council to defer technical irrigation review and approval process to CVWD consistent with the CVWD ordinance. The city will have full authority over aesthetic (plant choice, spacing, and design) Chapter 8.20.020 Unlawful Property Nuisances Maintenance of property so out of harmony or conformity with the maintenance standards of adjacent properties as to interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of property by neighbors, and depreciate the aesthetic and property values of surrounding property; City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-11 Chapter 27.12.090 Design Review All land alteration shall take into consideration the effect on surrounding property. Particular attention shall be given in the design to the protection of views from adjoining property across the area to be graded. If in the opinion of the city engineer, views will be substantially damaged by the proposed grading, he or she shall refer the proposed grading plan to the design review board for conceptual approval. No permit shall be issued until conceptual approval is obtained. (Ord. 294, 1982; Ord. 126 § 1, 1976, Exhibit A § 27.2-2.06) Palm Desert General Plan The following policies and programs apply to aesthetic and visual resources within the Planning Area: Program 13.A The City shall revise the Zoning Ordinance and other appropriate sections of the municipal code to limit lighting levels, establish acceptable types of lighting and fixtures, and the location of lighting in relation to adjoining and nearby properties, the public right-of-way and the night sky. Standards shall establish maximum height and number of fixtures, and intensity of lighting needed to provide sufficient parking lot and building security and identification for public safety, enhance landscaping, and other site aesthetics. Policy 17 Public utility facilities, including electric power substations, domestic water and irrigation wells, switching and control facilities shall be screened, landscaped and/or otherwise obscured and integrated into the surrounding environment to limit their adverse aesthetic impact. Policy 18 Continue to promote and facilitate the placement of public art to create a unique setting that enhances the cultural and aesthetic character throughout the city. Policy 3 Development and redevelopment proposals shall be assessed for their potential to adversely impact the natural environmental and aesthetic values of the city or the quality of the resort and tourism experience. Program 2.B Work attentively with responsible agencies to design drainage and flood control facilities that minimize negative aesthetic impacts and retain natural groundcover and vegetation to the greatest extent possible. Program 3.A All new public facilities, including utilities, utility buildings, signage and other development components shall be designed in a manner that makes them aesthetically compatible with surrounding lands. Siting and design, landscape buffers, architectural elements and other appropriate design solutions shall be required, as appropriate. Program 3.B To the extent appropriate and practical, all utility facilities (with the possible exception of substations, pumping stations and outdoor storage areas) shall be fully enclosed in buildings that are aesthetically compatible with the areas in which they are located. Program 5.B, Policy 6 Public buildings and facilities that house City government activities shall be constructed in a functional and aesthetically pleasing manner, and shall be conveniently located and accessible to residents and City officials. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 2-12 Program 5.A, Policy 6 The City shall require adherence to applicable development standards and guidelines, including those set forth in the Community Design Element and the Zoning Ordinance, to assure aesthetically acceptable business park/industrial developments for all new park sites. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-1 3. Agricultural Resources 3.1 Introduction This section identifies existing conditions, regulations, and key agricultural resource issues within the Planning Area. 3.2 Environmental Setting Agricultural operations are a significant feature in the economy of Riverside County and the Coachella Valley. According to the County’s 2012 Coachella Valley Acreage and Agricultural Crop Report, the estimated gross value of agricultural production in Riverside County for 2012 was over $1.2 billion. This is a $188.6 million increase over the 2010 gross valuation. Of this valuation approximately $544 million of agricultural production occurred in the Coachella Valley. Table 3-1 lists the five farm commodities in the Coachella Valley as of 2012. TA BLE 3-1: COACHELLA VALLEY AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES (2012) Commodity Value Citrus Crops (Lemons, Grapefruits, Oranges, etc…) $79,187,400 Tree and Vine Crops (Dates, Table Grapes, etc…) $162,831,000 Vegetable, Melon, and Miscellaneous Crops $234,905,100 Field and Seed Crops $1,456,300 Nursery Stock Production $65,277,800 Source: County of Riverside 2012 Palm Desert is an incorporated charter city that is predominantly built out with existing urban uses. While the city is nearly fully developed, the Riverside County Land Information System (RCLIS) identifies farmland within the city limits and within the adopted sphere of influence (SOI) (see Figure 3-1). The Planning Area, which is made up of the city boundary and Sphere of Influence, does not contain any land designated for agricultural uses (City of Palm Desert 2004) or land zoned for agricultural uses (City of Palm Desert 2014). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-2 FIGURE 3-1: FARMLAND IN PALM DESERT AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-3 Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program The Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP) was established in 1982 to continue the important farmland mapping efforts begun in 1975 by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service. The intent was to produce agricultural resource maps based on soil quality and land use across the nation. As part of the nationwide agricultural land use mapping effort, the USDA developed a series of definitions known as Land Inventory and Monitoring (LIM) criteria. The LIM criteria classified land’s suitability for agricultural production. Suitability included both the physical and chemical characteristics of soils and the actual land use. Important Farmland Maps are derived from the USDA soil survey maps using the LIM criteria. Since 1980, the State of California has assisted the USDA with completing its mapping in the state. The FMMP was created within the California Department of Conservation (DOC) to carry on the mapping activity on a continuing basis and with a greater level of detail. The DOC applied a greater level of detail by modifying the LIM criteria for use in California. The LIM criteria in California utilize the NRCS Soil Capability and Storie Index rating systems but also consider physical conditions such as a dependable water supply for agricultural production, soil temperature range, depth of the groundwater table, flooding potential, rock fragment content, and rooting depth. Important Farmland Maps for California are compiled using the modified LIM criteria. The minimum mapping unit is 10 acres unless otherwise specified. Units of land smaller than 10 acres are incorporated into the surrounding classification. The Important Farmland Maps identify five agriculture-related categories: Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, Unique Farmland, Farmland of Local Importance, and Grazing Land. Figure 3-1 shows the mapped categories in the Palm Desert Planning Area. Prime Farmland is land best suited for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is also available for these uses (the land could be cropland, pastureland, rangeland, forestland, or other land but not urban and built-up land or water). It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed, including water management, according to modern farming methods. Farmland of Statewide Importance is land other than Prime Farmland that has a good combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, and fiber and oilseed crops and is available for these uses (the land could be cropland, pastureland, rangeland, forestland, or other land, but not urban and built-up land or water). Unique Farmland is land of lesser quality soils used for the production of the state’s leading agricultural crops. This land is usually irrigated but may include nonirrigated orchards or vineyards, as found in some climatic zones in California. The land must have been cultivated at some time during the four years prior to the Important Farmland Map date. Farmland of Local Importance is land of importance to the local agricultural economy, as determined by each county’s board of supervisors and a local advisory committee. In Riverside County, Farmland of Local Importance is defined as: City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-4  Soils that would be classified as Prime and Statewide but lack available irrigation water.  Lands planted to dryland crops of barley, oats, and wheat.  Lands producing major crops for Riverside County but that are not listed as unique crops. These crops are identified as returning one million or more dollars in the 2012 Riverside County Agriculture Crop Report.  Dairylands, including corrals, pasture, milking facilities, and hay and manure storage areas if accompanied with permanent pasture or hayland of 10 acres or more.  Lands identified by city or county ordinance as Agricultural Zones or Contracts, which includes Riverside City "Proposition R" lands.  Lands planted to jojoba which are under cultivation and are of producing age. Grazing Land is land on which the existing vegetation, whether grown naturally or through management, is suited to the grazing of livestock. The minimum mapping unit for this category is 40 acres. Figure 3-1, depicts Important Farmland in the Planning Area, as identified by the FMMP. Based on this mapping, there is no Prime Farmland or Farmland of Statewide Importance in the Planning Area. However, the Planning Area does contain Unique Farmland and Farmland of Local Importance. The portion identified as Unique Farmland is an Armstrong Growers Nursery Facility located off of Hidden River Road. Of the two areas of local importance, the portion located within the city limits appears to have been used for agricultural purposes at one time and is now in the process of being converted into a combined Cal State and UC Riverside branch campus and residential subdivisions. The other area of local importance is located within the city’s Sphere of Influence and contains vacant land that at one time appeared to be used for row crops of some sort. Table 3-2 provides a breakdown of farmland acreage based on the FMMP categories within Figure 3-1. Palm Desert contains 26 acres of Unique Farmland and 298 Farmland of Local Importance. As shown in Table 3-2, there is no Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance in the Planning Area (the city and the SOI boundaries). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-5 TABLE 3-2 IMPORTANT FARMLAND IN THE CITY AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Farmland Type Important Farmland (acres) Prime Farmland 0 Farmland of Statewide Importance 0 Unique Farmland 26 Grazing Land 0 Farmland of Local Importance 298 Other Land* 18,952 Urban and Built-Up Land 17,577 Total 36,8531 Source: PMC GIS 2014 * Other Land indicates those lands not otherwise placed in an FMMP category. For the Planning Area, this includes natural vegetation, rural residential, wetlands, and vacant lands. 1 This total factors in Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, Unique Farmland, Grazing Land, Farmland of Local Importance, and Urban and Built-Up Land. Soils (Storie Index Rating) A full discussion of soils in the Planning Area is contained in Section 6, Geology and Soils. As shown in Table 6-1 of that section, the Storie Index for soils in the Planning Area ranges from Grade 1 through Grade 5. The Storie Index considers indices Grades 1 through 3 to be generally well suited for agriculture. Additional information on the importance of the storie index is provided in the “LAFCo Agricultural and Open Space Land Conservation” discussion in Section 3.3, Regulatory Setting. According to the Storie Index rating, 1,447 acres of Grade 1 excellent farmland in the Planning Area is considered prime farmland by LAFCo. In addition, 1,313 acres of Grade 1 excellent farmland are in the city limits, representing 9 percent of the total city, and 134 acres of Grade 1 excellent farmland are in the SOI, representing 37 percent of the total sphere of influence. Although both the FMMP and LAFCo (based on Storie Index rating system) recognize important farmland, and Prime Farmland, respectively, within the Planning Area, no land uses have been identified or zoned for agricultural production by the City of Palm Desert. Williamson Act Contract Lands Riverside County participates in the Williamson Act program (described in greater detail in the Regulatory Setting subsection for this section). As of 2009, there were 59,307 acres of land in Riverside County under Williamson Act contract (DOC 2010). An extension of the Williamson Act, called the Farmland Security Zone (FSZ) program, permits farmers and ranchers to garner an additional 35 percent property tax reduction by keeping their land in agriculture for a minimal initial term of 20 years; however, the FSZ program has not been adopted by Riverside County. There are no Williamson Act contracted lands in the Planning Area. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-6 3.3 Regulatory Setting The following federal, state, regional, and local plans, policies, regulations, and laws pertain to agricultural resources in the Planning Area. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws No federal plans, policies, regulations, or laws related to agricultural resources apply to the Planning Area. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws California Environmental Quality Act The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21060.1) defines “agricultural land” as follows: Agricultural land means prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance or unique farmland, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture land inventory and monitoring criteria, as modified for California. The CEQA Guidelines require projects on agricultural land to address several potential impacts based on the following threshold statements: Agriculture and Forestry Resources. In determining whether impacts to agricultural resources are significant environmental effects, lead agencies may refer to the California Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site Assessment Model (1997) prepared by the California Department of Conservation as an optional model to use in assessing impacts on agriculture and farmland. In determining whether impacts to forest resources, including timberland, are significant environmental effects, lead agencies may refer to information compiled by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection regarding the state’s inventory of forest land, including the Forest and Range Assessment Project and the Forest Legacy Assessment project; and forest carbon measurement methodology provided in Forest Protocols adopted by the California Air Resources Board. Would the project: a) Convert Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, or Farmland of Statewide Importance (Farmland), as shown on the maps prepared pursuant to the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program of the California Resources Agency, to nonagricultural use? b) Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural use, or a Williamson Act contract? c) Conflict with existing zoning for, or cause rezoning of, forestland (as defined in Public Resources Code Section 12220(g)), timberland (as defined by Public Resources Code Section 4526), or timberland zoned Timberland Production (as defined by Government Code Section 51104(g))? d) Result in the loss of forestland or conversion of forestland to non-forest use? City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-7 e) Involve other changes in the existing environment which, due to their location or nature, could result in conversion of Farmland, to nonagricultural use or conversion of forestland to non-forest use? Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program Under CEQA, the lead agency is required to evaluate agricultural resources in environmental assessments at least in part based on the FMMP. The state’s system was designed to document how much agricultural land in California was being converted to nonagricultural land or transferred into Williamson Act contracts. The definitions of important farmland types are provided in the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program discussion in the Environmental Setting subsection above. Williamson Act The Williamson Act is an agricultural conservation tool. Under the Williamson Act, local governments can enter into contracts with private property owners to protect land for agricultural and open space purposes. As of 2012, there are no Williamson Act contracts in the Planning Area. LAFCo Agricultural and Open Space Land Conservation Land in the SOI but outside of the city limits will need to be annexed prior to development consistent with the General Plan. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) must approve annexation requests by the City and must consider the potential for agricultural land conversion. Government Code Section 56064 related to LAFCo’s definition and application of prime agricultural land follows. “Prime agricultural land” means an area of land, whether a single parcel or contiguous parcels, that has not been developed for a use other than an agricultural use and that meets any of the following qualifications: (a) Land that qualifies, if irrigated, for rating as class I or class II in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service land use capability classification, whether or not land is actually irrigated, provided that irrigation is feasible. (b) Land that qualifies for rating 80 through 100 Storie Index Rating (Grade 1 excellent). (c) Land that supports livestock used for the production of food and fiber and that has an annual carrying capacity equivalent to at least one animal unit per acre as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture in the National Range and Pasture Handbook, Revision 1, December 2003. (d) Land planted with fruit or nut-bearing trees, vines, bushes, or crops that have a nonbearing period of less than five years and that will return during the commercial bearing period on an annual basis from the production of unprocessed agricultural plant production not less than four hundred dollars ($400) per acre. (e) Land that has returned from the production of unprocessed agricultural plant products an annual gross value of not less than four hundred dollars ($400) per acre for three of the previous five calendar years. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-8 Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Riverside County General Plan The following policies apply to properties designated as Agriculture on the County General Plan (2008) and area plan land use maps. LU 16.1 Encourage retaining agriculturally designated lands where agricultural activity can be sustained at an operational scale, where it accommodates lifestyle choice, and in locations where impacts to and from potentially incompatible uses, such as residential uses, are minimized, through incentives such as tax credits. LU 16.2 Protect agricultural uses, including those with industrial characteristics (dairies, poultry, hog farms, etc.) by discouraging inappropriate land division in the immediate proximity and allowing only uses and intensities that are compatible with agricultural uses. (AI 3) LU 16.4 Encourage conservation of productive agricultural lands. Preserve prime agricultural lands for high-value crop production. LU 16.5 Continue to participate in the California Land Conservation Act (the Williamson Act) of 1965. LU 16.6 Require consideration of State agricultural land classification specifications when a 2½- year Agriculture Foundation amendment to the General Plan is reviewed that would result in a shift from an agricultural to a non-agricultural use. LU 16.7 Adhere to Riverside County's Right-to-Farm Ordinance. LU 16.8 Support and participate in ongoing public education programs by organizations such as the County Agricultural Commissioner's Office, University of California Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, and industry organizations to help the public better understand the importance of the agricultural industry. LU 16.10 Allow agriculturally related retail uses such as feed stores and permanent produce stands in all areas and land use designations. It is not the County's intent pursuant to this policy to subject agricultural related uses to any discretionary permit requirements other than those in existence at the time of adoption of the General Plan. Where a discretionary permit or other discretionary approval is required under the County zoning ordinances in effect as of December 2, 2002, then allow such retail uses with the approval of such a discretionary permit or other approval. The following criteria shall be considered in approving any discretionary permit or other discretionary approval required for these uses: a. Whether the use provides a needed service to the surrounding agricultural area that cannot be provided more efficiently within urban areas or requires location in a non- urban area because of unusual site requirements or operational characteristics; b. Whether the use is sited on productive agricultural lands and less productive land is available in the vicinity; City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-9 c. Whether the operational or physical characteristics of the use will have a detrimental impact on water resources or the use or management of surrounding properties within at least 1/4 mile radius; d. Whether a probable workforce is located nearby or is readily available. LU-16.11 The County shall pursue the creation of new incentive programs, such as tax credits, that encourage the continued viability of agricultural activities. The General Plan Land Use Element includes the following land use designations that permit agriculture as part of the land use definition: Estate Density Residential (EDR) – The Estate Density Residential land use designation provides for the development of detached single-family residential dwelling units and ancillary structures on large parcels. In the Community Development Foundation Component (unlike the Rural Community Foundation Component, which also permits the application of the Estate Density Residential designation), intensive animal-keeping uses are discouraged or would be limited as appropriate in order to ensure compatibility between the EDR designation and other, more intense Community Development residential uses in the vicinity. Limited agriculture is permitted in this designation. The density range is from 1 dwelling unit per 2 acres to 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres, which allows a minimum lot size of 2 acres. Very Low Density Residential (VLDR) –- The Very Low Density Residential land use designation provides for the development of detached single-family residential dwelling units and ancillary structures on large parcels. In the Community Development Foundation Component (unlike the Rural Community Foundation Component, which also permits the application of the Very Low Density Residential land use designation), intensive animal-keeping uses are discouraged or would be limited to ensure compatibility between the VLDR designation and other, more intense Community Development residential uses in the vicinity. Limited agriculture is permitted in this designation. The density range is from 1 dwelling unit per acre to 1 dwelling unit per 2 acres, which allows a minimum lot size of 1 acre. Low Density Residential (LDR) – The Low Density Residential land use designation provides for the development of detached single-family residential dwelling units and ancillary structures on large parcels. In the Community Development Foundation Component (unlike the Rural Community Foundation Component, which also permits the LDR designation), intensive animal-keeping uses are discouraged or would be limited to ensure compatibility between the LDR designation and other, more intense Community Development residential uses in the vicinity. Limited agriculture is permitted in this designation. The density range is from 2 dwelling units per acre to 1 dwelling unit per acre, which allows a minimum lot size of one-half acre. Medium Density Residential (MDR) – The Medium Density Residential land use designation provides for the development of conventional single-family detached houses and suburban subdivisions. Limited agriculture and animal-keeping uses, such as horses, are also allowed within this category. The density range is 2.0 to 5.0 dwelling units per acre, which allows for a lot size that typically ranges from 5,500 to 20,000 square feet. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-10 City General Plan The City of Palm Desert’s General Plan does not include any agriculture-specific policies. City Municipal Code The following Municipal Code provisions address the cultural aspects of previous agricultural uses as well as requirements for urban agriculture. 29.40.010 Landmark designation criteria. A cultural resource may be designated as a landmark by the City Council if, with written consent of property owner, after completion of a certified survey and upon the recommendation of the committee, it is determined that it retains integrity as defined in Chapter 29.20 and at a local, state, regional, or national level: F. Reflects distinctive examples of community planning or significant development patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, agriculture, or transportation. (Ord. 1168, 2008) 25.10.030 Allowed Land Uses and Permit Requirements Table 3-3 (Use Matrix for Residential Districts) identifies allowed uses and corresponding permit requirements for the residential districts and all other provisions of this title. Descriptions/definitions of the land uses can be found in Chapter 25.99 (Definitions). The special use provisions column in the table identifies the specific chapter or section where additional regulations for that use type are located within this title. Use regulations in the table are shown with a representative symbol by use classification listing: “P” symbolizes uses permitted by right, “A” symbolizes uses that require approval of an administrative use permit, “L” symbolizes uses that require approval of a large family day care use permit, “C” symbolizes uses that require approval of a conditional use permit, and “N” symbolizes uses that are not permitted. Uses that are not listed are not permitted. However, the Commission may make a use determination as outlined in Section 25.72.020 (Use Determinations). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-11 TABLE 3-3: USE M ATRIX FOR RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS Residential Zoning District Special Use Provisions Agriculture-Related Uses RE R-1 R-2 R-3 R-1M HPR PR Apiary A N N N N A N Botanical conservatory A N N N N N N Crops and horticulture, limited A N N N N N N Garden, private P P P P P P P Greenhouse, commercial C N N N N N N Greenhouse, private P P P A A P P Horticulture, private P P P P P P P Kennel C N N N N N C 25.10.040.D Livestock raising, noncommercial C N N N N N N Nursery C N N N N N N Orchard A N N N N N N Stable, boarding A N N N N N N 25.10.040.E Stable, private A N N N N N N 25.10.040.E P = Permitted; A = Administrative Use Permit; L= Large Family Day Care Use Permit; C = Conditional Use Permit; N = Not Permitted Source: Ord. 1259 §1, 2013 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 3-12 This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐1  4. Air Quality 4.1 Introduction This section describes current air quality conditions within Palm Desert and key air quality issues for the Palm Desert General Plan Update. Information for this section is based in part on data from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Greenhouse gases and global climate change are discussed in Section 16, Energy Use and Greenhouse Gases and Adaptation. 4.2 Environmental Setting Climate Palm Desert is located within the Salton Sea Air Basin (Basin), so named because its geographical formation is that of a basin, with the surrounding San Jacinto and Little San Bernardino mountains trapping the air and its pollutants in the valleys below. The basin includes the central portion of Riverside County and all of Imperial County to the southeast. The regional climate within the basin is typical of a desert regime, with large daily and seasonal fluctuations in temperature and relatively high annual average temperatures (California Resources Agency, 2006). High temperatures frequently exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) for the summer months. During the winter, temperatures can drop to near freezing (and below freezing at higher elevations). The weather of the area is governed by large-scale warming and sinking of air in the semi-permanent subtropical high-pressure center over the Pacific Ocean. The high-pressure ridge blocks most mid- latitude storms, except in the winter when the high-pressure ridge is weakest and farthest south. The coastal mountains prevent the intrusion of the cool, damp air found in California’s coastal regions. Throughout the year, average daily relative humidity is low, as are average rainfall values (only three inches per year). Most desert moisture arrives from infrequent warm, moist and unstable air masses from the south. Daytime winds during the summer (May through October) are predominantly from the south- southeast with occasional winds from the northwest, west, and southwest. This differs from daytime winds during the wintertime (November through April), which demonstrates a strong split between winds from the northwest and from the south-southeast, with occasional winds from the west. Evening and nighttime winds are almost exclusively from the northwest year round, with infrequent winds from the south-southeast. The wind patterns described above are evidence of the complex airflow patterns in the area. The diurnal shift in wind directions is typical of wind patterns found near land-sea transitions. Air over land is heated during the daytime compared to the air over large bodies of water. The air rises and City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐2  causes a pressure gradient that causes the cooler air over the water to blow in and equalize the pressure. During the nighttime, the reverse is true as land cools quickly relative to water. The air over the water becomes relatively warmer and cooler air over the land flows toward the large body of water. Air Pollutants Air pollutant emissions within the basin are generated by stationary, mobile, and natural sources. Stationary sources can be divided into two major subcategories: point and area sources. Point sources occur at an identified location and are usually associated with manufacturing and industry. Construction activities such as excavation and grading also contribute to point source emissions. Typical examples are boilers or combustion equipment that produce electricity or generate heat. Area sources are widely distributed and produce many small emissions. Typical examples of area sources include residential and commercial water heaters, painting operations, portable generators, lawn mowers, agricultural fields, landfills, and consumer products such as barbeque lighter fluid and hair spray. Mobile sources refer to emissions from on- and off-road motor vehicles, including tailpipe and evaporative emissions. On-road sources may be legally operated on roadways and highways. Off-road sources include aircraft, trains, and construction vehicles. Mobile sources account for the majority of the air pollutant emissions within the Basin. Air pollutants can also be generated by the natural environment. An example of this is when fine dust particles are pulled off the ground surface and suspended in the air during periods of high winds. The six primary criteria pollutants include ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulates less than 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter (PM10 and PM2.5), and lead (Pb), and are described below. Ozone. Ozone is produced by a photochemical reaction (triggered by sunlight) between nitrogen oxides (NOX) and reactive organic gases (ROG). NOX is formed during the combustion of fuels, while reactive organic gases are formed during combustion and evaporation of organic solvents. Because ozone requires sunlight to form, it mostly occurs in substantial concentrations between the months of April and October. Ozone is a pungent, colorless toxic gas with direct health effects on humans including respiratory and eye irritation and possible changes in lung functions. Groups most sensitive to ozone include children, the elderly, persons with respiratory disorders, and people who exercise strenuously outdoors. Carbon Monoxide. CO is a local pollutant that is found in high concentrations only near a source of carbon monoxide. The major source of CO, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas, is automobile traffic. Elevated concentrations, therefore, are usually only found near areas of high traffic volumes. Health effects from CO are related to its affinity for hemoglobin in the blood. At high concentrations, CO reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, causing heart difficulty in people with chronic diseases, reduced lung capacity and impaired mental abilities. Nitrogen Dioxide. NO2 is a by-product of fuel combustion, with the primary source being motor vehicles and industrial boilers and furnaces. The principal form of nitrogen oxide produced by combustion is nitric oxide (NO), but NO reacts rapidly to form NO2, creating the mixture of NO and NO2 commonly called NOX. Nitrogen dioxide is an acute irritant. A relationship between NO2 and chronic pulmonary fibrosis may exist, and an increase in bronchitis in young children at City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐3  concentrations below 0.3 parts per million (ppm) may occur. NO2 absorbs blue light and causes a reddish brown cast to the atmosphere and reduced visibility. It can also contribute to the formation of PM10 and acid rain. Suspended Particulates. Atmospheric particulate matter is comprised of finely divided solids and liquids such as dust, soot, aerosols, fumes, and mists. The particulates that are of particular concern are PM10 (which measures no more than 10 microns in diameter) and PM2.5, (a fine particulate measuring no more than 2.5 microns in diameter). The characteristics, sources, and potential health effects associated with the small particulates (those between 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter) and PM2.5 can be different. Major man-made sources of PM10 are agricultural operations, industrial processes, combustion of fossil fuels, construction, demolition operations, and entrainment of road dust into the atmosphere. Natural sources include windblown dust, wildfire smoke, and sea spray salt. The finer, PM2.5 particulates are generally associated with combustion processes as well as being formed in the atmosphere as a secondary pollutant through chemical reactions. PM2.5 is more likely to penetrate deeply into the lungs and poses a serious health threat to all groups, but particularly to the elderly, children, and those with respiratory problems. More than half of the small and fine particulate matter that is inhaled into the lungs remains there, which can cause permanent lung damage. These materials can damage health by interfering with the body’s mechanisms for clearing the respiratory tract or by acting as carriers of an absorbed toxic substance. Sulfur dioxide (SO2). SO2 is a colorless, extremely irritating gas or liquid. It enters the atmosphere as a pollutant mainly as a result of burning high sulfur-content fuel oils and coal, and from chemical processes occurring at chemical plants and refineries. Lead (Pb). Lead occurs in the atmosphere as particulate matter. The combustion of leaded gasoline is the primary source of airborne lead in the Basin. The use of leaded gasoline is no longer permitted for on-road motor vehicles; therefore, most lead combustion emissions are associated with off-road vehicles such as racecars. Other sources of lead include the manufacturing and recycling of batteries, paint, ink, ceramics, ammunition, and secondary lead smelters. Toxic Air Contaminants. Toxic air contaminants are airborne substances that are capable of causing chronic (i.e., of long duration) and acute (i.e., severe but of short duration) adverse effects on human health. They include both organic and inorganic chemical substances that may be emitted from a variety of common sources including gasoline stations, motor vehicles, dry cleaners, industrial operations, painting operations, and research and teaching facilities. Toxic air contaminants are different than the “criteria” pollutants previously discussed in that ambient air quality standards have not been established for them, largely because there are hundreds of air toxins and their effects on health tend to be local rather than regional. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐4  4.3 Regulatory Setting Ambient air quality standards have been established to represent the levels of air quality considered sufficient, with an adequate margin of safety, to protect public health and welfare. They are designed to protect that segment of the public most susceptible to respiratory distress, such as children under 14; the elderly over 65; persons engaged in strenuous work or exercise; and people with cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases. The majority of sensitive receptor locations in Palm Desert are therefore residences, schools and nursing homes. The federal and state governments have been empowered by the federal and state Clean Air Acts to regulate the emission of airborne pollutants. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is the federal agency designated to administer air quality regulation, while the Air Resources Board (ARB) is the state equivalent. The U.S. EPA’s air quality mandates are drawn primarily from the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), which required the agency to establish primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), or standards to protect public health and welfare from criteria air pollutants. The current NAAQS are shown below in Table 4.11-3. In addition, the CAA required each state to prepare an air quality control plan referred to as a SIP to achieve the NAAQS by a specified date. The federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) added requirements for states with nonattainment areas to revise their SIPs to incorporate additional control measures to reduce air pollution. SIPs are modified periodically to reflect the latest emissions inventories, planning documents, and rules and regulations of the air basins as reported by their jurisdictional agencies. The U.S. EPA is responsible for reviewing all SIPs to determine if they conform to the mandates of the CAAA amendments and determine whether implementation will achieve air quality goals. Local control of air quality management is provided by the ARB through multi-county and county- level Air Pollution Control Districts (APCDs). ARB coordinates and provides oversight of state and local air pollution control programs in California and implements the California Clean Air Act (CCAA). The CCAA, adopted in 1988, required ARB to establish California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), which are shown below in Table 4.11-3. CAAQS are designed to protect the health and welfare of sensitive groups of people (e.g., children, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions). The CCAA requires that all local air districts in the state endeavor to achieve and maintain the CAAQS by the earliest practical date. The CCAA specifies that local air districts should focus particular attention on reducing the emissions from transportation and area-wide emission sources and provides districts with the authority to regulate such indirect emission sources. Both the federal and state governments have established ambient air quality standards for outdoor concentrations of various pollutants. Federal and state standards have been established for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulates less than 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter (PM10 and PM2.5), and lead (Pb). The national and state ambient air quality standards have been set at levels whose concentrations could be generally harmful to human health and welfare and to protect the most sensitive persons from illness or discomfort with a margin of safety. Table 4.1.1-3 illustrates the current Federal and State Ambient Air Quality Standards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐5  TABLE 4.1‐3: CURRENT FEDERAL AND STATE AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS  Pollutant Federal Standard California Standard Ozone 0.075 ppm (8-hr avg) 0.07 ppm (8-hr avg) 0.09 ppm (1-hr avg) Carbon Monoxide 9.0 ppm (8-hr avg) 35.0 ppm (1-hr avg) 9.0 ppm (8-hr avg) 20.0 ppm (1-hr avg) Nitrogen Dioxide 100 ppb (1-hr avg) 0.053 ppm (annual avg) 0.18 ppm (1-hr avg) 0.03 ppm (annual avg) Sulfur Dioxide 0.03 ppm (annual avg) 0.14 ppm (24-hr avg) 75 ppb (1-hr avg) 0.04 ppm (24-hr avg) 0.25 ppm (1-hr avg) Lead 1.5 g/m3 (3-month avg) 1.5 g/m3 (30-day avg) Particulate Matter (PM10) 150 g/m3 (24-hr avg) 20 g/m3 (annual avg) 50 g/m3 (24-hr avg) Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) 15 g/m3 (annual avg) 35 g/m3 (24-hr avg) 12 g/m3 (annual avg) Source: California Air Resources Board, http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/aaqs/aaqs2.pdf, June, 2012 ppm = parts per million, ppb = parts per billion, g/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter While the ARB establishes statewide air quality standards and is responsible for the control of mobile emission sources, the local APCDs are responsible for enforcing standards and regulating stationary sources. Palm Desert is under the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), a multi-county APCD. All projects within SCAQMD’s jurisdiction are subject to the agency’s rules and regulations in effect at the time of construction. Specific rules that may be applicable in the city and SOI include the following: Rule 401—Visible Emissions. This rule limits the duration of emissions of any single source of air contaminants to a period or periods aggregating more than three minutes in any one hour which is as dark or darker in shade as that designated No. 1 on the Ringelmann Chart, as published by the United States Bureau of Mines, or of such opacity as to obscure an observer's view to a degree equal to or greater than does smoke described in subparagraph (b)(1)(A) of this rule. Rule 402—Nuisance. Rule 402 forbids the discharge of air contaminants which cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable number of persons or to the public, or which endanger the comfort, repose, health or safety of any such persons or the public, or which cause, or have a natural tendency to cause injury or damage to business or property. Rule 403—Fugitive Dust. This rule is intended to reduce the amount of particulate matter entrained in the ambient air as a result of human-caused fugitive dust sources by requiring actions to prevent, reduce or mitigate fugitive dust emissions. Rule 403 applies to any activity or human-caused condition capable of generating fugitive dust. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐6  Rule 403.1- Supplemental Fugitive Dust Control Requirements for Coachella Valley Sources. Rule 403.1 is additional to Rule 403 and only applies to fugitive dust sources in the Coachella Valley. This rule requires measures such as watering and stabilization of bulk materials to minimize wind-blown dust, and the cessation of earth-moving activities during high-wind events. Rule 1113—Architectural Coatings. No person shall apply or solicit the application of any architectural coating within SCAQMD, with VOC content in excess of the values specified in a table incorporated in the Rule. In addition, SCAQMD rules 402 (Nuisance) and 410 (Odors from Transfer Stations and Material Recovery Facilities) apply to offensive odors. Any actions related to odors are based on citizen complaints to local governments and the SCAQMD. ARB and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) also developed the Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective to serve as a general reference guide for evaluating and reducing air pollution impacts associated with new projects that go through the land use decision-making process. This handbook, published in April 2005, includes recommendations for the siting and design of new land uses in order to avoid exposing sensitive receptors to toxic air contaminants. For example, the handbook recommends avoiding the placement of new sensitive land uses within 500 feet of a freeway, urban roads with 100,00 vehicles per day, or rural roads with 50,000 vehicles per day(CARB, 2005). SCAQMD monitors air pollutant levels to assure that the air quality standards are met, and if they are not met, develop strategies to meet the standards. Depending on whether or not the standards are met or exceeded, the air basin is classified as being in “attainment” or as “nonattainment.” The Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin (Basin), in which Palm Desert is located, is a non-attainment area for both the federal and state standards for ozone and PM10. However, it should be noted that maximum ozone concentrations in recent years were below the health advisory level (SCAQMD, 2012 AQMP). The presence of ozone in the Coachella Valley is predominately due to the combustion of fuels in the South Coast Air Basin to the west, rather than to activity within the local Basin. In a well-studied pathway of pollution, air in the South Coast Air Basin is transported inland by the prevailing sea breeze through the San Gorgonio Pass. Thus, most ozone in the Coachella Valley is directly transported from the South Coast Air Basin or formed photochemically from precursors emitted in Los Angeles County. The Coachella Valley is also particularly susceptible to ozone pollution because it has limited local NOx emissions to scavenge and destroy ozone at night. PM10 concentrations are normally higher in desert areas such as the Coachella Valley due to windblown and fugitive dust emissions. Even relatively light winds can transport dust entrained from desert thunderstorms in southeastern California, Arizona, Nevada, or northern Mexico to the Coachella Valley. Although the Coachella Valley exceeded the federal 24-hour PM10 for two days in 2011, these exceedances were associated with high-wind natural events and excluded for comparison to the NAAQS, pursuant to the U.S. EPA Exceptional Events Rule. Aside from such high-wind natural events in the Coachella Valley, the Riverside portion of the Basin has not exceeded the federal 24-hour PM10 standard since the mid-1990s. Accordingly, SCAQMD has requested that U.S. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐7  EPA redesignate the Coachella Valley as being in attainment of federal PM10 standards. This request is pending U.S. EPA approval. In 2013, the Coachella Valley did not exceed the standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, or PM2.5. The Riverside County portion of the Basin has not exceeded federal CO standards in nearly three decades. Concentrations of fine particulates are relatively low in the Coachella Valley due to fewer combustion-related emissions sources, relative to windblown and fugitive dust that contribute to airborne PM10. Although sulfur dioxide concentrations were not measured in the Coachella Valley between 2011 and 2013, historical measurements have shown them to be well below the state and federal standards; moreover, there are no significant sources of sulfur dioxide emissions in the Coachella Valley. In an effort to monitor the various concentrations of air pollutants throughout the basin, the SCAQMD has divided the region into 38 source receptor areas (SRAs) in which over 30 monitoring stations operate. Palm Desert is located within SRA 30, which covers the Coachella Valley and the northern tip of the Salton Sea. Ambient air pollutant concentrations within SRA 30 are monitored in the cities of Indio and Palm Springs. The Indio station is located to the east of Palm Desert, in slightly closer proximity than the Palm Springs station to the northwest. Of the air pollutants discussed previously, ambient concentrations of ozone, CO, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 are monitored within SRA 30. Table 4.11-1 provides a summary of ambient air quality within SRA 30 as measured in the city of Indio, located east of Palm Desert, through the period of 2011 to 2013. For these years, the Indio monitoring station measured ozone but no other criteria air pollutants. From 2011-2013, ambient ozone concentrations at this monitoring station exceeded both national and state standards for more than 10 days, while the number of days that ambient PM10 concentrations exceeded state standards increased from 3 days in 2011 to 14 days in 2013. Ambient PM2.5 concentrations did not exceed national standards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐8  TABLE 4.1: SUMMARY OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AT THE INDIO MONITORING STATION (SRA 30)  Pollutant Air Quality Standards Year 2011 2012 2013 Ozone Maximum 1-hour concentration in ppm 0.099 0.102 0.105 Number of days exceeding State 1-hour standard >0.09 ppm 3 2 2 Maximum 8-hour concentration in ppm 0.090 0.089 0.087 Number of days exceeding national 8-hour standard >0.075 ppm 19 24 18 Number of days exceeding State 8-hour standard >0.070 ppm 42 45 38 Suspended Particulates PM10 Maximum 24-hour concentration in μg/m3 375.9 270.6 255.2 Number of days exceeding national 24-hour standard >150 μg/m3 22 3 Number of days exceeding State 24-hour standard >50 μg/m3 37 14 Fine Particulates PM2.5 Maximum 24-hour concentration in μg/m3 35.4 18.4 25.8 Number of samples exceeding national 24-hour standard >35 μg/m3 00 0 Source: California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board Top 4 Summary, 2011-2013, Accessed July 2014, http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/topfour/topfour1.php See Table 4.11-3 for Air Quality Standards. Ambient concentrations of CO, NO2, and SO2 are not monitored at the Indio station. Table 4.1.1-2 summarizes ambient air quality at a second SCAQMD monitoring station in the Coachella Valley, located in the city of Palm Springs, for the years 2011 through 2013. Although the Palm Springs monitoring station is located slightly farther from the city than the Indio station, it samples a more comprehensive set of criteria air pollutants, including ozone, CO, and NO2, PM10, and PM2.5.The Palm Springs monitoring station measured ambient air quality data that was consistent with measurements from the Indio station in that concentrations of Ozone exceeded national and state standards for more than 10 days and that PM`0 concentrations exceeded state standards on more days in 2013 than in 2011 and 2012. Meanwhile, PM2.5, CO, and NO2 concentrations did not exceed national and state standards from 2011 through 2013. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐9  TABLE 4.2 SUMMARY OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AT THE PALM SPRINGS MONITORING STATION (SRA 30)  Pollutant Air Quality Standards Year 2011 2012 2013 Ozone Maximum 1-hour concentration in ppm 0.124 0126 0126 Number of days exceeding State 1- hour standard >0.09 ppm 21 17 17 Maximum 8-hour concentration in ppm 0.098 0.100 0.104 Number of days exceeding national 8- hour standard >0.075 ppm 49 51 46 Number of days exceeding State 8- hour standard >0.070 ppm 69 79 82 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maximum 1-hour concentration in ppm -- - Number of days exceeding national 1- hour standard >35 ppm - - - Number of days exceeding State 1- hour standard >20 ppm - - - Maximum 8-hour concentration in ppm 0.6 0.5 - Number of days exceeding national 8- hour standard >9.0 ppm 0 0 0 Number of days exceeding State 8- hour standard >9.0 ppm 0 0 0 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Maximum 1-hour concentration in ppb 44.7 45.1 52.2 Number of days exceeding State 1- hour standard >18 ppb 0 0 0 Suspended Particulates PM10 Maximum 24-hour concentration in μg/m3 396.9 143.4 185.8 Number of days exceeding national 24-hour standard >150 μg/m3 20 1 Number of days exceeding State 24- hour standard >50 μg/m3 00 13.1 Fine Particulates PM2.5 Maximum 24-hour concentration in μg/m3 26.3 15.5 18.5 Number of samples exceeding national 24-hour standard >35 μg/m3 00 0 Source: California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board Top 4 Summary, 2011-2013, Accessed July 2014, http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/topfour/topfour1.php Note: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) standards and measurements are shown in parts per billion, converted from parts per billion as shown in the CEPA ARB Top 4 Summary See Table 4.11-3 for Air Quality Standards. Ambient concentrations of SO2 are not monitored at the Palm Springs station. CO 1-hour data not available for year 2011-2013. CO 8-hour data not available for year 2013. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐10  Air Quality Management The SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency principally responsible for management of air pollution in the southern two-thirds of Los Angeles County, all of Orange County, and the western urbanized portions of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Within this area, SCAQMD works directly with county transportation commissions and local governments and cooperates actively with all federal and state government agencies. To control air pollution within its jurisdiction, the regional agency develops rules and regulations (as discussed below in the Regulatory Setting), establishes permitting requirements, inspects emissions sources, and enforces such measures through educational programs or fines, when necessary. Under state law, the SCAQMD is required to prepare an overall plan for air quality improvement, known as the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), for the South Coast Air Basin and the Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin. AQMPs are required to be updated every three years. Each iteration of the plan is an update of the previous plan and has a 20-year horizon. 2012 AQMP The most recent AQMP was adopted in by the SCAQMD in December 2012. The purpose of the 2012 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP or Plan) is to establish a comprehensive and integrated program that will bring the South Coast Air Basin into compliance with the federal 24-hour PM2.5 air quality standard, and to provide an update to commitments towards meeting the federal 8-hour ozone standards. The Plan also includes specific measures to further implement the ozone strategy in the 2007 AQMP to assist attaining the 8-hour ozone standard by 2023. Although the control measures contained in the Final 2012 AQMP apply specifically to the South Coast Air Basin, they would also contribute toward the attainment of air quality standards for ozone in the Coachella Valley, due to the air pollution pathway discussed under Current Ambient Air Quality. These control measures for ozone can be categorized as follows:  8-hour Ozone Measures. Measures that provide for necessary actions to maintain progress towards meeting the 2023 8-hour ozone NAAQS, including regulatory measures, technology assessments, key investments, and incentives.  Transportation Control Measures. Measures generally designed to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT) as included in SCAG’s 2012 Regional Transportation Plan. Many of the control measures proposed are not regulatory in form, but instead focus on incentives, outreach, and education to bring about emissions reductions through voluntary participation and behavioral changes needed to complement regulations. Final 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (SIP) This plan includes control measures for the abatement of large particulates in the Coachella Valley. These dust control measures target construction and earth movement activities, disturbed vacant lands, unpaved roads and lots, paved road dust, agriculture, and (as a contingency measure) turf overseeding. The 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 SIP was revised in 2003 to incorporate the latest approved mobile source emissions estimates, planning assumptions, and fugitive dust source emission estimates. The control measures from the 2002 SIP remain in effect, regardless of the City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐11  pending outcome of SCAQMD’s request that the Coachella Valley be redesignated as in attainment of federal PM10 standards. Local Setting The 2004 City of Palm Desert General Plan includes an Air Quality Element that establishes several goals, policies and programs related to monitoring and mitigating air quality within the city. The most recent revision of the Air Quality Element and the Palm Desert General Plan as a whole was adopted on March 15th, 2004. The Air Quality Element includes discussion on the following programs and policies that are currently in place to regulate air quality in Palm Desert (Palm Desert Air Quality Element, 2004): Fugitive Dust Control Ordinance The Coachella Valley has a history of elevated PM10 levels (as shown in Table 4.1.1-2 and 4.1.1-3), which are closely associated with fugitive dust emissions form construction activities and the valley’s natural wind processes. To reduce the impacts of local fugitive dust and PM10 emissions, the city of Palm Desert adopted a Fugitive Dust (PM10) Control Ordinance (Chapter 24.12 of the Palm Desert City Municipal Code). The ordinance establishes minimum dust control requirements for construction and demolition activities and other specified land uses. Dust control measures set forth in the ordinance include: preparation and approval of a fugitive dust mitigation plan, reductions in vehicular speeds on unpaved roads and at construction sites, the application of chemical and/or vegetative dust suppressants and stabilizers, paving of parking lots and roadways, installation of wind fencing, vegetation of disturbed areas, and implementation of street and vehicle cleaning programs at construction sites. Grading or Demolition permits are not issued by the city without an approved fugitive dust mitigation plan, barring certain exceptions. Local PM10 Air Quality Inspector Program In order to provide more effective and locally based inspection and developer education effort, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), the SCAQMD and the Building Industry Association (BIA) in 2001 approved the hiring of a PM10 Air Quality Inspector, who is paid by SCAQMD but works out of CVAG offices. The inspector’s role is not to issue citations for violations, but rather to monitor and identify development activities that are not meeting emission stands, and to work to educate developers and cities on meeting PM10 standards Existing General Plan Goals, Policies, and Programs The Air Quality Element of the Palm Desert General Plan includes several other goals, policies and programs related to improving local air quality. For example, the Policies 1 and 2 of the General Plan Air Quality Element encourage the development of buffer zones between sensitive receptors and point source emitters such as highways and industrial sources. Policy 3 is related to monitoring of air quality pollutants, with particular focus on PM10. Policy 4-6 promotes efficient and cost- effective development and improvements to the city’s transportation systems. Furthermore, the city has also developed an Employee commute program and also actively supports clean energy by investing in vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and an electric charging station. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐12  4.4 References Allen, E., Anderson, G., and Schroeer, W., "The Impacts of Infill vs. Greenfield Development: A Comparative Case Study Analysis," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, EPA Publication #231-R-99-005, September 2, 1999. California Air Resources Board (CARB). Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. April 2005. Available online at http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/handbook.pdf California Air Resources Board (CARB). California Almanac of Emissions and Air Quality. 2009. Available online at http://www.arb.ca.gov/aqd/almanac/almanac09/almanac09.htm California Department of Finance (DOF). 2014 Population Estimates. April 30, 2014. http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/documents/E- 1_2014_Press_Release.pdf California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board Top 4 Summary, 2011-2013, Accessed July 2014, http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/topfour/topfour1.php City of Palm Desert. Comprehensive General Plan/Air Quality Element. Adopted March 15th, 2004. Accessed July 17th, 2014 at: http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=148 Ewing Reid, et.al. 2007. Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change. Laybourn, Michael. Air Quality Specialist, South Coast Air Quality Management District. Personal communication. June 25, 2013. State of California, Resources Agency, Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Draft Environmental Impact Report, Chapter 10 – Climate and Air Quality, (2006) 10-8. South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). 2007 Air Quality Management Plan. June, 2007. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/aqmp/07aqmp/index.html South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Final 2012 Air Quality Management Plan. November 2012. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/aqmp/2012aqmp/DraftFinal/DraftFinal-clean.pdf South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Final 2012 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan. June, 2002. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/aqmp/fcvsip.html South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Historical Data by. Accessed July 2014. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/home/library/air-quality-data-studies/historical-data- by-year South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Perc Dry Cleaning Operations. May 2010. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/comply/shoptalk/drycleaners_shop_talk.html City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐13  South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Rule 403.1 -- Supplemental Fugitive Dust Control Requirements for Coachella Valley Sources. April, 2004. Available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg04/r403-1.pdf Southern California Association of Governments. 2012-2035 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. April 2012. Available online at http://rtpscs.scag.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx. Growth Forecast available online at http://rtpscs.scag.ca.gov/Documents/2012/final/SR/2012fRTP_GrowthForecast.pdf City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 4‐14  This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-1 5. Biological Resources 5.1 Introduction This section describes the environmental setting, regulatory setting, and key issues for biological resources in the city and sphere of influence (Planning Area). This section draws on data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB), the US Fish and Wildlife (USWS) Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System, the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), the Coachella Valley Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), and previous environmental documentation prepared for the City of Palm Desert. 5.2 Environmental Setting Regional Setting Two California ecological sections cover the Planning Area: the Colorado Desert in the north (Coachella Valley) and the Southern California Mountains and Valleys in the south (San Jacinto Mountains). The landscape of the Colorado Desert section is characterized by alluvial fans, basin, dunes, and delta plain. The Southern California Mountains and Valleys section is characterized by narrow ranges and broad fault blocks, alluviated lowlands, and dissected westward sloping granitic uplands (McNab et al. 2007). The Colorado Desert section is further subdivided into four subsections, including the Coachella Valley subsection. The Southern California Mountains and Valleys section is subdivided into 16 subsections, including the Desert Slopes subsection. The Coachella Valley and Desert Slopes subsections are composed of alluvial fans and the lake basin of the Coachella Valley as well as the dry, interior slopes and canyons of the San Jacinto Mountains. Soils are predominantly well drained, except on poorly drained playas. Vegetation is largely characterized by creosote bush-white bursage series. Fan palm series is common in riparian areas, and allscale series occurs around the Salton Sea. Mixed saltbush series and mesquite series dominate on basin floors, while iodine bush series and saltgrass series are common on wet basin-fill and lacustrine deposits. Pinyon and juniper woodlands and chamise-redshank scrub are common at higher elevations. The climate in these subsections is very hot and arid, characterized by mean annual temperatures between 62° and 89° Fahrenheit, and 3–4 inches of precipitation annually that falls as rain. All water drains into the Salton Sea through the Whitewater River. Most of the streams in the region are dry all year or through summer. Temporary ponding occurs on playas in some years (Goudey and Miles 1998). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-2 Local Setting Elevations in the Planning Area range from approximately 160 feet above mean sea level (amsl) along the Whitewater River up to 5,140 feet amsl at Sheep Mountain. The Planning Area is characterized by a large basin, rounded hills, mountains, and steep canyons. The Planning Area includes portions of the Coachella Valley in the north and the San Jacinto Mountains in the south. Urban development bounds the upper east and west sides of the Planning Area. Other lands adjacent to the Planning Area are characterized as open space. Vegetative Communities The location and extent of vegetative communities in the Planning Area was derived from the CVMSHCP GIS vegetation data. The Planning Area comprises primarily urban land uses within the city boundary. The remainder of the Planning Area is composed of open space. Vegetative communities found in the Planning Area include Sonoran mixed woody and succulent scrub, stabilized shielded desert sand fields, peninsular juniper woodland and scrub, Sonoran creosote bush scrub, desert fan palm oasis woodland, desert dry wash woodland, and active shielded desert dunes. These vegetative communities are described below and shown on Figure 5.1. The natural communities designations are derived from Preliminary Descriptions of the Terrestrial Natural Communities of California (Holland 1986) and the CVMSHCP. The urban community description is derived from A Guide to Wildlife Habitats of California (CDFW 2014b) and the CVMSHCP. Table 5.1 summarizes the acreages of each vegetative community in the Planning Area. TABLE 5.1: ACREAGES OF VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES WITHIN TH E PLANNING AREA Vegetative Community Area (Acres) City Limits SOI Total Active Shielded Desert Dunes 15 0 15 Desert Dry Wash Woodland 68 457 525 Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland 0 80 80 Peninsular Juniper Woodland and Scrub 0 3,062 3,062 Sonoran Creosote Bush Scrub 1,336 1,757 3,093 Sonoran Mixed Woody and Succulent Scrub 385 17,834 18,219 Stabilized Shielded Desert Sand Fields 490 70 560 Urban 14,962 4,017 18,979 TOTAL 17,256 27,277 44,533 Note: Total acreages rounded to nearest whole number Source: Acreages derived from CVMSHCP Vegetation Mapping City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-3 F IGURE 5. 1: VEGETATION (CVMSHCP) City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-4 Active Shielded Desert Dunes (15 acres) Active shielded desert dunes are characterized by sparsely vegetated expanses of actively moving sand. This community is more shielded than the active desert dune community. The size and shape of dunes is determined by abiotic factors such as wind, rather than by stabilizing vegetation. Plant associates may include fewleaf bee plant (Carsonia sparsifolia), desert twinbugs (Dicoria canescens), California evening primrose (Oenothera californica), fanleaf crinklemat (Tiquilia plicata), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), desert sand verbena (Abronia villosa), sandpaper plant (Petalonyx thurberi), fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), California croton, and indigobush (Psorothamnus spp.). This community is threatened by increases in shielding and blockage of the sand source and transport by barriers such as buildings, roads, and vegetation. Stabilization of active dunes can increase the establishment rate of invasive species. Desert Dry Wash Woodland (525 acres) The desert dry wash woodland community is characterized as a drought-deciduous woodland dominated by thorny trees from the Fabaceae family. Vegetation cover ranges from dense to open and can reach 30–60 feet tall. This community is found in sandy or gravelly washes and arroyos in the lower Colorado Desert. Common plant associates include broom baccharis (Baccharis sarothroides), desert senna (Senna armata), blue paloverde (Parkinsonia florida), bitter snakewood (Condalia globosa), smoketree (Psorothamnus spinosum), Indian rushpea (Hoffmannseggia glauca), singlewhorl burrobrush (Ambrosia monogyra), Anderson’s desert thorn (Lycium andersonii), ironwood (Olneya tesota), catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii), desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), and gray crucillo (Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens). Threats to this community include fragmentation, changes to hydrological regimes, and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. Desert Fan Palm Oasis (80 acres) Desert fan palm oasis woodlands are dominated by dense groves of California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera). This species reaches heights of 75–100 feet. The understory may be sparse in dense groves where the ground is mulched by fallen fronds. More open sites are characterized by a scrub understory. This community is restricted to sites with high water tables, with the largest groves occurring in steep-sided canyons with perennial streams or adjacent to large springs. Smaller groves are found in canyons with intermittent surface water or seeps. This community is scattered along the western edge of the Colorado Desert usually below 3,000 feet (915 m) amsl. Oases often have alkaline soils due to high evaporation. Common plant associates include maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), desert columbine (Aquilegia shockleyi), desert baccharis (Baccharis sergiloides), western hackberry (Celtis reticulata), stream orchis (Epipactis gigantea), smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum), velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina), alkali goldenbush (Isocoma acradenia), common reed (Phragmites australis), California sycamore (Platanus racemosa), arrowweed (Pluchea sericea), Fremont’s cottonwood (Populus fremontii), honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis), narrowleaf willow (Salix exigua), Goodding’s willow (Salix gooddingii), arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis), blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea), alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), salt cedar (Tamarix sp.), southern cattail (Typha domingensis), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Desert fan palm oases are considered sensitive natural communities by the CDFW. Most oases in the Planning Area occur in protected areas. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-5 Peninsular Juniper Woodland and Scrub (3,062 acres) The Peninsular juniper woodland and scrub community is commonly found on alluvial fans and desert slopes in the San Jacinto Mountains at elevations ranging from 3,500 to 5,500 feet (1,070– 1,680 m) amsl. This community is a somewhat dense woodland dominated by California juniper (Juniperus californicus) with pinyon pine (Pinus quadrifolia) as the main associate. Other common associates include Parry’s beargrass (Nolina parryi), desert scrub oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri), Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera), and common sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Threats to this community include invasive non-native grasses and annuals that increase fuel loads. Juniper and pinyon do not tolerate fire well, and an increase in fire frequency could result in a shift to a semi-desert chaparral community. Sonoran Creosote Bush Scrub (3,093 acres) Sonoran creosote bush scrub is characterized by widely spaced shrubs and succulents. Most growth occurs during winter and early spring; however, shrubs may be dormant for long periods if rainfall is insufficient. Several species of annuals may bloom in the understory if there is adequate rainfall. This community is often found on slopes, fans, and valleys with well-drained soils in the Colorado Desert region. It is the dominant plant community below 3,000 feet (910 m) amsl and the most common plant community in the Colorado Desert. As the name suggests, creosote bush is the dominant plant species. Common plant associates include white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.), and ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Threats to this community include invasive non-native grasses and annuals that increase fuel loads, as well as OHV activity and deposition. Sonoran Mixed Woody and Succulent Scrub (18,219 acres) Sonoran mixed woody and succulent scrub is the most widespread natural community in the Planning Area. This community is characterized by a wide array of shrub and succulent species, often with no clear dominant. It is commonly found on rocky, well-drained slopes and alluvial fans at elevations between 1,000 and 4,000 feet (300–1,210 m) amsl. Most stands include desert agave (Agave deserti), brittlebush, ocotillo, Mojave yucca, and pygmycedar (Peucephyllum schottii). Other common associates include catclaw (Senegalia greggii), barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii), goldenbush (Haplopappus spp.), creosote bush, cholla, pricklypear (Opuntia spp.), and jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). Threats to this community include invasive non- native grasses and annuals that increase fuel loads, as well as OHV activity and nitrogen deposition. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-6 Stabilized Shielded Desert Sand Fields (560 acres) This community is characterized by desert sand accumulations that are not clearly part of dune landforms. Vegetation cover can vary from widely scattered shrubs and herbs to dense shrub canopies. This community is often found at the toe of alluvial fans below 5,000 feet (1,524 m) amsl. Common plant associates include desert sand verbena, white bursage, fourwing saltbush, California croton (Croton californicus), desert twinbugs, woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum ssp.), creosote bush, desert sunflower (Geraea canescens), desert lily (Hesperocallis undulata), birdcage evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides), sand grass (Stipa hymenoides), sandpaper plant, honey mesquite, indigobush, fanleaf crinklemat, and wild rhubarb (Rumex hymenosepalus). This community is threatened by increases in shielding and blockage of the sand source and transport by barriers such as buildings, roads, and vegetation. Further stabilization of the sand fields can increase the establishment rate of invasive species. Urban (18,979 acres) Urban land uses are the most common cover type in the Planning Area. Urban land uses are classified as areas that have been heavily modified by humans, including roadways, existing buildings, and structures, as well as recreation fields, small parks, lawns, and other landscaped vegetation. Because of the high degree of disturbance in these areas, they generally have low habitat value for wildlife; however, migratory birds may find limited nesting and foraging opportunities in trees and shrubs scattered throughout urban areas. Sensitive Biological Resources Several steps were taken to characterize sensitive biological resources in the Planning Area. First, project-related documentation was reviewed to collect site-specific data regarding habitat suitability for special-status species, as well to identify potentially jurisdictional waters. Additional information was obtained from a variety of outside data sources identified in the references section. In addition, database searches were performed using the following resources to identify special-status species with potential to occur in the Planning Area:  US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information Planning and Conservation (IPaC) System (2014a)  USFWS Critical Habitat Portal (2014b)  CDFW California Natural Diversity Database (2014a)  CNPS Inventory of Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of California (2014)  Coachella Valley Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan Species Distribution Models (CVMSHCP 2007) The USFWS IPaC System identifies special-status species within the jurisdiction of the USFWS that have the potential to occur in the Planning Area. In addition, the USFWS Critical Habitat Portal identified designated critical habitat within 1 mile of the Planning Area. The CNDDB database provided a list of known occurrences for special-status species in the Cathedral City, Myoma, Rancho Mirage, and La Quinta, California, US Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute quadrangles. The CNPS database identifies special-status plant species with the potential to occur in the City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-7 aforementioned USGS quadrangles. Raw data from queries of each database is provided in Appendix D. The CVMSHCP species distribution models indicate the occurrence and distribution of known locations, occupied habitat, and potential habitat for each species covered under the CVMSHCP and are available on the CVMSHCP website under “GIS Data.” Special-Status Species Candidate, sensitive, or special-status species are commonly characterized as those that are at potential risk or actual risk to their persistence in a given area, or across their native habitat. These species have been identified and assigned a status ranking by governmental agencies, such as the CDFW and the USFWS, and private organizations, including CNPS. The degree to which a species is at risk of extinction is the determining factor in the assignment of a status ranking. Some common threats to a species’ or population’s persistence include habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, as well as human conflict and intrusion. For the purposes of this report, special-status species are defined using the following codes:  Listed, proposed, or candidates for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) (50 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 17.11 – listed; 61 Federal Register [FR] 7591, February 28, 1996 candidates)  Listed or proposed for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) (Fish and Game Code ([FGC] 1992 Section 2050 et seq.; 14 California Code of Regulations [CCR] Section 670.1 et seq.)  Designated as Species of Special Concern by the CDFW  Designated as Fully Protected by CDFW (FGC Sections 3511, 4700, 5050, 5515)  Species that meet the definition of rare or endangered under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (14 CCR Section 15380), including CNPS List Rank 1b and 2 The USFWS, CDFW, and CNPS database queries identified several special-status species with the potential to occur in the Planning Area. Table 1, found in Appendix D, summarizes all special-status species identified in the database queries, describes the habitat requirements for each species, and provides conclusions regarding the potential for each species to occur in the Planning Area. The CNDDB results within 1 mile of the Planning Area are depicted on Figure 5.2 and listed in Table 5-2. Special-Status Plants Based on the database search results, 10 special-status plant species are known to occur in the Planning Area. An additional 12 species were determined to have the potential to occur within the Planning Area based on the presence of suitable habitat and previous occurrences in the vicinity (5- mile radius around the Planning Area). These species are described below based on data obtained from the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (2014). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-8 Known to Occur in the Planning Area Chaparral Sand-Verbena (Abronia villosa var. aurita) Chaparral sand-verbena is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.1. Chaparral sand- verbena can be found throughout Southern California, from the vicinity of Barstow southward to the Mexican border, and from the coast near Thousand Oaks inland to the Arizona border. This species blooms from January through September. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in chaparral, coastal scrub, or desert dune habitat at elevations ranging from 246 to 5,249 feet (75– 1,600 m) amsl. Chaparral sand-verbena is threatened by non-native plants, alteration of fire regimes, road maintenance, flood control activities, vehicles, and development. Chaparral sand-verbena is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The dune habitats, sand fields, and areas with sandy soil provide suitable habitat for this species. Coachella Valley Milk-Vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae) Coachella Valley milk-vetch is a federally endangered annual or perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2. This species is known exclusively from the vicinity of the Coachella Valley. This species blooms from February through May. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in Sonoran desert scrub and desert dune habitats at elevations ranging from 131 to 2,148 feet (40–655 m) amsl. Coachella Valley milk-vetch is threatened by urbanization, non-native plants, vehicles, road widening, flood control projects, and wind energy development. This species is one of the four plants covered under the CVMSHCP. This species is known to occur in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert dunes and sand fields, as well as Sonoran creosote bush scrub and Sonoran mixed woody and succulent scrub (known collectively as Sonoran scrub in the following pages), provide suitable habitat for this species. The Thousand Palms System federally designated critical habitat unit (#4) is in the Coachella Valley Preserve, adjacent to the Planning Area. California Ayenia (Ayenia compacta) California ayenia is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.3. California ayenia can be found throughout inland Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. This species blooms from March through April. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 492 to 3,592 feet (150–1,095 m) amsl. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The scrub habitats and rocky areas in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Abrams’ Spurge (Chamaesyce abramsiana) Abrams’ spurge is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.2. It can be found throughout inland Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. This species blooms from August through November. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 16 feet (5 m) below mean sea level (bmsl) to 3,002 feet (915 m) amsl. Abrams’ spurge is possibly threatened by vehicles, solar energy development, and non-native plants. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The scrub habitats and sandy areas in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. California Marina (Marina orcutti var. orcutti) California marina is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.3. In California, this species is known from only two occurrences at Deep Canyon. California marina also occurs in Baja California. This species blooms from May through October. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in chaparral, pinyon and juniper woodland, and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-9 elevations ranging from 3,445 to 3,806 feet (1,050–1,160 m) amsl. California marina is possibly threatened by recreational activities. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The juniper woodland and Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Spearleaf (Matelea parvifolia) Spearleaf is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.3. It can be found throughout inland Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Mexico. This species blooms from March through May. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 1,444 to 3,593 feet (440–1,095 m) amsl. Spearleaf is potentially threatened by recreational activities. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provides suitable habitat for this species. Deep Canyon Snapdragon (Pseudorontium cyathiferum) Deep Canyon snapdragon is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.3. In California, this species is known from only a few occurrences in the Deep Canyon area. This species also occurs in Arizona and Mexico. It blooms from February through April. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in Sonoran desert scrub habitat at elevations up to 2,625 feet (800 m) amsl. Deep Canyon snapdragon is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provides suitable habitat for this species. Desert Spike-Moss (Selaginella latimeri) Desert spike-moss is a perennial rhizomatous herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.2. It can be found throughout inland Southern California, as well as in Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. This species blooms from March through June. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in Sonoran desert scrub habitat at elevations ranging from 656 to 2,953 feet (200–900 m) amsl. Desert spike-moss is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Coves’ Cassia (Senna covesii) Coves’ cassia is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.2. It can be found throughout inland Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Mexico. This species blooms from March through May. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 935 to 3,510 feet (285–1,070 m) amsl. Coves’ cassia is threatened by vehicles and road maintenance. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provides suitable habitat for this species. Purple Stemodia (Stemodia durantifolia) Purple stemodia is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.1. It can be found throughout southwestern California and in parts of Arizona, Texas, Mexico, and South America. This species blooms from January through December. It is typically found growing on mesic, sandy substrates in Sonoran desert scrub habitat at elevations ranging from 591 to 984 feet (180–300 m) amsl. Purple stemodia is threatened by development. This species is known to occur within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area provides suitable habitat for this species. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-10 May Occur in the Planning Area Pygmy Lotus (Acmispon haydonii) Pygmy lotus is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.3. It can be found in California from the Coachella Valley southward to Baja California. This species blooms from January through June. It is typically found growing on rocky substrates in pinyon and juniper woodland and Sonoran desert scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 1,706to 3,937 feet (520–1,200 m) amsl. Pygmy lotus is potentially threatened by vehicles and non-native plants. There is one record of this species occurring within 1 mile of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland and Sonoran scrub, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Arizona Spurge (Chamaesyce arizonica) Arizona spurge is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.3. It can be found in California from the Coachella Valley southward to Baja California. It is also known from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. This species blooms from March through April. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in Sonoran desert scrub habitat at elevations ranging from 164 to 984 feet (50–300 m) amsl. There are no records of Arizona spurge occurring within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there are two occurrences within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as Sonoran scrub, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Flat-Seeded Spurge (Chamaesyce platysperma) Flat-seeded spurge is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2. It is known from less than five historical, isolated occurrences throughout Southern California. It also occurs in Arizona and Mexico. This species blooms from February through September. It is typically found growing on sandy substrates in Sonoran desert scrub and desert dune habitats at elevations ranging from 213 to 328 feet (65–100 m) amsl. There is one record of flat-seeded spurge occurring within 1 mile of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub and desert dunes in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. White-Bracted Spineflower (Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca) White-bracted spineflower is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2. It occurs throughout southwestern California. This species blooms from April through June. It is typically found growing on sandy or gravelly substrates in Mojavean desert scrub, pinyon and juniper woodland, and on alluvial fans in coastal scrub habitats at elevations ranging from 984 to 3,937 feet (300–1,200 m) amsl. This species is threatened by development, flood control projects, mining, and vehicles. There is one record of white-bracted spineflower occurring within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of four occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Glandular Ditaxis (Ditaxis claryana) Glandular ditaxis is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.2. It occurs throughout inland Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. This species blooms from October through March. It is typically found growing on sandy substrate in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrubs at elevations up to 1,526 feet (465 m) amsl. There are three records of glandular ditaxis within 1 mile of City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-11 the Planning Area and a total of six occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Santa Rosa Mountains Leptosiphon (Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii) Santa Rose Mountains leptosiphon is a perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.3. It is known exclusively from the vicinity of the Santa Rosa Mountains. This species blooms from May through July. It is associated with pinyon and juniper woodland and Sonoran desert scrub at elevations ranging from 3,281 to 6,562 feet (1,000–2,000 m) amsl. This species may be threatened by recreational activities. There is one record of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of three occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub and juniper woodland communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Slender Cottonheads (Nemacaulis denudate var. gracilis) Slender cottonheads is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 2B.2. It occurs throughout Southern California and is also found in Arizona and Mexico. This species blooms from March through May. It is typically found growing in coastal dunes, desert dunes, and Sonoran desert scrub at elevations ranging from 164 to 328 feet (50–100 m) amsl. In the Coachella Valley, this species is threatened by urbanization. There are two records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of three occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub and desert dune communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Latimer’s Woodland Gilia (Saltugilia latimeri) Latimer’s woodland gilia is an annual herb endemic to Southern California. It has a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2 and blooms from March to June. Latimer’s woodland gilia can be found at elevations ranging from 1,312 to 6,234 feet (400–1,900 m) amsl. It is associated with rocky or sandy areas, often in washes and often on granitic substrates. Latimer’s woodland gilia is found growing in chaparral, Mojavean desert scrub, and pinyon and juniper woodland. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there is one occurrence within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. White-Margined Oxytheca (Sidotheca emarginata) White-margined oxytheca is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.3. It occurs exclusively in the vicinity of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountain ranges. This species blooms from February through August. It is typically found associated with chaparral, lower montane coniferous forest, and pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations ranging from 3,937 to 8,202 feet (1,200–2,500 m) amsl. This species is threatened by development, grazing, recreational activities, and trampling. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there are four occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-12 Southern Jewelflower (Streptanthus campestris) Southern jewelflower is a perennial herb with a CNPS rank of 1B.3. It is found in southwestern California and into Baja California. This species blooms from April through July and can be found at elevations ranging from 2,953 to 7,546 feet (900–2,300 m) amsl. It can be found on rocky substrate in chaparral, lower montane coniferous forests, and pinyon and juniper woodlands. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there are three occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Rigid Fringepod (Thysanocarpus rigidus) Rigid fringepod is an annual herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2. It occurs in isolated populations throughout inland Southern California and southward to Baja California. This species blooms from February through May. It is typically associated with dry rocky slopes in pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations ranging from 1,969 to 7,218 feet (600–2,200 m) amsl. This species may be threatened by development and non-native plants. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there is one occurrence within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as juniper woodland, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Mecca-Aster (Xylorhiza cognata) Mecca-aster is perennial herb with a CNPS rare plant rank of 1B.2. It occurs exclusively in the vicinity of the Coachella Valley. This species blooms from January through June. It is typically associated with Sonoran desert scrub at elevations ranging from 66 to 1,312 feet (20–400 m) amsl. This species is threatened by vehicles and may be threatened by development and recreational activities. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there are six occurrences within a 5-mile radius (CDFW 2014d). The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat, such as Sonoran scrub, result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Mecca-aster is one of the four species of plants covered under the CVMSHCP. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-13 FIGURE 5.2: CNDDB O CCURRENCES OF SPECIAL -STATUS SPECIES WITHIN 1 MILE OF THE PLANNING AREA City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-14 This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-15 TABLE 5.2: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED CNDDB OCCURRENCES OF SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES WITHIN 1 MILE OF THE PLANNING AREA Map ID Scientific Name Common Name Federal Listing State Listing Rare Plant Rank 1 Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand-verbena - - 1B.1 2 Acmispon haydonii pygmy lotus - - 1B.3 3 Anniella pulchra pulchra silvery legless lizard - SSC 4 Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle - - 5 Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk-vetch E - 1B.2 6 Athene cunicularia burrowing owl - SSC 7 Ayenia compacta California ayenia - - 2B.3 8 Batrachoseps major aridus desert slender salamander E E 9 Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse - SSC 10 Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge - - 2B.2 11 Chamaesyce platysperma flat-seeded spurge - - 1B.2 12 Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca white-bracted spineflower - - 1B.2 13 Crotalus ruber red-diamond rattlesnake - SSC 14 Cyprinodon macularius desert pupfish E E 15 Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland - X 16 Dinacoma caseyi Casey's June beetle E - 17 Dipodomys merriami collinus Earthquake Merriam's kangaroo rat - - 18 Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis - - 2B.2 19 Ditaxis serrata var. californica California ditaxis - - 3.2 20 Empidonax traillii extimus southwestern willow flycatcher E E 21 Falco mexicanus prairie falcon - - 22 Gopherus agassizii desert tortoise T T 23 Heuchera hirsutissima shaggy-haired alumroot - - 1B.3 24 Lanius ludovicianus loggerhead shrike - SSC 25 Lasiurus xanthinus western yellow bat - SSC 26 Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon - - 1B.3 27 Macrobaenetes valgum Coachella giant sand treader cricket - - 28 Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina - - 1B.3 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-16 Map ID Scientific Name Common Name Federal Listing State Listing Rare Plant Rank 29 Matelea parvifolia spear-leaf matelea - - 2B.3 30 Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads - - 2B.2 31 Neotoma albigula venusta Colorado Valley woodrat - SSC 32 Oliarces clara cheeseweed owlfly (cheeseweed moth lacewing) - - 33 Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Peninsular bighorn sheep DPS E T 34 Perognathus longimembris bangsi Palm Springs pocket mouse - SSC 35 Perognathus longimembris brevinasus Los Angeles pocket mouse - SSC 36 Phrynosoma blainvillii coast horned lizard - SSC 37 Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard - SSC 38 Polioptila melanura black-tailed gnatcatcher - - 39 Pseudorontium cyathiferum Deep Canyon snapdragon - - 2B.3 40 Pyrocephalus rubinus vermilion flycatcher - SSC 41 Selaginella eremophila desert spike-moss - - 2B.2 42 Senna covesii Cove's cassia - - 2B.2 43 Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia - - 2B.1 44 Stenopelmatus cahuilaensis Coachella Valley jerusalem cricket - - 45 Toxostoma crissale Crissal thrasher - SSC 46 Toxostoma lecontei Le Conte's thrasher - SSC 47 Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard T E 48 Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel - SSC KEY E=Endangered T=Threatened SSC=Species of Special Concern X=Sensitive Natural Community City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-17 Special-Status Wildlife Based on the database search results, 14 special-status wildlife species are known to occur in the Planning Area. Mule deer were also added to the discussion below due to known occurrences in the vicinity of the Planning Area. An additional 15 species were determined to have the potential to occur within the Planning Area based on the presence of suitable habitat, previous occurrences in the vicinity, and/or overlap with CVMSHCP species distribution models. Any CVMSHCP distribution models mentioned in the text can be found in Appendix D. These species are described below based on data obtained from the CDFW California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System Life History Accounts and Range Maps (2014c) and other sources as cited. Known to Occur in the Planning Area Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularis) Desert pupfish are federally and state listed as an endangered species. In California, naturally occurring desert pupfish distribution is restricted to two streams tributary to and a few irrigation drains and shoreline pools of the Salton Sea. The Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert contains stocked ponds that house desert pupfish transplanted from natural populations (USFWS 2010a). There are no known natural populations of this species and no threats to the captive population in the Planning Area. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Desert Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps major aridus) Desert slender salamanders are federally and state listed as an endangered species. This species is associated with damp, shaded areas in palm oases, desert washes, and desert scrub. There are only two known populations of desert slender salamander, one of which is in Hidden Palm Canyon, in the south-central Planning Area. This population is within a state ecological reserve managed by the CDFW. The second population is located in Guadalupe Canyon, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area. Threats to the population in the Planning Area are minimal due to the species being in an ecological preserve; however, potential threats include habitat loss due to erosion, fire, non-native plants, groundwater pumping, overutilization for scientific purposes, disease, drought or climatological changes, and small population size (USFWS 2014c). Red-Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) The red-diamond rattlesnake is a California species of special concern. This species is associated with chaparral, woodland, and arid desert habitats. It is typically found in rocky areas with dense vegetation at elevations up to 3,000 feet (900 m). This species of snake is active from mid-spring to mid-fall. Red-diamond rattlesnakes use rodent burrows, rock cracks, and other surface objects for cover. This species has been previously recorded in the Planning Area, and there are numerous occurrences of this species in the foothills surrounding the Coachella Valley (CDFW 2014d). Rocky areas in scrub communities in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agasizii) Desert tortoises are federally and state listed as a threatened species. In California, this species occurs in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. They are found in a variety of desert habitats and terrains. At lower elevations, they are most common on flats and slopes characterized by creosote bush scrub, and at higher elevations, on rocky slopes characterized by blackbrush scrub or juniper woodlands. Desert tortoises are most often found in areas where there is sparse cover of low- City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-18 growing shrubs; this allows establishment of an herbaceous layer for food. In addition, desert tortoises need friable, sandy-gravel soils for burrowing. This species has been found between sea level and 7,300 feet (0–2,225 m) amsl (USFWS 2011a). There are two records of desert tortoises in the foothills along the southern edge of Palm Desert and several more occurrences in the foothills surrounding the Coachella Valley (CDFW 2014d). Scrubby areas with friable soil in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) The flat-tailed horned lizard is a California species of special concern. This lizard is restricted to areas with sparse vegetation and fine sand in desert flats and washes below 600 feet (180 m) amsl. It has been found in a variety of habitats including desert scrub, succulent shrub, alkali scrub, and washes. Flat-tailed horned lizards require fine sand to burrow under for cover and temperature regulation. There are numerous records of flat-tailed horned lizard on the floor of the Coachella Valley, including in the Coachella Valley Preserve immediately adjacent to the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Open, sandy areas on the valley floor provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard (Uma inornata) The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is federally threatened and state listed as an endangered species. This species is endemic to the Coachella Valley and is associated with windblown desert ecosystems such as desert dunes and sand fields. This species requires fine, loose, windblown sand for burrowing. Preferable habitat is characterized as fine sand fields interspersed with hardpan and widely spaced shrubs (USFWS 2010b). There are several records of this species in the Coachella Valley portion of the Planning Area as well as numerous occurrences in the vicinity (CDFW 2014d). Open, sandy areas on the valley floor provide suitable habitat for this species. Federally designated critical habitat for this species occurs in the Coachella Valley Preserve adjacent to the Planning Area. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) The burrowing owl is a California species of special concern. Burrowing owls prefer nesting in mammal burrows in open areas of dry, open, rolling hills, grasslands, fallow fields, sparsely vegetated desert scrub with gullies, washes, and arroyos, and along the edges of human disturbed lands. This species can also be found inhabiting golf courses, airports, cemeteries, vacant lots, and road embankments with friable soils for nesting. The elevation range for this species extends from 200 feet (60 m) bmsl to 12,000 feet (3,636 m) amsl at the Dana Plateau in Yosemite (Bates 2006). Burrowing owls have been recorded along the northeastern edges of the Planning Area near Interstate 10 and in the Coachella Valley Preserve. There are numerous occurrences throughout the Coachella Valley (CDFW 2014d). Open areas with friable soils in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Golden eagles are a California designated fully protected species. Golden eagles are an uncommon resident and migrant throughout California. Typical habitats include rolling foothills, mountainous areas, sage-juniper flats, and deserts ranging up to 11,500 feet (3,833 m). This species requires open terrain for hunting as well as rocky ledges and large trees for cover. Nesting occurs on cliffs and in large trees. Open, rugged habitats with canyons and escarpments are most frequently used for City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-19 nesting. There is one record of this species along the western edge of the Planning Area in the Santa Rosa Mountains Wilderness Area, with several occurrences recorded throughout the San Jacinto Mountains. The communities in the hillside portions of the Planning Area, such as the juniper woodland and Sonoran scrub, provide suitable nesting habitat for this species, while the entire Planning Area provides foraging habitat. Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) The loggerhead shrike is a California species of special concern. This species is both a yearlong resident and a winter visitor in California. Loggerhead shrikes frequent open habitats in lowlands and foothills throughout California. The highest densities of this species occur in open-canopied valley foothill hardwood, valley foothill hardwood-conifer, valley foothill riparian, pinyon-juniper, juniper, desert riparian, and Joshua tree habitats. Suitable habitat is open with sparse trees or shrubs or other suitable perches and low or sparse herbaceous cover. Nests are built in shrubs or trees with dense foliage. There is one record of this species along the border of the Planning Area and the Coachella Valley Preserve (CDFW 2014d). Most vegetated natural communities in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Pallid San Diego Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus fallax pallidus) The pallid San Diego pocket mouse is a California species of special concern. Habitats typically associated with this species include coastal scrub, chamise-redshank chaparral, mixed chaparral, sagebrush, desert wash, desert scrub, desert succulent shrub, pinyon-juniper, and annual grassland. The elevation range for this species is from sea level up to 4,500 feet (1,350 m) amsl in the Santa Rosa Mountains and Riverside County, and 6,000 feet (1,800 m) amsl at Cactus Flat on the north slope of the San Bernardino Mountains. There are several records of this species in the Planning Area, the majority of which are in the foothills and mountains (CDFW 2014d). Most vegetated natural communities in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. Western Yellow Bat (Lasiurus xanthinus) The western yellow bat is a California species of special concern and uncommon year-round resident in Southern California from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties south to the Mexican border. This species is typically associated with valley foothill riparian, desert riparian, desert wash, and palm oasis habitats up to elevations of 2,000 feet (600 m). Western yellow bats prefer palm oases and riparian habitats for roosting and feeding. There are several records of this species on the Coachella Valley floor, one of which is in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert riparian, wash, and oasis communities in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. Peninsular Big-Horned Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) Peninsular bighorn sheep are a federally endangered species, as well as state listed as threatened and fully protected. Bighorn sheep are mostly uncommon in California and use alpine dwarf-shrub, low sage, sagebrush, bitterbrush, pinyon-juniper, palm oasis, desert riparian, desert succulent shrub, desert scrub, subalpine conifer, perennial grassland, montane chaparral, and montane riparian habitats. This species grazes all year on a wide variety of plant species but prefers green, succulent grasses and forbs in open habitats such as rocky barrens, meadows, and low sparse brushlands. Steep, rocky terrain is used as escape habitat and for bedding. In addition, steep, rugged slopes and canyons are used by this species as lambing areas. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-20 The Planning Area is located within the range for this species, and the Bighorn Sheep Connectivity Model for California Deserts identifies the southern half of the Planning Area and surrounding habitats as core habitat (Penrod et al. 2012). These data are available via the Bighorn Sheep Connectivity Modeling for the California Desert Linkage Network [ds828] layer on the CDFW BIOS 5 Viewer (2014d). In addition, several subunits of federally designated critical habitat Unit # 2 (Northern Santa Rosa Mountains unit) overlap the southern portion of the Planning Area (USFWS 2014b). Additionally, large herds of this species have been observed in the Santa Rosa Mountains within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Finally, the Bighorn Institute, an organization based in Palm Desert, has a captive breeding program for Peninsular bighorn sheep within the Planning Area. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Mule deer are common, yearlong residents or elevational migrants with a widespread distribution in California, except in lowland deserts and intensively farmed areas without cover. This species occurs along major river corridors in scattered desert mountain areas. Mule deer prefer a mosaic of early to intermediate successional stages of forest, woodland, and brush habitats that provide woody cover, meadow and shrubby openings, and water sources. Fawning occurs in moderately dense shrublands and forests, dense herbaceous areas, and high-elevation riparian and mountain shrub habitats that contain adequate forage and water. Fawning occurs from early April to midsummer and varies based on snowpack conditions. The Planning Area is located within the range for this species, and the connectivity model developed in A Linkage Network for the California Deserts (Penrod et al. 2012) identifies large portions of the undisturbed lands in the Planning Area as habitat for mule deer. This data is available via the Mule Deer Connectivity Modeling for the California Desert Linkage Network [ds829] layer on the CDFW BIOS 5 Viewer (2014d). Palm Springs Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris bangsi) The Palm Springs pocket mouse is a California species of special concern. This species is endemic to the vicinity of the Coachella Valley; however, little is known about its current distribution. The pocket mouse is known from various vegetative communities, including creosote scrub, desert scrub, and grasslands. This species is associated with loosely packed or sandy soils with sparse to moderately dense cover. Due to urbanization, this species no longer occurs on much of the valley floor; however, it may persist in pockets of scrub along the valley edges (Bolster 1998). There is a known population in Deep Canyon in the Planning Area, as well as a record along the border of the Coachella Valley Preserve. The Sonoran scrub communities in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-21 Palm Springs Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus) The Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel is a California species of special concern. This species is endemic to the Coachella Valley. The ground squirrel is known to inhabit arid, sandy, scrub, and wash habitats, including creosote- and mesquite-dominated sand dunes, creosote bush scrub, and alkali scrub. They have been found on a variety of substrates, including wind-blown sand, coarse sand, and packed silt with desert pavement. Burrows are often dug at the base of shrubs, and this species may use the burrows of other rodents (Bolster 1998). This species has been recorded in the Planning Area at the border of Thousand Palms (CDFW 2014d). Relatively undisturbed communities on the valley floor in the Planning Area provide suitable habitat for this species. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. May Occur in the Planning Area Silvery Legless Lizard (Anniella pulchra pulchra) Silvery legless lizards are a designated California species of special concern. This species occurs in the Coast Ranges from the vicinity of Antioch in Contra Costa County southward to the Mexican border. They also have spotty occurrences in the Central Valley, the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the Tehachapi Mountains, and the mountains of Southern California. This species inhabits coastal dune, valley-foothill grassland, chaparral, and coastal scrub habitats at elevations from near sea level to 6,000 feet (1,800 m). This species is often associated with sandy or loose organic soils or where there is plenty of leaf litter. There are two records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub and vegetation dune communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Coast Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) The coast horned lizard is a California species of special concern. Typical vegetative associations include valley-foothill hardwood, conifer, and riparian habitat as well as pine-cypress, juniper, desert wash, and annual grassland. The current known distribution is in the Sierra Nevada foothills from Butte County south to Kern County and throughout the Central and Southern California coast. This species is typically found below 2,000 feet (606 m) amsl in the north and 3,000 feet amsl in the south; however, the range may extend up to 4,000 feet (1,212 m) amsl in the Sierra Nevada foothills and 6,000 feet (1,818 m) in the Southern California mountain ranges. There is one record of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Sonoran scrub, desert wash, and juniper woodlands in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia brewsteri) The yellow warbler is a California species of special concern. This species breeds throughout California, including in several Southern California mountain ranges. Yellow warblers are known to winter in Southern California valleys, including the Coachella Valley. This species breeds in riparian woodland from coastal and desert lowlands up to 8,000 feet (2,500 m) amsl in the Sierras. Yellow City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-22 warblers prefer to nest in open to medium-density woodland and forests with a dense brush understory. This species can be found in various desert habitats and localities during migration. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are no CNDDB occurrences of this species in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the CVMSHCP yellow warbler distribution model overlaps with the Planning Area. Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of suitable habitat and the overlapping distribution model result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) The southwestern willow flycatcher is federally and state listed as an endangered species. This species nests in relatively dense riparian tree and shrub communities associated with rivers, swamps, lakes, and other wetlands. Wintering habitat includes scrubby areas, pastures, and woodlands near water (USFWS 2002). This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There is one record of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of two occurrences within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Yellow-Breasted Chat (Icteria virens) The yellow-breasted chat is a California species of special concern. This species is an uncommon summer resident, migrant, and breeder throughout most of California up to elevations of 6,500 feet (2,050 m). In Southern California, this species breeds locally in desert riparian habitats. Yellow- breasted chats prefer to nest in dense, brushy desert riparian habitat. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are no CNDDB occurrences of this species in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the CVMSHCP yellow-breasted chat distribution model overlaps with the Planning Area. Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of suitable habitat and the overlapping distribution model result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) The summer tanager is a California species of special concern. This species is an uncommon summer resident and breeder in California desert riparian habitats. Summer tanagers prefer to nest in mature desert riparian habitat dominated by willows and cottonwoods. Tall, shady trees are a critical element for successful nesting. This species can be found in various desert habitats and localities during migration. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are no CNDDB occurrences of this species in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the CVMSHCP summer tanager distribution model overlaps with the Planning Area. Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of suitable habitat and the overlapping distribution model result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-23 Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior) The gray vireo is a California species of special concern. This species is an uncommon summer resident and breeder in the mountains of Southern California. This species is typically associated with pinyon-juniper woodland, juniper woodland, and chamise-redshank chaparral habitats at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 6,500 feet (600–2,000 m) amsl. Gray vireos prefer to nest on shrubby slopes with sparse to moderate cover and scattered small trees. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are no CNDDB occurrences of this species in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the CVMSHCP gray vireo distribution model overlaps with the Planning Area. Juniper woodland in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of suitable habitat and the overlapping distribution model result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) The Least Bell’s vireo is both federally and state listed as endangered. This species is a rare, local, summer resident below 2,000 feet (600 m). Least Bell’s vireos are mostly known from San Benito and Monterey counties, coastal Southern California, and along the western edges of deserts. This species is typically found in dense valley foothill riparian or desert riparian habitats, or in canyon bottoms. Nests are built in willows or other low, dense vegetation. This species is usually found near water, but also inhabits thickets along dry, intermittent streams. Common plant associates include willow, cottonwood, mule fat (Baccharis salicifolia), wild blackberry (Rubus spp.), and mesquite. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are no CNDDB occurrences of this species in the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the CVMSHCP least Bell’s vireo distribution model overlaps with the Planning Area. Juniper woodland in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Thus, the presence of suitable habitat and the overlapping distribution model result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) The vermilion flycatcher is a California species of special concern. This species is a rare yearlong resident in desert riparian habitats throughout central Southern California. This species is typically associated with riparian thickets adjacent to open, mesic habitats such as irrigated fields, ditches, sloughs, or ponds. This species nests and roosts in willows, cottonwoods, mesquite, or other trees and large shrubs. There is one record of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) The crissal thrasher is a California species of special concern. This species is a resident and breeder in the southeastern deserts of California. This species is typically associated with dense thickets of shrubs or low trees in desert wash and desert riparian habitats. In the eastern Mojave, it also occurs in dense sagebrush along washes within pinyon-juniper habitats at elevations up to 5,900 feet (1,800 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-24 m) amsl. Breeding usually occurs along streams and washes in thickets of mesquite, ironwood, catclaw acacia, and willow. This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There is one record of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of two occurrences within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert dry wash woodland and fan palm oases in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Le Conte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei) The Le Conte’s thrasher is a California species of special concern. This species is a nonmigratory bird endemic to California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Mexico. They occur primarily in open desert wash, desert scrub, alkali desert scrub, Joshua tree, and desert succulent shrub habitats. Le Conte’s thrashers prefer to nest in thorny shrubs and small desert trees such as pricklypear, saltbush (Atriplex spp.), and yuccas (including small Joshua trees) and mesquites (Prosopis spp.). The elevation range for this species extends from 267 feet (81 m) bmsl in Inyo County to 4,950 feet (1,500 m) amsl or higher in the Mojave Desert (Weigand and Fitton 2008). This species is covered under the CVMSHCP. There are two records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area and a total of five occurrences within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Desert dry wash woodland and scrub communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. San Diego Desert Woodrat (Neotoma lepida intermedia) The San Diego desert woodrat is a California species of special concern. This species is common in most desert habitats throughout Southern California. This species is typically associated with Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, and various chaparral habitats at elevations up to 8,500 feet (2,600 m) amsl. Woodrats prefer moderate to dense shrub canopies and rocky outcrops, cliffs, and slopes. Woodrat houses are often built against a rock crevice, at the base of creosote or cactus, or in low tree branches, and are constructed with twigs, rocks, and other plant parts. There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there are a total of six occurrences within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Juniper woodland communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Pocketed Free-Tailed Bat (Nyctinomops femerosaccus) The pocketed free-tailed bat is a California species of special concern and rare year-round resident in Southern California from Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial counties south to the Mexican border. This species is typically associated with pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert scrub, desert succulent scrub, desert riparian, desert wash, alkali desert scrub, Joshua tree, and palm oasis habitats. Pocketed free-tailed bats prefer rocky desert areas with high cliffs or rock outcrops. They nest and roost in rock crevices, caverns, or buildings. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-25 There are no records of this species within 1 mile of the Planning Area; however, there is one occurrence within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d). Juniper woodland, desert scrub, and desert riparian communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. The presence of nearby occurrences and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Big Free-Tailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) The big free-tailed bat is a California species of special concern and rare year-round resident in California, New Mexico, southern Arizona, and Texas. This species is typically associated with rugged, rocky canyons at elevations up to 8,000 feet (2,500 m) amsl. This species has been documented in urban areas. Very little is known about this species, but it is thought that big free- tailed bats do not breed in California. There are no records of this species within a 5-mile radius of the Planning Area; however, there is one record in the vicinity of Palm Springs at the western edge of the Coachella Valley (CDFW 2014d). Due to a lack of information about this species, it is difficult to determine its potential presence or absence. The presence of a nearby record and the presence of suitable habitat result in the potential for this species to occur in the Planning Area. Los Angeles Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris brevinasus) The Los Angeles pocket mouse is a California species of special concern. This species is found in the vicinity of the San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles pocket mouse is known from various vegetative communities, including alluvial sage scrub, coastal sage scrub, and grasslands. The easternmost record of this species is a CNDDB occurrence in the Santa Rosa Mountains within the Planning Area (CDFW 2014d); however, the sampled species may be the Palm Springs pocket mouse (Bolster 1998). The desert scrub communities in the Planning Area may provide suitable habitat for this species. Sensitive Natural Communities One habitat (desert fan palm oasis) in the Planning Area was identified in the CNDDB query as a locally sensitive terrestrial natural community. In the Planning Area, this community occurs in discrete patches associated with springs or other perennial water sources in the canyons of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. Most of the palm oases are located in areas where development threats are low, either because the oases occur in isolated canyons or are surrounded by protected land. Waters of the United States and State Jurisdictional waters of the state and United States, along with isolated wetlands, provide a variety of functions for plants and wildlife. Wetlands and other water features provide habitat, foraging, cover, and migration and movement corridors for both special-status and common species. In addition to habitat functions, these features provide physical conveyance of surface water flows capable of handling large stormwater events. Large storms can produce extreme flows that cause bank cutting and sedimentation of open waters and streams. Jurisdictional waters can slow these flows and lessen the effects of these large storm events, protecting habitat and other resources. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-26 Waters in the Planning Area include the Whitewater River, which runs west to east through the center of Palm Desert and eventually flows out of the Planning Area and into the Salton Sea. All other waterways in the Planning Area lie south of the Whitewater River and drain the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. Waterways in the Planning Area include Palm Valley Stormwater Channel, Ramon Creek, Cat Creek, Dead Indian Creek, Ebbens Creek, Grapevine Creek, and Carrizo Creek. Data obtained from the CDFW indicates that numerous ephemeral dry washes occur in the hills and mountains of the Planning Area. In addition, scattered springs and seeps occur throughout the Planning Area. Wildlife Movement Corridors Wildlife corridors refer to established migration routes commonly used by resident and migratory species for passage from one geographic location to another. Corridors are present in a variety of habitats and link otherwise fragmented acres of undisturbed area. Maintaining the continuity of established wildlife corridors is important to (a) sustain species with specific foraging requirements, (b) preserve a species’ distribution potential, and (c) retain diversity among many wildlife populations. Therefore, resource agencies consider wildlife corridors to be a sensitive resource. Several portions of the Planning Area, including the undeveloped mountainous areas and desert washes, could facilitate regional wildlife movement. Available data on movement corridors and linkages was accessed via the CDFW BIOS 5 Viewer (2014d). Data reviewed included the Essential Connectivity Areas [ds623] layer and the Missing Linkages in California [ds420] layer. The mountainous southern Planning Area is located in an Essential Connectivity Area. In addition, the Missing Linkages layer shows that the Planning Area overlaps with linkages for bighorn sheep, desert tortoise, fringe-toed lizard, various birds, and large mammals such as deer, bears, and mountain lions. In addition, the CVMSHCP Biological Corridors and Linkages GIS data was reviewed to determine whether the Planning Area is located in an identified wildlife corridor. The Planning Area is not located in a CVMSHCP identified corridor. Protected Lands The majority of the southern Planning Area is part of the CVMSHCP Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Conservation Area (Figure 5.3). This conservation area encompasses the desert slopes of the two mountain ranges and conserves habitat for several special-status species that are known to occur in the area, including, but not limited to, Peninsular bighorn sheep, desert tortoise, and riparian birds. The Thousand Palms Conservation Area is immediately north of the Planning Area. Several existing state and federal conservation lands are within the Planning Area (Figure 5.4). The majority of the southern Planning Area is conserved land. Protected areas include the Santa Rosa Mountains Wilderness, which is within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, both managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The CDFW manages the Carrizo Canyon Ecological Reserve, and the Deep Canyon Desert Research Center is owned by the University of California. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-27 FIGURE 5. 3: CVMSHCP CONSERVATION AREA City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-28 FIGURE 5. 4: FEDERAL AND STATE EXISTING CONSERVATION LANDS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-29 5.3 Regulatory Setting This section details the federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies that pertain to biological resources in the city and its SOI. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended, provides protective measures for federally listed threatened and endangered species, including their habitats, from unlawful take (16 United States Code (USC) Sections 1531–1544). The ESA defines “take” to mean “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” Title 50, Part 222, of the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR Section 222) further defines “harm” to include “an act which actually kills or injures fish or wildlife. Such an act may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures fish or wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns including feeding, spawning, rearing, migrating, feeding, or sheltering.” Clean Water Act The basis of the Clean Water Act (CWA) was established in 1948; however, it was referred to as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The act was reorganized and expanded in 1972 (33 USC Section 1251), and at this time the Clean Water Act became the act’s commonly used name. The basis of the CWA is the regulation of pollutant discharges into waters of the United States, as well as the establishment of surface water quality standards. Migratory Bird Treaty Act Migratory birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 (16 USC Sections 703–711). The MBTA makes it unlawful to take, possess, buy, sell, purchase, or barter any migratory bird listed in 50 CFR Section 10, including feathers or other parts, nests, eggs, or products, except as allowed by implementing regulations (50 CFR Section 21). The majority of birds found in the project vicinity would be protected under the MBTA. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act The bald eagle and golden eagle are federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 USC Sections 668–668c). Under the act, it is illegal to take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell or purchase or barter, transport, export, or import at any time or in any manner a bald or golden eagle, alive or dead; or any part, nest or egg of these eagles unless authorized by the Secretary of the Interior. Violations are subject to fines and/or imprisonment for up to one year. Active nest sites are also protected from disturbance during the breeding season. Executive Order 13112 – Invasive Species This executive order directs all federal agencies to refrain from authorizing, funding, or carrying out actions or projects that may spread invasive species. The order further directs federal agencies to prevent the introduction of invasive species, control and monitor existing invasive species populations, restore native species to invaded ecosystems, research and develop prevention and City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-30 control methods for invasive species, and promote public education on invasive species. As part of the proposed action, the USFWS and the US Army Corps of Engineers would issue permits and therefore would be responsible for ensuring that the proposed action complies with Executive Order 13112 and does not contribute to the spread of invasive species. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws California Endangered Species Act Under CESA, the CDFW has the responsibility for maintaining a list of endangered and threatened species (FGC Section 2070). The CDFW also maintains a list of candidate species, which are species formally noticed as being under review for potential addition to the list of endangered or threatened species, and a list of species of special concern, which serve as a species watch lists. Pursuant to the requirements of the CESA, an agency reviewing a proposed project within its jurisdiction must determine whether any state-listed endangered or threatened species may be present and determine whether the proposed project will have a potentially significant impact on such species. In addition, the CDFW encourages informal consultation on any proposed project that may impact a candidate species. State-listed species are fully protected under the mandates of the CESA. Take of protected species incidental to otherwise lawful management activities may be authorized under FGC Section 206.591. Authorization from the CDFW would be in the form of an incidental take permit. California Fish and Game Code Streambed Alteration Agreement (FGC Sections 1600–1607) State and local public agencies are subject to FGC Section 1602, which governs construction activities that will substantially divert or obstruct the natural flow or substantially change the bed, channel, or bank of any river, stream, or lake designated as waters of the state by the CDFW. Under FGC Section 1602, a discretionary Streambed Alteration Agreement must be issued by the CDFW to the project proponent prior to the initiation of construction activities within lands under CDFW jurisdiction. As a general rule, this requirement applies to any work undertaken within the 100-year floodplain of a stream or river containing fish or wildlife resources. Native Plant Protection Act The Native Plant Protection Act (FGC Sections 1900–1913) prohibits the taking, possessing, or sale within the state of any plants with a state designation of rare, threatened, or endangered (as defined by the CDFW). An exception in the act allows landowners, under specified circumstances, to take listed plant species, provided that the owners first notify the CDFW and give that state agency at least 10 days to retrieve the plants before they are plowed under or otherwise destroyed (FGC Section 1913). Birds of Prey Under FGC Section 3503.5, it is unlawful to take, possess, or destroy any birds in the orders Falconiformes or Strigiformes (birds of prey) or to take, possess, or destroy the nest or eggs of any such bird except as otherwise provided by this code or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-31 Fully Protected Species California statutes also afford “fully protected” status to a number of specifically identified birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. These species cannot be taken, even with an incidental take permit. FGC Section 3505 makes it unlawful to take “any aigrette or egret, osprey, bird of paradise, goura, numidi, or any part of such a bird.” FGC Section 3511 protects from take the following fully protected birds: (a) American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum); (b) brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis); (c) California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus); (d) California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus); (e) California condor (Gymnogyps californianus); (f) California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni); (g) golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); (h) greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida); (i) light-footed clapper rail (Rallus longirostris levipes); (j) southern bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus); (k) trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator); (l) white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus); and (m) Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis). FGC Section 4700 identifies the following fully protected mammals that cannot be taken: (a) Morro Bay kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni morroensis); (b) bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), except Nelson bighorn sheep (subspecies Ovis canadensis nelsoni); (c) Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi); (d) ring-tailed cat (genus Bassariscus); (e) Pacific right whale (Eubalaena sieboldi); (f) salt-marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris); (g) southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis); and (h) wolverine (Gulo gulo). FGC Section 5050 protects from take the following fully protected reptiles and amphibians: (a) blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Crotaphytus wislizenii silus); (b) San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia); (c) Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum); (d) limestone salamander (Hydromantes brunus); and (e) black toad (Bufo boreas exsul). FGC Section 5515 identifies certain fully protected fish that cannot lawfully be taken, even with an incidental take permit. The following species are protected in this fashion: (a) Colorado River squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius); (b) thicktail chub (Gila crassicauda); (c) Mohave chub (Gila mohavensis); (d) Lost River sucker (Catostomus luxatus); (e) Modoc sucker (Catostomus microps); (f) shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris); (g) humpback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus); (h) Owens River pupfish (Cyprinoden radiosus); (i) unarmored threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni); and (j) rough sculpin (Cottus asperrimus). California Planning and Zoning Requirements (California Government Code Section 65302) The California Government Code establishes the authority for and scope of general plans prepared by local jurisdictions in California. This includes requirements for local jurisdictions to include specific elements and address certain issues associated with local land use decisions within a general plan. Biological resources are typically addressed within the biological resources or conservation and open space elements of a general plan to ensure adequate protection or enhancement of biological resources in the context of development patterns and intensities and the natural qualities of a community. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-32 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act of 1966 (California Water Code Section 13000 et seq.; CCR Title 23, Chapter 3, Subchapter 15) is the primary state regulation that addresses water quality. The requirements of the act are implemented by the State Water Resources Control Board at the state level and by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) at the local level. The RWQCB carries out planning, permitting, and enforcement activities related to water quality in California. The act provides for waste discharge requirements and a permitting system for discharges to land or water. Certification is required by the RWQCB for activities that can affect water quality. Clean Water Act, Section 401 Water Quality Certification CWA Section 401 (33 USC Section 1341) requires that any applicant for a federal license or permit, which may result in a pollutant discharge to waters of the United States, obtain a certification that the discharge will comply with EPA water quality standards. The state or tribal agency responsible for issuance of the Section 401 certification may also require compliance with additional effluent limitations and water quality standards set forth in state/tribal laws. In California, the RWQCB is the primary regulatory authority for CWA Section 401 requirements. Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Coachella Valley Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan The CVMSHCP protects 240,000 acres of open space and covers 27 special-status species of plants and animals. It also strives to safeguard significant habitat linkages and wildlife corridors. The City of Palm Desert is a signatory to the CVMSHCP. Other participants include Riverside County and the cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, as well as the Coachella Valley Water District, Imperial Irrigation District, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The plan received its state and federal permits in fall of 2008. Several species that are known to occur or have the potential to occur in the Planning Area are covered under the CVMSHCP. City of Palm Desert General Plan The existing City of Palm Desert General Plan was adopted on March 15, 2004. Policies that relate to natural resources are included in the Biological Resources Element of the General Plan Environmental Resources Element Chapter. Policies include protection of sensitive plants and wildlife, preservation and enhancement of open space areas, and establishment of migratory corridors. The following goals and policies relate to biological resources: Goal 1 Protection and preservation of City, Planning Area and regional biological resources, especially sensitive, rare, threatened or endangered species of plants and wildlife and their habitats. Goal 2 A pattern of community development that comprises a functional and harmonious relationship between nature and the built environment, and the local economy. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-33 Policy 1. The City shall establish an information database and mapping system of sensitive plants, animals and habitats occurring within the General Plan study area, which shall be accurately and regularly updated. Program 1.A. The City shall utilize project-specific, local and regional biological resource studies to periodically update the General Plan and related environmental data to maintain an accurate, effective and accessible information resource on sensitive plants, animals and habitats located in the Planning Area. Program 1.B. The City shall coordinate with local research institutions and conservancy groups, and shall share information from project studies and other data collection and research efforts. The City shall periodically consult with these groups and institutions to assure accurate and up-to-date information on the condition of sensitive biological resources in the Planning Area. Policy 2. The City shall proactively monitor the conversion of open lands to urban uses by reviewing all development proposals on vacant land to determine their potential to adversely impact sensitive plants, animals and habitats, and to assure minimal impacts on habitats and wildlife. Program 2.A. As part of the development review process, the City shall conduct a thorough assessment of impacts to habitat and/or wildlife occurring on or in the vicinity, and shall, where warranted, require the preparation of detailed biological resource surveys and mitigation programs. Policy 3. The City shall be an active supporter of and shall provide leadership and participate in regional efforts to evaluate and protect sensitive plants and wildlife, including suitable habitat for rare and endangered species occurring in the City, Planning Area and region. Program 3.A. The City shall establish and maintain a broad range of contacts with local, county, state and federal agencies, as well as educational institutions and private non-profit groups, and cooperate in efforts to maintain and broaden habitat conservation, especially that essential for the preservation of endangered species. Program 3.B. The City shall continue to participate and be a pro-active partner in the development and implementation of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan with a particular focus on habitat located in the blow sand corridor and the Santa Rosa and Little San Bernardino Mountains. Program 3.C. In advance of the adoption of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, the City shall participate in the interim project review process established by CVAG, as necessary, to evaluate the potential effect of development proposals on regional biological resources. Policy 4. To the greatest extent practical, the City shall encourage and in some instances may require developers to salvage native vegetation occurring on proposed development sites for incorporation into project landscaping or shall transplant viable trees and shrubs to other development sites. Program 4.A. The City shall develop and make available information on salvaging and transplanting cacti, shrubs and other appropriate native vegetation, and shall provide a list of qualified arborists as part of a program to preserve and extend the native plant community throughout the City. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-34 Program 4.B. Integral with efforts to facilitate preservation and incorporation of native vegetation in new development, the City shall prepare and maintain a comprehensive list of plant materials, which shall include native and non-native, drought tolerant trees, shrubs and groundcover that complement the local environment, provide habitat for local wildlife, and extend the desert environs into the built environment. A list of prohibited plant materials shall also be prepared. Policy 5. The City shall encourage and cooperate in the establishment of multiple use corridors that use drainage channels and utility easements to provide wildlife corridors and public access interconnections between open space areas in the community and vicinity. Program 5.A. The City shall consult and coordinate with the Coachella Valley Water District, Riverside County Flood Control District, Southern California Edison and other appropriate public and quasi-public agencies to encourage the establishment of a system of multiple use corridors for movement of people and wildlife between open space areas. Policy 6. The City shall pro-actively encourage and promote an understanding and appreciation of sensitive biological resources and the value of their thoughtful integration in the built and natural environment. Program 6.A. The City shall continue to develop and promote a comprehensive education program designed to make the public more aware of city and valley biological resources. In this effort, the City shall solicit the aid of the Desert Sands and Palm Springs Unified School Districts, the Living Desert and similar educational program providers. Relevant public education information shall also be developed for distribution by Animal Control staff. City of Palm Desert Municipal Code Title 24 Environment and Conservation The purpose of Title 24 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code is to ensure the future health, safety, and general welfare of citizens of the city and the physical environment of the community. Chapter 24.20, Stormwater Management and Discharge Control, strives to protect and enhance the quality of watercourses, water bodies, groundwater, and wetlands in the city in a manner consistent with the CWA. Chapter 24.12 addresses control of fugitive dust and other particulate matter. Nongovernmental Organizations California Native Plant Society The CNPS is a nongovernmental agency that classifies native plant species according to current population distribution and threat level in regard to extinction. These data are used by the CNPS to create and maintain a list of native California plants that have low numbers, limited distribution, or are otherwise threatened with extinction. This information is published in the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California (CNPS 2014). Potential impacts to populations of CNPS-listed plants receive consideration under CEQA. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-35 The following identifies the definitions of the CNPS listings: List 1A: Plants believed to be extinct List 1B: Plants that are rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere List 2: Plants that are rare, threatened, or endangered in California, but are more numerous elsewhere All of the plant species on List 1 and 2 meet the requirements of the Native Plant Protection Act Section 1901, Chapter 10, or FGC Section 2062 and Section 2067 and are eligible for state listing. Plants appearing on List 1 or 2 are considered to meet the criteria of CEQA Section 15380, and effects on these species are considered “significant.” Plants on List 3 (plants about which more information is needed, and/or List 4 (plants of limited distribution), as defined by the CNPS, are not currently protected under state or federal law. 5.4 References Bates, C. 2006. “Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia).” In The Draft Desert Bird Conservation Plan: a strategy for reversing the decline of desert-associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight. Bolster, B. C., ed. 1998. Terrestrial Mammal Species of Special Concern in California. Draft Final Report prepared by P. V. Brylski, P. W. Collins, E. D. Pierson, W. E. Rainey, and T. E. Kucera. Report submitted to California Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Management Division, Nongame Bird and Mammal Conservation Program for Contract No.FG3146WM. CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife). 2014a. California Natural Diversity Database QuickView Tool in BIOS 5. Sacramento: CDFW Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed July 2014. https://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb/mapsanddata.asp. ———2014b. A Guide to Wildlife Habitats of California (online edition). Sacramento: CDFW Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed July 2014. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cwhr/wildlife_habitats.asp. ———2014c. California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System Life History Accounts and Range Maps (online edition). Sacramento: CDFW Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed February 26. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cwhr/cawildlife.aspx. ———2014d.Biogeographic Information & Observation System. Sacramento: CDFW Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed July 2014. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/bios/. City of Palm Desert. 2004. City of Palm Desert Comprehensive General Plan. CNPS (California Native Plant Society). 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-01a). Sacramento: CNPS. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2014. All About Birds. Accessed July 2014. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=1189. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-36 CVMSHCP (Coachella Valley Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan). 2007. http://www.cvmshcp.org. Species models available at: http://www.cvmshcp.org/GIS_Data.htm Goudey, Charles B., and Scott R. Miles. 1998. Ecological Subregions of California: Section & Subsection Descriptions. Major contributions by Earl B. Alexander and John O. Sawyer. UDSA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region. Hamilton, W. J. 2004. “Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor).” In The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan: A strategy for reversing the decline of riparian-associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight. Holland, Robert F. 1986. Preliminary Descriptions of the Terrestrial Natural Communities of California. Sacramento: California Department of Fish and Game Resources Agency. McNab, W. H., D. T. Cleland, J. A. Freeouf, J. E. Keys Jr., G. J. Nowacki, and C. A. Carpenter, comps. 2007. Description of ecological subregions: sections of the conterminous United States. General Technical Report WO-76B. Washington, DC: USDA, Forest Service. Nafis, Gary. California Herps: A Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of California. Accessed July 2014. http://www.californiaherps.com/. Penrod, K., P. Beier, E. Garding, and C. Cabañero. 2012. A Linkage Network for the California Deserts. Produced for the Bureau of Land Management and The Wildlands Conservancy. Produced by Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair Oaks, CA (www.scwildlands.org) and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/). Ricketts, M., and B. Kus. 2000. Yellow-Breasted Chat (Icteria virens). In The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan: a strategy for reversing the decline of riparian-associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight. http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/riparian_v-2.html. Shuford, W. D., and Gardali, T., eds. 2008. California Bird Species of Special Concern: A ranked assessment of species, subspecies, and distinct populations of birds of immediate conservation in California. Studies of Western Birds 1. Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, CA, and California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento. USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service). 2002. Final Recovery Plan Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empinodax traillii extimus). Albuquerque, NM: USFWS. ———2010a. Desert Pupfish 5-Year Review. Phoenix, AZ: USFWS. ———2010b. Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard 5-Year Review. Carlsbad, CA: USFWS. ———2011a. Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Sacramento: USFWS. ———2011b. Peninsular Bighorned Sheep 5-Year Review. Carlsbad, CA: USFWS. ———2013. Recovery Outline for Casey’s June Beetle. Carlsbad, CA: USFWS. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-37 ———2014a. Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPaC). USFWS. Accessed July 2014. ———2014b. Critical Habitat Portal. Accessed July 2014. ———2014c. Desert Slender Salamander 5-Year Review. Carlsbad, CA: USFWS. Weigand, J., and S. Fitton. 2008. Le Conte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). In The Draft Desert Bird Conservation Plan: a strategy for reversing the decline of desert-associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight. Winter, K., and L. Hargrove. 2004. Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior). In The Coastal Scrub and Chaparral Bird Conservation Plan: a strategy for protecting and managing coastal scrub and chaparral habitats and associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight. http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/scrub.html. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 5-38 This Page is Intentionally Left Blank City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐1  6. Cultural Resources 6.1 Introduction The city of Palm Desert is proud of its efforts to preserve specific areas and buildings within the city that reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political, architectural, and archaeological history. Cultural resources include both pre-historic (archaeological) resources and historic resources. This section describes the existing cultural resources within Palm Desert and the key cultural resource issues to be considered in the Palm Desert General Plan Update. 6.2 Environmental Setting Prehistoric Overview California prehistory is commonly divided into three broad temporal periods. These include the Paleo-Indian Period (ca. 10,000–6000 B.C.), Archaic Period (6000 B.C.–A.D. 500), and Emergent Period (A.D. 500–Historic Contact) (Fredrickson 1973, 1974, 1994; Schaefer 1994). The Archaic is divided further into Lower (6000–3000 B.C.), Middle (3000–1000 B.C.), and Upper (1000 B.C.–A.D. 500) periods, generally governed by climatic and environmental variables, such as the drying of pluvial lakes at the transition from the Paleo-Indian to the Lower Archaic. Palm Desert lies in what generally is described as the Colorado Desert region (Schaefer and Laylander 2007:247). Though it shares similarities with the adjacent Mojave and Sonoran deserts, the Colorado Desert possesses a unique and distinct natural and cultural history (Schaefer and Laylander 2007:247). This part of the Colorado Desert is the Coachella Valley, which is situated within the Salton Trough, a basin created by an underlying tectonic plate boundary (Barker 1995). Although now an arid region, a series of lakes collectively referred to as Lake Cahuilla (Lake LeConte, Blake’s Sea) covered much of the Salton Trough throughout the Holocene. Lake Cahuilla was formed by the western diversion of the Colorado River into the Salton Trough when natural sediment barriers blocked the river’s flow south to the Gulf of California. After at least three episodes of infilling and recession between A.D. 1200 and the late 1600s, Lake Cahuilla is believed to have receded for the last time around A.D. 1580, with a brief inundation in the late 1600s (Buckles and Krantz 2005; Laylander 1995; Schaefer and Laylander 2007; Waters 1983). Paleo-Indian Period (ca. 10,000-6,000 B.C.) In contrast to the dry climate of today, California’s desert regions during the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene contained a series of large, pluvial lakes. Archaeological evidence suggests that early Holocene hunter-gathers of the desert region were well adapted to the wetland environments supported by these lakes. Sites were typically located on or near the shores of former pluvial lakes City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐2  and marshes, and have artifact assemblages marked by their diversity of flaked-stone artifacts. Such sites, however, have not been documented for the Colorado Desert region, including for the nearly 10,000-year-old pluvial shoreline of Lake Cahuilla (Moratto 1984:96; Schaefer and Laylander 2007:247). The San Dieguito Complex is a well-defined cultural pattern of the Paleo-Indian Period in the California desert region. Leaf-shaped points and knives, crescents, and scrapers characterize the artifact assemblages throughout the region. Early Archaic Period (6,000-2,000 B.C.) As the pluvial conditions of the Pleistocene transitioned to the more arid Holocene climate, many of the lakes and wetlands present during the Paleo-Indian Period began to dry up. Desert populations appear to have adapted to these more arid conditions by withdrawing to the margins of the desert or concentrating around the few oases still present within it (Warren 1984:413-414). Evidence from the Mojave Desert and western Great Basin sites suggests that most Early Archaic sites were temporary, seasonal camps of small, highly mobile groups. Slab metates and hand stones (used to process hard seeds), shaped scrapers, and the Pinto-style projectile point characterize the artifact assemblages of the Pinto Basin Complex. In the Colorado Desert, the Indian Hill rockshelter is recognized as one of the best understood Archaic Period sites, with occupation extending back more than 4,000 years (Schaefer and Laylander 2007:247). Late Archaic Period (2,000 B.C.- A.D. 500) The onset of the Late Archaic coincides with the beginning of the Little Pluvial, a brief period of moister climatic conditions. By the second half of the Late Archaic, arid conditions returned. Desert peoples appear to have been well adapted to these conditions by this time, however. Late Archaic sites are characterized by a wider range of diagnostic projectile points, such as the Gypsum and Elko types, as well as split-twig figurines, the latter typically preserved in caves (Warren 1984:416–417). Hand stones and metates continued to be employed but were supplemented by the introduction of mortars and pestles during this period. The bow and arrow also appear to have been introduced near the end of this period. In addition, this period is marked by an increased presence of exotic trade goods, including shell ornaments from the Pacific coast. Late Prehistoric Period (A.D. 500- Historic Contact) The period from the end of the Archaic Period to European contact was a time of complex and ongoing change in material culture, burial practices, and subsistence focus. These changes most likely reflect both cultural influences from outside the region and in situ cultural adaptations in response to shifts in environmental conditions. The Late Prehistoric, commonly called the Patayan Period in the Colorado Desert, is identified by the introduction of pottery and marked by stronger regional differentiation. In addition to ceramics, cremation first appears in the archaeological record in the Colorado Desert at this time. In general, projectile points are smaller and triangular in shape. Regional differentiation in the distribution of projectile point and pottery types was due, in part, to trade and influences of neighboring cultures in the Lower Colorado River and Great Basin. Such influence includes the major migration into southern California of Takic-speaking people (Uto- Aztecan language group) from the Great Basin region (Nevada, Utah, and eastern California) (Warren 1968). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐3  Ethnographic Overview The city of Palm Desert is situated within a region historically occupied by a Native American group known as the Cahuilla (Kroeber 1925). The Cahuilla, like their neighbors to west, the Luiseño and Juaneño, and the Cupeño to the south, are speakers of a Cupan language. Cupan languages are part of the Takic linguistic subfamily of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is thought that the Cahuilla migrated to southern California approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, most likely from the southern Sierra Nevada mountain ranges of east-central California with other Takic speaking social groups (Moratto 1984:559). Traditional Cahuilla ethnographic territory extended west to east from the present-day city of Riverside to the central portion of the Salton Sea in the Colorado Desert, and south to north from the San Jacinto Valley to the San Bernardino Mountains. Cahuilla villages were usually located in canyons or on alluvial fans near a source of accessible water. Each lineage group maintained their own houses (kish) and granaries, and constructed ramadas for work and cooking. Sweat houses, song houses, and a ceremonial house were also often present. Houses and ancillary structures were often spaced apart, and a “village” could extend over a mile or two. Each lineage had ownership rights to various resource collecting locations (Bean 1990:2). The Cahuilla hunted a variety of game, including mountain sheep, cottontail, jackrabbit, mice, and wood rats, as well as predators such as mountain lion, coyote, wolf, bobcat, and fox. Various birds were also consumed, including quail, duck, and dove, plus various types of reptiles, amphibians, and insects. A wide variety of tools and implements were employed by the Cahuilla to collect, and process food resources. For the hunt, these included the bow and arrow, traps, nets, slings and blinds for hunting land mammals and birds, and nets for fishing. Foodstuffs were processed using a variety of tools, including mortars and pestles, basket hopper mortars, manos and metates, bedrock grinding slicks, hammerstones and anvils, and many others. Pottery vessels and baskets were made and also traded from the Yuman-speaking groups across the Colorado River and to the south. The Cahuilla had also adopted limited agricultural practices by the time Euro-Americans traveled into their territory (Bean 1978). By 1819, several Spanish mission outposts, known as assistencias, were established near Cahuilla territory at San Bernardino and San Jacinto. By the 1820s European interaction increased as mission ranchos were established in the region and local Cahuilla were employed to work on them. The Bradshaw Trail was established in 1862 and was the first major east-west stage and freight route through the Coachella Valley. Traversing the San Gorgonio Pass, the trail connected gold mines on the Colorado River with the coast. Bradshaw based his trail on the Cocomaricopa trail, with maps and guidance provided by local Native Americans. Today, Highway 111 closely follows the route of the Bradshaw Trail. The continued influx of immigrants into the region introduced the Cahuilla to European diseases. By 1891, only 1,160 Cahuilla remained within what was left of their territory, down from an original population of 6,000–10,000 (Bean 1978:583-584). By 1974, approximately 900 people claimed Cahuilla descent, most of whom resided on reservations. Between 1875 and 1891, the United States established ten reservations for the Cahuilla within their traditional territory. These reservations include: Agua Caliente, Augustine, Cabazon, Cahuilla, Los Coyotes, Morongo, Ramona, Santa Rosa, Soboba, and Torres-Martinez (Bean 1978:585). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐4  Historic Overview The post-Contact history of California is generally divided into three periods: the Spanish period (1769–1822), the Mexican period (1822–1848), and the American period (1848–present). Each of these periods is briefly described below. Spanish Period (1769-1822) Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 led the first European expedition to observe what is now called southern California. For more than 200 years, Cabrillo and other Spanish, Portuguese, British, and Russian explorers sailed the Alta (upper) California coast and made limited inland expeditions, but they did not establish permanent settlements (Bean 1968; Rolle 2003). In 1769, Gaspar de Portolá and Franciscan Father Junipero Serra established the first Spanish settlement in Alta California at Mission San Diego de Alcalá. This was the first of 21 missions erected by the Spanish between 1769 and 1823. The first recorded Spanish explorer to enter the Colorado Desert was Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Jesuit missionary, who reached the Colorado River in 1702. Later, in 1771, Friar Francisco Garcés made trips into the region following Kino’s route crossing the Colorado River from the east. Spanish soldier Juan Bautista de Anza led a 1774 expedition accompanied by Garcés that successfully crossed the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley (Gough 2012). Few early expeditions visited the Coachella Valley due to the lack of permanent water sources. Mexican Period (1822-1848) The Mexican period commenced when news of the success of the Mexican Revolution (1810-1821) against the Spanish crown reached California in 1822. This period was an era of extensive interior land grant development and exploration by American fur trappers west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The California missions declined in power and were ultimately secularized in 1834. The hallmark of this period was large ranchos deeded to prominent citizens, frequently soldiers, by successive Mexican governors. These ranchos became important economic and social centers; however, no ranchos were claimed in the arid Coachella Valley. The first recorded visit to the Coachella Valley by Europeans was the expedition of Captain Jose Romero and Jose Maria Estudillo in 1823, who were exploring the Cocomaricopa Trail as a potential mail route. However, it was deemed that the Yuma Trail through the Imperial Valley to the south was superior (Warren et al, 1981). American Period (1848-Present) The American Period officially began with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, in which the United States agreed to pay Mexico $15 million for the territory that included California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming. In the early American period, Imperial County remained largely unsettled, with the exception of some U.S. Calvary camps and forts scattered throughout the region to protect travelers from Native American hostilities. During the Gold Rush period beginning in 1848, an estimated 8,000 people traveled across the Colorado Desert en route to the California gold fields (Laflin 1998). Numerous roads and routes City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐5  were established for this purpose, including the Bradshaw Trail discussed above, and limited gold mining occurred within Riverside County. By 1853, the population of California exceeded 300,000. Thousands of settlers and immigrants continued to pour into the state, particularly after the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. During the 1870s and 1880s, development in some areas in the Coachella Valley increased thanks to the establishment of the Southern Pacific Rail Road line. Palm Desert and Palm Springs were settled as health resorts with limited agricultural development in other areas (Warren et al, 1981). Overall, the Coachella Valley experienced very little settlement in the nineteenth century, prior to the development of irrigation and improved roads through the area. During the 1910s, the Bradshaw Trail was improved into a county trail, and eventually into Highway 111 which led to further settlement of the valley. Palm Desert The city of Palm Desert was founded by Randall, Carl, Clifford, and Phil Henderson in the mid- 1940s. The Henderson brothers purchased 1,600 acres in hopes of establishing a winter resort for celebrities. They organized the Palm Desert Corporation, which developed real estate and promoted the town, and by 1947 had a high enough population to establish a post office. In 1951, the communities of Palm Village and Palm Desert merged to form the modern core of the city. In 1973, the city of Palm Desert was incorporated as the 17th city in Riverside County (city of Palm Desert 2014). Historic Resources California Historical Resources Information System A records search of the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) housed at the Eastern Information Center (EIC) at the University of California, Riverside was conducted to identify the number and characteristics of previously recorded cultural resources and previously conducted cultural resources work within Palm Desert. The records search identified a total of 53 recorded cultural resources within the city. Of these, 17 are historic, 35, are prehistoric, and 1 is multicomponent. Of these resources, none are listed in the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) or the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The records search indicated that a total of 50 cultural resource studies have been conducted within the city of Palm Desert with the earliest listed study conducted in 1973. Of these, only three were conducted in the last five years and are not considered out of date. According to information held at the EIC, approximately one-third of the city has been included in a cultural resource study, leaving at least two-thirds of the city unsurveyed for cultural resources (Figure 6-1). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐6  Figure 6-1: Areas Surveyed for Cultural Resources City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐7  Palm Desert Register The city of Palm Desert Cultural Resource Preservation Committee maintains the Palm Desert Register, a listing of historical landmarks within the city. A total of seven landmarks are located within the city limits (Table 6-1; Figure 6-2). TABLE 6‐1: PALM DESERT REGISTER LISTINGS  Name Description Location Historical Society of Palm Desert/Palm Desert Fire Station Ranch Vernacular-style building 72-861 El Paseo Shadow Mountain Golf Club First golf course in Palm Desert 73-800 Ironwood Portola Community Center First community library in Palm Desert 45-480 Portola Avenue Sandpiper Condominiums, Circles 11 & 12 Multi-family residential buildings El Paseo Palm Desert Community Church City of Palm Desert’s first community church 45-630 Portola Avenue Schindler House for Marion Toole Single-family residence 44-870 Cabrillo Avenue Randall Henderson House Single-family residence; Home of Randall Henderson, one of the founders of Palm Desert 74-135 Larrea Street City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐8  FIGURE 6‐2: PALM DESERT REGISTER LANDMARKS  City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐9  Historical Society of Palm Desert The Historical Society of Palm Desert (HSPD), a non-profit organization, supports the preservation of cultural resources and manages the HSPD museum. The HSPD puts out a newsletter to its members each season with articles discussing the history and heritage of Palm Desert and the surrounding area. The HSPD lists one historic building, the Desert Magazine Building, on their website as a historic landmark that is not included in the Palm Desert Register. 6.3 Regulatory Setting Federal The definition of a federal undertaking in 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 800.16(y) includes projects requiring a Federal permit, license or approval. Cultural resources are considered during federal undertakings chiefly under Section 106 of the NHPA of 1966 (as amended) through one of its implementing regulations, 36 CFR 800 (Protection of Historic Properties), as well as the NEPA. Properties of traditional religious and cultural importance to Native Americans are considered under Section 101(d)(6)(A) of the NHPA, and Section 106 36 CFR 800.3–800.10. Other federal laws include the Archaeological Data Preservation Act of 1974, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) of 1978, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1989, among others. Section 106 of the NHPA (16 United States Code [USC] 470f) requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on any district, site, building, structure, or object that is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and to afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) a reasonable opportunity to comment on such undertakings (36 CFR 800.1). Under Section 106, the significance of any adversely affected historic property is assessed and mitigation measures are proposed to reduce any impacts to an acceptable level. Historic properties are those significant cultural resources that are listed in or are eligible for listing in the NRHP per the criteria listed below (36 CFR 60.4): The quality of significance in American architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and that: (a) Are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or (b) Are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or (c) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of installation, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or (d) Have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐10  State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency determine whether a project may have a significant effect on historical resources (Public Resources Code [PRC], Section 21084.1). A historical resource is a resource listed in, or determined to be eligible for listing, in the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), a resource included in a local register of historical resources or any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manuscript that a lead agency determines to be historically significant (State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15064.5[a][1- 3]). A resource shall be considered historically significant if it meets any of the following criteria: 1) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage; 2) Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past; 3) Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values; or 4) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. In addition, if it can be demonstrated that a project will cause damage to a unique archaeological resource, the lead agency may require reasonable efforts be made to permit any or all of these resources to be preserved in place or left in an undisturbed state. To the extent that resources cannot be left undisturbed, mitigation measures are required (PRC, Section 21083.2[a], [b], and [c]). PRC, Section 21083.2(g) defines a unique archaeological resource as an archaeological artifact, object, or site about which it can be clearly demonstrated that, without merely adding to the current body of knowledge, there is a high probability that it meets any of the following criteria: 1) Contains information needed to answer important scientific research questions and that there is a demonstrable public interest in that information; 2) Has a special and particular quality such as being the oldest of its type or the best available example of its type; or 3) Is directly associated with a scientifically recognized important prehistoric or historic event or person. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐11  Local City of Palm Desert Ordinance No. 1168 established the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee (CRPC) and Palm Desert Register and provides for the identification and protection of cultural resources within the city of Palm Desert. The CPRC meets monthly to discuss matters relating to the identification, protection, restoration, and retention of cultural resources within the city. The CRPC aims to preserve resources that reflect the cultural, social, economic, political, architectural, and archaeological history of the city of Palm Desert. Its duties include advising the City Council on matters related to cultural resources, overseeing the Palm Desert Register, and assisting Palm Desert residents with restoring historic properties. The CRPC also works with the Historical Society of Palm Desert to sponsor events and educate the public on the heritage of the city. A resource may be designated as a city landmark and listed on the Palm Desert Register if it meets the following criteria: A. Is associated with an event or events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of history; or B. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in the past; or C. Embodies distinctive characteristics, or is one of the few remaining examples of a style, type, period, or method of construction or possesses high artistic value; or D. Represents the work of a master builder, designer, or architect; or E. Is an archaeological, paleontological, botanical, geological, topographical, ecological, or geographical resource that has yielded or has the potential to yield important information in history or prehistory; or F. Reflects distinctive examples of community planning or significant development patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, agriculture, or transportation. 6.4 References Barker, Charles 1995 Salton Trough Province. Electronic document, http://certmapper.cr.usgs.gov/data/noga95/prov16/text/prov16.pdf. Accessed July 21, 2014. Bean, Lowell J. 1978 Cahuilla. In California, edited by Robert F. Heizer, pp. 575–587. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1990 Ethnography of the Toro Canyon Cahuilla. Prepared for George Berkey & Associates, Inc. Cultural Systems Research, Inc., Menlo Park, California. Bean, Lowell J., and William B. Mason 1962 The Romero Expeditions, 1823-1826. Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA Bean, Walton 1968 California: An Interpretive History. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐12  Bedwell, S. F. 1970 Prehistory and Environment of the Pluvial Fork Rock Lake Area of South-Central Oregon. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene. Buckles, Joseph E., and Dr. Timothy Krantz 2005 Reconstruction of Prehistoric Shorelines for Cultural Restraints using GIS. Salton Sea Database Program, University of Redlands. Electronic document accessed August 3, 2012. Online at: http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc00/professional/papers/pap751/p7 51.htm. Engelhardt, Zephyrin, O.F.M. 1927a San Fernando Rey, the Mission of the Valley. Franciscan Herald Press, Chicago. 1927b San Gabriel Mission and the Beginning of Los Angeles. Mission San Gabriel, San Gabriel, California. Fredrickson, David A. 1973 Early Cultures of the North Coast Ranges, California. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis. 1974 Cultural Diversity in Early California: A View from the North Coast Ranges. Journal of California Anthropology 1(1):41–53. 1994 Spatial and Cultural Units in Central California Archaeology. In Toward a New Taxonomic Framework for Central California Archaeology: Essays by James A. Bennyhoff and David A. Fredrickson, edited by Richard E. Hughes, pp. 25–47. Contributions of the University of California Archaeological Research Facility, No. 52. Berkeley. Gough, Peter L. 2012 Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Historic Resource Study. National Park Service. Electronic document, http://www.nps.gov/juba/parkmgmt/upload/JUBA- Centennial-Strategy.pdf, accessed August 13, 2012. Kroeber, Alfred J. 1976 Handbook of the Indians of California. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. Originally published 1925, Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Laflin, Patricia B. 1998 Coachella Valley California: A Pictorial History. The Donning Company Publishers, Marceline, Missouri, U.S.A. Laylander, Don 1995 Chronology of Lake Cahuilla’s Final Stand. Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology 8:69-78. 2006 "The Regional Consequences of Lake Cahuilla". San Diego State University Occasional Archaeology Papers 1(59-77). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐13  Love, Bruce, and Mariam Dahdul. 2002 "Desert Chronologies and the Archaic Period in the Coachella Valley". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 38(1-2). Moratto, Michael J. 1984 California Archaeology. Academic Press, New York. Palm Desert, City of 2014 Historic Preservation in Palm Desert. Electronic document, file:///C:/Users/hhaas/Downloads/CRPC%20Booklet%202012%20(1).pdf. Accessed July 15, 2014. Rogers, Malcom J. 1929 Report on an archaeological reconnaissance in the Mojave sink region. San Diego Museum of Man Papers 1. 1945 An Outline of Yuman Prehistory. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 1(2):167-198. 1966 Ancient Hunters of the Far West. Union-Tribune, San Diego. Rolle, Andrew 2003 California: A History. Revised and expanded sixth edition. Harlan Davidson, Inc., Wheeling, Illinois. Schaefer, Jerry N.D. Prehistoric Native American Responses to Ancient Lake Cahuilla. Salton Sea Authority. Electronic Document, http://www.saltonsea.ca.gov/pdfs/hydrology/ancient_lake_cahuilla.pdf, accessed December 12, 2012. 1994 The Challenges of Archaeological Research in the Colorado Desert: Recent Approaches and Discoveries. Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 16(1): 60-80. Schaefer, Jerry and Don Laylander 2007 “The Colorado Desert: Ancient Adaptations to Wetlands and Wastelands.” In California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity, edited by Terry L. Jones and Kathryn A. Klar, pp. 247-257. AltaMira Press, Latham, Maryland. Warren, Claude N. 1967 The San Dieguito Complex: A Review and Hypothesis. American Antiquity 32(2):168–185. 1968 Cultural Tradition and Ecological Adaptation on the Southern California Coast. In Archaic Prehistory in the Western United States: Symposium of the Society for American Archaeology, Santa Fe, 1968. Eastern New Mexico University Contributions in Anthropology Vol. 1, No. 3. Portales, New Mexico. 1984 The Desert Region. In California Archaeology, Michael J. Moratto (author), pp. 339-430. New York: Academic Press. Warren, Elizabeth von Till, Robert H. Crabtree, Claude N. Warren, Martha Knack, and Richard McCarty 1981 A Cultural Resources Overview of the Colorado Desert Planning Units. U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 6‐14  Waters, Michael R. 1983 Late Holocene Lacustrine Chronology and Archaeology of Ancient Lake Cahuilla, California. Quaternary Research 19:373-387. This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-1 7. Geology and Soils 7.1 Introduction This section presents the environmental and regulatory settings for geology, soils, and seismic hazards in the city and SOI. This section refers to data from the California Geological Survey (CGS), California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the US Geological Survey (USGS), and previous environmental documents prepared for the City of Palm Desert. 7.2 Environmental Setting Geology Regional Geology The city of Palm Desert is located in the Coachella Valley on the northern end of the Salton Trough, a seismically created depression that extends from the San Gorgonio Mountains on the west to the Salton Sea on the east. The Salton Trough is a large geologic structure that extends into the Gulf of California. The trough is a geologically complex zone formed by the interaction of the San Andreas Fault system – which is slowly moving Southern California toward Alaska. The trough is subject to frequent and significant seismic activity. Coachella Valley is about 400 square miles in area and about 65 miles long and is bordered by a number of mountain ranges, including the Little San Bernardinos to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the southwest and west. In the last 10,000 years, the Salton Trough has often been inundated, resulting in the creation of lakes and inland seas, with the most recent occurrence in 1905, resulting in the current Salton Sea. Local Geology The majority of the city and SOI is underlain by Quaternary deposition consisting of surficial deposits (Qs), landslide deposits (Qls), alluvium (Q), non-marine sandstone, shale, and gravel deposits (Qpc); Mesozoic mixed rocks consisting of granite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, and quartz diorite (gr-m); Mesozoic plutonic rocks consisting of granite (grMz); and Paleozoic mixed rocks consisting of sedimentary rocks (m) (CGS 2014). (Figure 7.1) The California Department of Conservation (DOC) provides soil maps for the state of California by USGS quadrangle. The city and SOI lie within the Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Myoma, and Cathedral City 7.5’ quadrangles. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-2 Topography Elevations range from approximately 5,100 feet above mean sea level (AMSL) in the Santa Rosa Mountains, to a low of about 60 feet AMSL in the Bermuda Dunes. The city is primarily located on the desert floor, at an elevation of approximately 250 feet AMSL. Soils Wind Erosion Hazard Erosion is a normal and inevitable geologic process whereby earth materials are loosened, worn away, decomposed, or dissolved and are removed from one place and transported to another. Precipitation, running water, waves, and wind are all agents of erosion. Within the city and SOI, opportunities for accelerated erosion include the steepening of slopes, removing groundcover, and other human-induced activities associated with construction and landscaping. For example, hillside construction often requires land grading activities that can result in steeper slopes, which are more prone to soil erosion. Preparing land for construction can also remove ground cover, exposing soils to wind erosion. Accelerated erosion within an urban area can cause damage by undermining structures; blocking storm sewers; and depositing silt, sand, or mud in roads and tunnels. Eroded materials are eventually deposited into coastal waters where the carried silt remains suspended for some time, constituting a pollutant and altering the normal balance of plant and animal life. There are five physical factors that determine the distribution and intensity of wind-blown sand hazard in the Coachella Valley (County of Riverside 2000):  Orientation of hill and mountain masses: Mountains bordering the valley have their long axes aligned northwest-southeast and thus offer little resistance to the free flow of air down the long axis of the Coachella Valley. The narrow San Gorgonio Pass accelerates the wind, which improves its ability to pick up and transport sand.  Nature of the bedrock: Granitic and metamorphic rocks that comprise the local mountains readily weather to grain sizes that are easily transported by wind.  Location of the Whitewater River Floodplains: The Whitewater River is the main stream feeding the upper Coachella Valley. It drains much of the adjacent parts of the San Bernardino Mountains. During floods, large quantities of sand and gravel are deposited on the Whitewater floodplains, at the eastern end of San Gorgonio Pass, where wind velocities are the greatest.  Slope of the valley floor: From the summit of the San Gorgonio Pass (elevation about 1,200 feet) to the Salton Sea (below sea level), the valley floor slopes without interruption, thereby allowing air to move unhindered.  Climate: The Coachella Valley is a desert. Its sparse vegetation exposes surficial materials to wind. Precipitation in the adjacent mountains is often short and intense, leading to torrential runoff and considerable deposition on the valley floor. The sand dunes along I-10 and the Whitewater River are the two most significant sources of wind- blown sand in the study area. Figure 7.2 shows Wind Erosion Hazard Zones for the city. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-3 FIGURE 7.1: GEOLOGIC UNITS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-4 FIGURE 7.2: WIND EROSION HAZARD ZONES City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-5 Seismic Hazards The primary effects of seismic hazards are fault ground ruptures and ground shaking. Secondary seismic hazards include liquefaction, lateral spreading, differential settlement, landslide-induced earthquakes, subsidence, and slope instability. Each of these potential hazards is discussed below. Primary Hazards Seismic Ground Shaking Ground shaking (i.e., motion that occurs as a result of energy released during faulting) could potentially result in the damage or collapse of buildings and other structures, depending on the magnitude of the earthquake, the location of the epicenter, and the character and duration of the ground motion. The characteristics of the underlying soil and rock and, where structures exist, the building materials used and the workmanship of the structures are important details affecting the potential for damage due to seismic ground shaking. Earthquake magnitude is generally measured on a logarithmic scale known as the Richter scale. This scale describes a seismic event in terms of the amount of energy released by fault movement. Because the Richter scale expresses earthquake magnitude (M) in scientific terms, it is not readily understood by the general public. The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale describes the magnitude of an earthquake in terms of actual physical effects. Table 6-2 compares the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale to the Richter scale. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-1 FIGURE 7.3: NRCS SOILS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-2 TABLE 7.1: SOILS CHARACTERISTICS AND RATINGS NRCS Soils Name/ Map Unit Symbol Description Soil Grading1 Total Acres in Planning Area (City and SOI) Cajon loamy sand (CaD)  Slopes ranging from 5 to 15 percent  Drainage: Somewhat excessively drained  Permeability: Rapid  Clay percentage: 3.2 percent  Use and vegetation: Used mostly for range, watershed, and recreation. A few areas are irrigated and are used for growing alfalfa and other crops. Vegetation is mostly desert shrubs including creosotebush, saltbush, Mormon-tea, Joshua trees, some Indian ricegrass, annual grasses and forbs.  Farmland classification2: Not prime farmland Grade 3 (fair) 268 Carrizo stony sand (CcC)  Slopes ranging from 2 to 9 percent  Drainage: Excessively drained  Clay percentage: 2.5 percent  Use and vegetation: These soils are used for rangeland, recreation and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is creosote bush, burrobush, burrobrush, and range ratany.  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Grade 5 (very poor) 421 Carsitas gravelly sand (CdC and CdE) Carsitas cobbly sand (ChC)  Slopes ranging from 0 to 9 percent (CdC); 9 to 30 percent (CdE); and 2 to 9 percent (ChC)  Drainage: Excessively drained  Clay percentage: 2.5 percent  Use and vegetation: The soils are used for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. They are a source of sand and gravel for construction material. Vegetation is sparse creosote bush, burrobush, barrel cactus, mesquite, and paloverde. Where irrigation water is available, the soils are used for growing citrus and grapes.  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Grade 4 (poor) 2,970 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-3 NRCS Soils Name/ Map Unit Symbol Description Soil Grading1 Total Acres in Planning Area (City and SOI) Coachella fine sand (CpA) Coachella fine sandy loam (CsA)  Slopes ranging from 0 to 2 percent  Drainage: Well drained  Permeability: Moderately rapid  Clay percentage: 0.5 percent (CpA) and 5.4 percent (CsA)  Use and vegetation: Irrigated areas are in citrus, grapes, and vegetables. Uncultivated areas have a sparse cover of desert shrubs and weeds.  Farmland classification: Prime farmland, if irrigated. CpA - Grade 2 (good) CpB – Grade 3 (fair) 2,182 Fluvents (Fe)  Slopes ranging from 0 to 2 percent  Clay percentage: 10.9 percent  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland. Not applicable for Storie Index 99 Gilman fine sandy loam (GbA)  Slopes ranging from 0 to 3 percent  Drainage: Well drained  Permeability: Moderate  Clay percentage: 19.3 percent  Use and vegetation: Used for livestock grazing and irrigated cropland. Under cultivation, Gilman soils are used for growing alfalfa, cotton, grains, sugar beets and truck crops such as melons, lettuce, onion, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes. Native vegetation is mesquite, catclaw, creosotebush, arrowweed and saltbush. Cottonwoods, willows and salt cedar grow in open areas.  Farmland classification: Prime farmland, if irrigated Grade 1 (excellent) 1,086 Indio fine sandy loam (Ip) and Indio very fine sandy loam (Is)  Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent  Drainage: Well drained  Permeability: Moderate  Clay percentage: 12.9 percent  Use and vegetation: Used for irrigated cropland and livestock Grade 1 (excellent) 361 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-4 NRCS Soils Name/ Map Unit Symbol Description Soil Grading1 Total Acres in Planning Area (City and SOI) grazing. Common crops are cotton, barley, grapes, citrus, dates, and other crops. In other areas, the present vegetation is shadscale, bursage, arrowweed, and other plants. Such areas provide ephemeral grazing in unusually wet years.  Farmland classification: Prime Farmland, if irrigated Myoma fine sand (MaB and MaD)  Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent (MaB); 5 to 15 percent (MaD)  Drainage: Somewhat excessively drained  Permeability: Rapid  Clay percentage: 2.5 percent  Use and vegetation: Myoma soils are used principally for growing citrus fruits, grapes, alfalfa, dates and truck crops under irrigation. Native vegetation is ephemeral grasses and forbs, and a sparse cover of creosotebush, bush sunflower and mesquite.  Farmland classification: Prime Farmland, if irrigated Grade 3 (fair) 12,660 Ornstott (Or)  Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent  Drainage: Well drained  Permeability: Moderate to moderately rapid  Clay percentage: 13 percent  Use and vegetation: Omstott soils are used for watershed, wildlife, recreation and homesites. Vegetation is pine, pinyon pine, cedar, ribbonwood, ceanothus, scrub oak, manzanita, cholla, beavertail and barrel cactus, yucca, century plant, annual and perennial grasses.  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Grade 5 (very poor) 10 Riverwash (RA)  Slopes from 0 to 2 percent  Drainage: Excessively drained  Clay percent: 0.5 percent  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Not applicable for Storie Index 746 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-5 NRCS Soils Name/ Map Unit Symbol Description Soil Grading1 Total Acres in Planning Area (City and SOI) Rock Outcrop (RO and RT)  Slopes from 15 to 75 percent (RO) and 9 to 50 percent (RT)  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Not applicable for Storie Index 14,551 Rubble land (RU)  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Not applicable for Storie Index 553 Torriorthents (TO)  Farmland classification: Not prime farmland Not rated 823 Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 2014 Notes: (1) Soil grading is determined based on map unit description from the NRCS for soils in the Riverside County, Coachella Valley Area, CA (CA680) and Storie Index Soil Rating (UC Berkeley 1978). Soil grading categories are as follows: Grade 1 (excellent) - soils that rate between 80 and 100 percent and which are suitable for a wide range of crops, including alfalfa, orchard, truck, and field crops; Grade 2 (good) – Soils that rate between 60 and 79 percent and which are suitable for most crops, yields are generally good to excellent; Grade 3 (fair) – Soils that rate between 40 and 59 percent and which are generally of fair quality with less wide range of suitability than grades 1 and 2. Soils in this grade may give good results with certain specialized crops; Grade 4 (poor) – Soils that rate between 20 and 39 percent and which have a narrow range in their agricultural possibilities. For example, few soils in this grade may be good for rice, but not good for many other uses; Grade 5 (very poor) – soils that rate between 10 and 19 percent are of very limited use except for pasture because of adverse conditions such as shallowness, roughness and alkali content, and; Grade 6 (nonagricultural) – Soils that rate less than 10 percent include, for example, tidelands, riverwash, soils of high alkali content, and steep broken land (UC Berkeley 1978). (2) Farmland Classification in this table is based on NRCS map unit description for each soil type. These are not official designations as assigned by the Department of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program. For a discussion on official designations as assigned by the program, please refer to Section 3.0, Agricultural Resources. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-6 Expansive and Collapsible Soils Expansive soils consist largely of clays, which greatly increase in volume when saturated with water and shrink when dried. Because of this effect, building foundations may rise during the rainy season and fall during the dry season. If this expansive movement varies underneath different parts of a single building, foundations may crack, structural portions of a building may be distorted, and doors and windows may become warped so that they no longer function properly. The potential for soil to undergo shrink and swell is greatly enhanced by the presence of a fluctuating, shallow groundwater table. Changes in the volume of expansive soils can result in the consolidation of soft clays after the lowering of the water table or the placement of fill. The volume of collapsible soils reduces when the pore spaces in the soil become saturated, causing loss of grain-to-grain contact and possibly dissolving interstitial cement holding the grains apart. Collapsible soils can cause uniform or differential damage to foundations and walls built on this soil type. Based on NRCS soils data (Figure 7.3 and Table 7.1), it does not appear that expansive clays or soils exhibiting shrink-swell characteristics underlie the city and SOI. However, since no citywide soil report exists, expansive and collapsible soils may need to be analyzed on a project-by-project basis. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-7 TABLE 7.2: EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE AND INTENSITY DESCRIPTION Richter Magnitude Modified Mercalli Index Intensity—Description <3.0 I. Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable circumstances (I Rossi-Forel scale). 3.0–3.9 II. Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of high-rise buildings. Delicately suspended objects may swing. III. Felt quite noticeably indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings, but many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing automobiles may rock slightly. Vibration like passing of truck. Duration estimated. 4.0–4.9 IV. During the day felt indoors by many, outdoors by few. At night some awakened. Dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make creaking sound. Sensation like a heavy truck striking a building. Standing automobiles rocked noticeably. V. Felt by nearly everyone, many awakened. Some dishes, windows, and so on broken; cracked plaster in a few places; unstable objects overturned. Disturbances of trees, poles, and other tall objects sometimes noticed. Pendulum clocks may stop. 5.0–5.9 VI. Felt by all, many frightened and run outdoors. Some heavy furniture moved, few instances of fallen plaster and damaged chimneys. Damage slight. VII. Everybody runs outdoors. Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken. Noticed by persons driving cars. 6.0–6.9 VIII. Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse; great in poorly built structures. Panel walls thrown out of frame structures. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, and walls. Heavy furniture overturned. Sand and mud ejected in small amounts. Changes in well water. Persons driving cars disturbed. IX. Damage considerable in specially designed structures; well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb; great in substantial buildings with partial collapse. Buildings shifted off foundations. Ground cracked conspicuously. Underground pipes broken. 7.0–7.9 X. Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonry and frame structures destroyed; ground badly cracked. Rails bent. Landslides considerable from river banks and steep slopes. Shifted sand and mud. Water splashed, slopped over banks. XI. Few, if any, (masonry) structures remain standing. Bridges destroyed. Broad fissures in ground. Underground pipelines completely out of service. Earth slumps and land slips in soft ground. Rails bent greatly. 8.0 and higher XII. Damage total. Waves seen on ground surface. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into air. Source: USGS 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-8 Six historic seismic events (M 5.9 or greater) have significantly affected the Coachella Valley region in the past 100 years:  Desert Hot Springs Earthquake: occurred on December 4, 1948, east of Desert Hot Springs on the southern segment of the San Andreas Fault and was measured a M 6.0. It was felt over a large area far from the epicenter, causing damage as far away as Los Angeles and San Diego.  Palm Springs Earthquake: occurred on July 8, 1986, in the Painted Hills region and was a M 5.9 that was responsible for at least 29 injuries and the destruction or damage of 51 homes in the Palm Springs-Morongo Valley area (SCEC 2014). It also triggered landslides in the area. Additionally, ground cracking, due to shaking (not surface rupture) was observed along the Banning, Mission Creek, and Garnet Hill faults.  Joshua Tree Earthquake: occurred on April 22, 1992, nine miles east of Desert Hot Springs and was a M 6.1. Although damage caused by the Joshua Tree earthquake was slight to moderate, it was felt as far away as San Diego, Las Vegas, Nevada, and even Phoenix, Arizona.  Landers Earthquake: occurred on June 28, 1992, near Landers on the Landers Fault measuring a M 7.3 and causing surface rupture just south of the town of Yucca Valley on five separate faults extending about 53 miles (SCEC 2014).  Big Bear Earthquake: occurred on June 28, 1992, was an aftershock to the Landers Earthquake measuring a magnitude of M 6.4; although the rupture did not break surface, it caused substantial amount of damage in the Big Bear area (SCEC 2014).  Hector Mine Earthquake: occurred on October 16, 1999, and was measured a magnitude M 7.1. Two faults ruptured as a result; however, relatively negligible damage was reported due to the remote location of the epicenter (SCEC 2014). Fault Rupture Fault rupture describes the sudden release of elastic energy that results from the sliding of one part of the earth’s crust past another. The resulting fracture is known as a fault, while the sliding movement of earth on either side of a fault is called fault rupture. Fault rupture begins below the ground surface at the earthquake hypocenter, typically between 3 and 10 miles below the ground surface in California. If an earthquake is large enough, the fault rupture will actually travel all the way to the ground surface, damaging structures built across its path (Cal OES 2013). The seismicity of Southern California is dominated by the intersection of the northwest-trending San Andreas Fault System, and the east-west trending Transverse Ranges Fault System. Both systems are responding to strain produced by the relative motions of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. The strain is relieved by right lateral strike-slip faulting on the San Andreas and related faults, and by vertical, reverse slip, or left lateral strike-slip displacement on faults in the Transverse Ranges. The effects of this deformation include mountain building, basin development, deformation of Quaternary marine terraces, widespread regional uplift, and earthquakes. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-9 The city and SOI are not located within a fault zone, as defined by the Alquist-Priolo Act (CGS 2014). Based on information from the CGS, no known major active faults are located within the city and SOI. According to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEC), the closest active faults to the city of Palm Desert are the San Andreas Fault, located approximately 4 miles to the north; the San Jacinto fault located 10 miles to the southwest; and the Elsinore Fault, located 30 miles to the southwest (SCEC 2014). (Figure 7-4).  The San Andreas Fault Zone is the closest major fault system to Palm Desert. The San Andreas Fault is a right-lateral strike slip fault and extends about 600 miles from the Salton Sea to Cape Mendocino and has a probable magnitude range of M 6.8-8.0. The fault is divided into the northern and southern segments and the southern segment is further divided into (from north to south) the Mojave, San Bernardino Mountains, and Coachella Valley segments. The last major rupture along the Mojave segment (at Fort Tejon) occurred on January 9, 1857.  The San Jacinto Fault Zone is a right-lateral strike slip fault extending about 175 miles in length and is capable of producing a M 6.5-7.5 earthquake.  The Elsinore Fault Zone is right-lateral strike-slip fault and is one of the largest in Southern California and also the least active (SCEDC 2014). This fault is capable of producing a M 6.5-7.5 earthquake, extends more than 140 miles, and is located approximately 30 miles southwest of the city of Palm Desert. Secondary Hazards Landslide A landslide describes the downhill movement of masses of earth material under the force of gravity. Factors contributing to landslide potential include steep slopes, unstable terrain, and proximity to earthquake faults. This process typically involves surface soil and an upper portion of underlying bedrock. Movement may be very rapid, or so slow that a change of position can be noted only over a period of weeks or years. The size of a landslide can range from several square feet to several square miles. Flows consist of rivers of rock, earth, and other debris saturated with water. Landslides develop when water rapidly accumulates in the ground during heavy rainfall, changing the earth into a flowing river of mud or “slurry.” Landslides can strike with little or no warning at avalanche speeds. The 1998 DOC Seismic Hazard Zone Report identifies landslide zones as “areas where previous occurrence of landslide movement, or local topographic, geological, geotechnical and subsurface water conditions indicate a potential for permanent ground displacements such that mitigation as defined in Public Resources Code Section 2693 (c) would be required.” Figure 7.5 identifies landslide-susceptible areas in the city and SOI. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-10 FIGURE 7.4: FAULTS AND FAULT ZONES City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-11 FIGURE 7.5: LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-12 Liquefaction Liquefaction describes the loss of soil strength caused by a sudden increase in pore water pressure during shaking and is one of the most destructive secondary effects of seismic shaking. Liquefaction occurs primarily in saturated and loose, fine- to medium-grained soils. Liquefaction occurs most often where groundwater lies within 30 feet of the surface, but it may also occur in areas where groundwater lies up to 50 feet beneath the surface. High pore pressures that build up in sediments during repeated seismic vibrations cause the soil to behave as a liquid. The excess pore pressures are often pushed upward through fissures and soil cracks, which causes water-soil slurry to bubble onto the ground surface. In 1997 and 1998, the CGS (then known as the California Division of Mines and Geology) developed guidelines for delineating, evaluating, and mitigating seismic hazards, including liquefaction, in California. Seismic Hazard Zones (SHZ) maps identify areas within and adjacent to the city and SOI that are susceptible to seismic hazards, including liquefaction. The SHZ maps define liquefaction zones as “areas where historic occurrence of liquefaction, or local geological, geotechnical, and groundwater conditions indicate a potential for permanent ground displacement such that mitigation as defined in Public Resources Code Section 2693 (c) would be required.” However, SHZ mapping delineating liquefaction-susceptible areas do not exist for Palm Desert. But according to Riverside County Land Information System (RCLIS 2014), the majority of the city and all of the northern portion of the sphere of influence (SOI) are located within an area susceptible to moderate liquefaction potential (Figure 7.6). Liquefaction susceptibility in the city and SOI is based on sediment type, depth to groundwater, and proximity to the San Andreas Fault. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-13 FIGURE 7.6: LIQUEFACTION SUSCEPTIBILITY City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-14 7.3 Regulatory Setting Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act The US Congress passed the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act in 1977 to reduce risks to life and property from future earthquakes in the United States by establishing and maintaining an effective earthquake hazards reduction program. To accomplish this goal, the act established the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Act (NEHRPA) substantially amended this program in 1990 by refining the description of agency responsibilities, program goals, and objectives. The NEHRP’s mission includes improved understanding, characterization, and prediction of hazards and vulnerabilities; improved building codes and land use practices; reduced risks through post-earthquake investigations and education; improved design and construction techniques; improved mitigation capacity; and accelerated application of research results. The NEHRPA designates the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the lead agency for the program and assigns several planning, coordinating, and reporting responsibilities. Other NEHRPA agencies include the USGS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) The CEQA Guidelines require projects to address several potential impacts on geology and soils based on the following threshold statements: 1) Expose people or structures to potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death, involving: a) Rupture of a known earthquake fault, as delineated on the most recent Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Map issued by the State Geologist for the area or based on other substantial evidence of a known fault. Refer to California Geological Survey (formerly Division of Mines and Geology) Special Publication 42. b) Strong seismic ground shaking. c) Seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction. d) Landslides. 2) Result in substantial soil erosion or the loss of topsoil. 3) Be located on a geologic unit or soil that is unstable, or that would become unstable as a result of the project, and potentially result in on- or off-site landslide, lateral spreading, subsidence, liquefaction, or collapse. 4) Be located on expansive soil, as defined in Table 18-1-B of the Uniform Building Code (1994), creating substantial risks to life or property. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-15 5) Have soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative wastewater disposal systems where sewers are not available for the disposal of waste water. Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act The Alquist-Priolo Act of 1972 (Public Resources Code Sections 2621–2630) mitigates surface faulting hazards to structures designed for human occupancy. The main purpose of the law is to prevent the construction of buildings used for human occupancy on the surface trace of active faults. The law addresses only the hazard of surface fault rupture and is not directed toward other earthquake hazards. To aid agencies responsible for approving projects, the Alquist-Priolo Act requires the CGS to establish regulatory zones known as Earthquake Fault Zones around the surface traces of active faults and to issue appropriate maps. The maps are distributed to all affected cities, counties, and state agencies for their use in planning efforts. Before a project can be permitted in a designated Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone, cities and counties must require a geologic investigation to demonstrate that proposed buildings would not be constructed across active faults. Seismic Hazards Mapping Act The 1990 Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (SHMA) (Public Resources Code Sections 2690–2699.6) addresses hazards such as strong ground shaking, earthquake-induced landslides, and, in some areas, zones of amplified shaking. The act established a mapping program for areas that have the potential for liquefaction, landslide, strong ground shaking, or other earthquake and geologic hazards. The CGS is the primary state agency charged with implementing the SHMA and provides local jurisdictions with the SHZ maps that identify areas susceptible to liquefaction, earthquake-induced landslides, and amplified shaking. Site-specific hazard investigations are required by the SHMA when a development project is located within a Seismic Hazard Mapping Zone identified as a zone of required investigation. The law also specifies that the lead agency for a project may withhold development permits until geologic or soils investigations are conducted for specific sites and mitigation measures are incorporated into plans to reduce hazards associated with seismicity and unstable soils. Natural Hazards Disclosure Act The Natural Hazards Disclosure Act (NHDA) (effective June 1, 1998), requires “that sellers of real property and their agents provide prospective buyers with a ‘Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement’ when the property being sold lies within one or more state-mapped hazard areas, including a Seismic Hazard Zone.” The NHDA specifies two ways in which this disclosure can be made: 1) The Local Option Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1102.6a of the California Civil Code. 2) The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1103.2 of the California Civil Code. The Local Option Real Estate Disclosure Statement can be substituted for the Natural Hazards Disclosure Statement if it contains substantially the same information and substantially the same warning as the Natural Hazards Disclosure Statement. Both the Alquist-Priolo Act and the SHMA require that real estate agents, or sellers of real estate acting without an agent, disclose to prospective buyers that the property is located in an Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone or Seismic Hazard Mapping Zone. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-16 California Building Code The California Building Standards Commission is responsible for coordinating, managing, adopting, and approving building codes in California. The 2013 California Building Code (CBC) became effective on January 1, 2014, and updated all the subsequent codes under the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24. The State of California provides minimum standards for building design through the California Building Code (CBC) (CCR Title 24). The state requires local governments to adopt Title 24 on a triennial basis. The City of Palm Desert has adopted the 2013 CBC through its Municipal Code (Chapter 15.04 Building Code). The state also provides minimum standards for building design through the CBC. Where no other building codes apply, Chapters 16, 18, and 21 of the 2013 CBC regulate excavation, foundations, and retaining walls. The state earthquake protection law (California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq.) requires that structures be designed to resist stresses produced by lateral forces caused by wind and earthquakes. The previous 2007 CBC replaced the previous “seismic zones” (assigned a number from 1 to 4, where 4 requires the most earthquake-resistant design) with new seismic design categories A through F (where F requires the most earthquake-resistant design) for structures. With the shift from seismic zones to seismic design, the CBC philosophy has shifted from “life safety design” to “collapse prevention,” meaning that structures are designed to prevent collapse under the maximum level of ground shaking that could reasonably be expected to occur. Chapter 16 of the CBC specifies how each seismic design category is to be determined through site-specific soil characteristics and proximity to potential seismic hazards. Chapter 18 of the CBC regulates the excavation of foundations and retaining walls by requiring preparation of a preliminary soil report, engineering geologic report, geotechnical report, and supplemental ground-response report. Chapter 18 also regulates analysis of expansive soils and the determination of depth to the groundwater table. Chapter 18 also requires that mitigation measures be considered in structural design. Mitigation measures may include ground stabilization, selection of appropriate foundation types and depths, selection of appropriate structural systems to accommodate anticipated displacements, or any combination of these measures. The potential for liquefaction and soil strength loss must be evaluated for site-specific peak ground acceleration magnitudes and source characteristics consistent with the design earthquake ground motions. Peak ground acceleration must be determined from a site-specific study, the contents of which are specified in CBC Chapter 18. Appendix Chapter J of the 2013 CBC regulates grading activities, including drainage and erosion control and construction on unstable soils, such as expansive soils and areas subject to liquefaction. Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws City of Palm Desert General Plan The following goals, policies, and programs apply to geology and soils resources within the city and SOI: Goal. Maximized protection of human life, land, and property from the effects of seismic and geotechnical hazards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-17 Policy 1. The City shall establish and maintain an information database containing maps and other information which describe seismic and other geotechnical hazards occurring within the City boundaries, sphere-of-influence and Planning Area. Program 1.A. Consult and coordinate with surrounding communities, the California Division of Mines and Geology1, Riverside County, other applicable state and federal agencies, and professional engineering geologists to establish, improve and routinely update the database. Policy 2. In accordance with state law, all development proposals within designated Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones shall be accompanied by appropriate geotechnical analysis. Program 2.A. Prepare an informational handout to be distributed to developers, property owners, and other appropriate parties, which describes the format and contents of geotechnical and fault investigations that must be carried out within Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones. Program 2.B. Establish a cooperative agreement with the County Geologist, State Geologist, contract state-certified geologist, or contract geological engineer to review and determine the adequacy of geotechnical and fault hazard studies prepared within the city. Policy 3. Development in areas identified as being subject to slope instability shall be adequately engineered to eliminate geotechnical hazards or shall be avoided. Program 3.A. The City shall make available copies of the General Plan Slope Instability Susceptibility Map and discourage development within areas so designated, or require detailed geotechnical analysis and mitigation measures that reduce potential hazards to insignificant levels. Policy 4. Establish and maintain a program by which all potentially hazardous structures, which pose a threat due to inadequate seismic design, engineering or construction, are identified, inventoried, and strengthened. Program 4.A. Identify inadequately designed and/or constructed structures throughout the city. Prepare and distribute informational handouts describing appropriate methods of retrofitting and possible sources of funding to facilitate the rehabilitation of such structures. Policy 5. To minimize the potential impacts of subsidence due to extraction of groundwater, the City shall actively support and participate in local and regional efforts at groundwater conservation and recharge. Program 5.A. Consult and coordinate with the Coachella Valley Water District, U.S. Geological Survey, and other appropriate agencies to routinely monitor groundwater levels and surface elevations in the city. 1 Now known as CGS; the General Plan was adopted in 2004 and the California Division of Mines and Geology was renamed in 2006. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-18 Program 5.B. Continue and expand existing water conservation efforts, and coordinate with local districts, state water agencies and CVAG members in a coordinated effort to eliminate overdraft of local aquifers and affect a level of groundwater recharge adequate to address associated ground subsidence hazards. Policy 6. The City shall coordinate and cooperate with public and quasi-public agencies to assure the continued functionality of major utility systems in the event of a major earthquake. Program 6.A. Contact and establish working relationships and strategies with Coachella Valley Water District, Southern California Edison, Imperial Irrigation District, Southern California Gas Company, Verizon, and other appropriate agencies to strengthen or relocate utility facilities, and take other appropriate measures to safeguard major utility distribution systems to the greatest extent practical. Program 6.B. Encourage and cooperate with CalTrans to stabilize hazardous slopes and strengthen bridges, elevated roadways, and other structures along state highways, which may be subject to failure during major seismic events. Policy 7. New septic tank leach fields, seepage pits, drainage facilities, and heavily irrigated areas shall be located away from structural foundations and supports to minimize the potential for localized collapse of soils. Program 7.A. The City may require that development applications include plans indicating the location of leach fields, seepage pits, drainage facilities, and water-dependent landscaping so that City staff may evaluate the potential for ground saturation. City staff may require their location away from foundations and other design/engineering measures, as appropriate. Policy 8. The City shall cooperate and actively participate in the development and/or distribution of earthquake preparedness information to city residents and local businesses. Program 8.A. Confer and coordinate with local utility companies, health facilities, police and fire departments, and school districts to coordinate education of the general public regarding appropriate action before, during, and after earthquakes and other disasters. City of Palm Desert Municipal Code Section 25.28.110, Seismic Hazard (SH) Overlay District, of the City’s Municipal Code sets development standards and requirements for areas within the overlay zone that must be incorporated into development proposals prior to design and construction. All applications for development within the SH Overlay District must submit in-depth geological soils investigation technical studies. 7.4 References Cal OES (California Office of Emergency Services). 2013. 2013 State Hazard Mitigation Plan. Accessed July 2014. http://hazardmitigation.calema.ca.gov/docs/SHMP_Final_2013.pdf. CGS (California Geological Survey). 2014. Geologic Hazards: Earthquakes. Accessed July 2014. http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_hazards/earthquakes/Pages/Index.aspx City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 7-19 ———. 2013. Online Website Fault Maps and Special Publication 42, Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones. Accessed February 2014. ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dmg/pubs/sp/Sp42.pdf. County of Riverside. 2014. Riverside County Land Information System. Accessed July 2014. http://tlmabld5.agency.tlma.co.riverside.ca.us/website/rclis/ ———. 2000. Riverside County Integrated Project :Geotechnical Report (Appendix H) for the General Plan. Accessed July 2014. http://www.rcip.org/general_plan_toc.htm DOC (California Department of Conservation). 1998. Seismic Hazard Zone Report. NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). 2014. SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Data Center). 2014. Significant Earthquakes and Faults, Chronological Earthquake Index, Long Beach Earthquake. Accessed July 2014. http://www.data.scec.org/significant/longbeach1933.html Storie, R.E. 1978. Storie Index Soil Rating. Accessed July 21, 2014. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/3203.pdf. USGS (US Geological Survey). 2014. The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. Accessed July 2014. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning /topics/mercalli.php. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-1 8. Hazards and Hazardous Materials 8.1 Introduction This section identifies background conditions and regulations related to human health and the environment due to exposure to hazardous materials or conditions in Palm Desert. Seismic hazards are presented in Section 7, Geology and Soils. Water-related hazards are included in Section 9, Hydrology and Water Resources. 8.2 Environmental Setting Hazardous Sites A hazardous material is any material that, due to its quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released. Hazardous materials include, but are not limited to, hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, and any material that a business or local implementing agency has a reasonable basis to believe would be injurious to the health and safety of persons or would be harmful to the environment if released. Underground Storage Tanks The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) maintains the GeoTracker database, which allows interested parties to obtain information related to permitted underground storage tanks (UST), leaking underground storage tanks (LUST), Department of Defense sites, landfills, and Spills-Leaks-Investigations-Cleanups (SLIC) sites. GeoTracker provides the location, current status of the site, chemicals of concern, potential media affected, regulatory activities, and any data submitted to the oversight agency (e.g., Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board, Department of Toxic Substances Control). According to the GeoTracker database, there are no open case LUST sites in the Planning Area (SWRCB 2014). GeoTracker does identify thirty one closed case LUST sites that have completed site assessments and any required cleanup, if necessary. There are six non-LUST cleanup sites in the Planning Area, including five school sites. All school sites have been investigated and require no further action. The military site is identified as inactive (SWRCB 2014). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-2 Hazardous Waste and Substance Sites (Cortese) Government Code Section 65962.5 requires the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to compile and regularly update a list of hazardous waste sites (see Government Code Section 65962.5 [Cortese List], in Section 8.3, Regulatory Setting, below for more information). Under the Cortese List, certain state and local government agencies are required to provide additional information on hazardous material releases. No properties in the Planning Area are identified on the DTSC’s Hazardous Waste and Substances Site List (Cortese List), compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5 (DTSC 2014a). Superfund According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database and as shown in Table 8-1, one Superfund site in the Planning Area is identified (EPA 2014). The site is not on the National Priority List for cleanup and is a removal-only site requiring no site assessment. TABLE 8.1: SUPERFUND SITES IN PALM DESERT Site Name EPA ID Cleanup Status Address Enfield Chemical CASFN090540 4 Not National Priority List (NPL); Removal Only (RO) – No Site Assessment Work Needed 77539 Enfield Court Transportation of Hazardous Materials The DTSC provides a summary of all registered hazardous material transporters in the state. As of July 2014, there was one registered transporter located in Palm Desert as shown in Table 8-2 (DTSC 2014b). TABLE 8-2. REGISTERED HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TRANSPORTERS IN PALM DESERT Transporter Name Registration Number Registration Expiration Date Address Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services, LLC 5807 April 30, 2015 41575 Electric Street In addition, major transportation corridors such as Palm Desert Drive (Highway 111) or Interstate 10 (I-10) may be used to transport hazardous materials and represent accident risks that could result in releases of hazardous materials. When acutely toxic hazardous materials are transported, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) must be notified. The City does not designate specific haul routes for hazardous materials. The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides summary maps of natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines. As of 2012, transmission lines for natural gas run parallel approximately 2 miles north of I-10, and transmission lines for hazardous liquid are located along the I-10 corridor (PHMSA 2012). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-3 Schools Children are considered more susceptible to adverse health effects from hazardous materials and emissions. Therefore, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines require the disclosure and consideration of locations of schools relative to the sources of hazardous materials and emissions. Older schools constructed before these state regulations were established could place children near existing sources of hazardous materials and emissions. Please refer to Section 15, Public Services, Utilities, and Recreation, for additional information regarding schools located in the Planning Area. Airport Operations Hazards Airport-related hazards are generally associated with aircraft accidents, particularly during takeoffs and landings. Other airport operation hazards include incompatible land uses, power transmission lines, wildlife hazards (e.g., bird strikes), and tall structures that penetrate the imaginary surfaces surrounding an airport. Bermuda Dunes Airport Bermuda Dunes Airport is a privately owned public use airport located in the Palm Desert SOI, as shown in Figure 8-1. Operations include charter flights, hangar rentals, and a flight school. Bermuda Dunes Airport covers an area of 94 acres and has one runway designated 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,002 feet by 70 feet. For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2014, the airport had approximately 27,000 aircraft operations, an average of 74 per day, consisting of 80 percent general aviation and 20 percent air taxi/charter. At that time, 112 aircraft were based at the airport: 80 percent single-engine, 13 percent multi-engine, 1 percent jet, and 6 percent helicopter (Bermuda Dunes Airport 2014). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-4 FIGURE 8.1: AIRPORT LAND USE PLAN City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-5 Fire Hazards Wildfire Public Resources Code Sections 4201–4204 and Government Code Sections 51175–51189 require identification of fire hazard severity zones in California. Fire hazard severity zones are modeled based on vegetation, topography, weather, fuel load type, and ember production and movement within the area in question. Fire hazard severity zones are defined as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity by the California Department of Forestry and Fire (Cal Fire 2012a). Fire prevention areas considered to be under state jurisdiction are referred to as state responsibility areas, while areas under local jurisdiction are called local responsibility areas. As shown in Figure 8-2, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones are located in the Planning Area, both within the existing city limits (Local Responsibility Area) and in the sphere of influence (State Responsibility Area). Portions of the Planning Area to the north of I-10 contain moderate fire hazard severity zones. All of the high and very high fire hazard severity zones are located in the southern portion of the Planning Area, along with some limited moderate fire hazard severity zones along the urban edge (Cal Fire 2007). 8.3 Regulatory Setting The following federal, state, and local plans, policies, regulations, and laws pertain to hazards and hazardous materials, airport regulations, and fire prevention regulations in the Planning Area. They provide the regulatory framework for addressing all aspects of hazards materials and incidents. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Hazardous Materials Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the EPA is the principal federal agency that regulates the generation, transport, and disposal of hazardous substances. Under the RCRA, the EPA regulates the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances. The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 amended the RCRA to specifically prohibit the use of certain disposal techniques for various hazardous substances. The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 requires hazardous-materials planning to help protect local communities in the event of accidental release of hazardous substances. The EPA has delegated many of the RCRA requirements to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. The US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates use and safety considerations related to blasting activities under the Construction Safety and Health Outreach Program. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-6 FIGURE 8.2: FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONE City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-7 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by Congress in 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. CERCLA established prohibitions and requirements concerning closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites, provided for liability of persons responsible for releases of hazardous waste at these sites, and established a trust fund to provide for cleanup when no responsible party could be identified. Cleanup actions can be conducted only at sites listed on the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation. Hazardous Liquid Pipeline and Natural Gas Pipeline Safety The Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 and the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 authorize the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to regulate pipeline transportation of hazardous liquids, including crude oil, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia, and carbon dioxide; transportation of flammable, toxic, or corrosive natural gas and other gases; and transportation and storage of liquefied natural gas. The PHMSA develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s 2.6-million-mile pipeline transportation system (PHMSA 2014). Regulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Lead-Based Paint The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (Title 15 of US Code Section 2605) banned the manufacture, processing, distribution, and use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in enclosed systems. PCBs are considered hazardous materials because of their toxicity. They have been shown to cause cancer in animals, along with effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems, and studies have shown evidence of similar effects in humans. The EPA Region 9 PCB Program regulates remediation of PCBs in several states, including California. Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 761.30(a)(1)(vi)(A), states that all owners of electrical transformers containing PCBs must register their transformers with the EPA. Specified electrical equipment manufactured between July 1, 1978, and July 1, 1998, that does not contain PCBs must be marked by the manufacturer with the statement “No PCBs” (Section 761.40[g]). Transformers and other items manufactured before July 1, 1978, and containing PCBs, must be marked as such. The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 amended the Toxic Substances Control Act to include Title IV, Lead Exposure Reduction. The EPA regulates renovation activities that could create lead-based paint hazards in target housing and child-occupied facilities. The EPA has also established standards for lead-based paint hazards and lead dust cleanup levels in most pre- 1978 housing and child-occupied facilities. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-8 Airport Operations Hazards Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for the safety of civil aviation in the United States. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created the agency under the original name of the Federal Aviation Agency. The FAA’s major responsibilities include:  Regulation of civil aviation to promote safety.  Encouragement of the development of civil aeronautics, including new technology.  Development and operation of a system of air traffic control and navigation for use by both civil and military aircraft.  Research and development of the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics.  Regulation of transportation in U.S. commercial space. FAA regulations, known as Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), provide regulatory guidance for the operation, development, and construction of airports and aircraft as well as the training of and conduct of pilots of all civil types and ratings. Included in the FARs are specific regulations guiding the operation of airports and requirements related to development adjacent to airports (14 CFR 77). FAR Part 77 pertains to objects affecting navigable airspace and establishes standards for determining obstructions in navigable airspace, sets forth the requirements for notice to the administrator of certain proposed construction or alteration, provides for aeronautical studies of obstructions to air navigation in order to determine their effect on the safe and efficient use of airspace, provides for public hearings on the hazardous effects of proposed construction or alteration on air navigation, and provides for the establishment of antenna farm areas. Fire Hazards Healthy Forest and Rangelands – National Fire Plan Healthy Forests and Rangelands is a cooperative effort between the US Department of the Interior (DOI), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and their land management agencies. Healthy Forests and Rangelands provides fire, fuels, and land management information to government officials, land and fire management professionals, businesses, communities, and other interested organizations and individuals. The National Fire Plan (NFP) was developed in August 2000, following a landmark wildland fire season, with the intent of actively responding to severe wildland fires and their impacts to communities while ensuring sufficient firefighting capacity for the future. The NFP was finalized in August 2001 by the DOI and the USDA and addresses five key points: firefighting, rehabilitation, hazardous fuels reduction, community assistance, and accountability. The NFP continues to provide invaluable technical, financial, and resource guidance and support for wildland fire management across the United States. Together, the USDA, Forest Service, and the DOI are working to successfully implement the key points outlined in the National Fire Plan by taking the following steps: City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-9 1. Assuring that necessary firefighting resources and personnel are available to respond to wildland fires that threaten lives and property. 2. Conducting emergency stabilization and rehabilitation activities on landscapes and communities affected by wildland fire. 3. Reducing hazardous fuels (dry brush and trees that have accumulated and increase the likelihood of unusually large fires) in the country’s forests and rangelands. 4. Providing assistance to communities that have been or may be threatened by wildland fire. Communities need many types of assistance, and community participation is at the core of carrying out citizen-driven solutions to reduce the risks of fire in the wildland/urban interface. Agencies provide support for educating citizens on the effects of fire, community fire protection planning, and training and equipping rural and volunteer firefighters. Through a variety of grant programs including Rural, State, and Volunteer Fire Assistance and Economic Action Programs, delivered by the Agencies and the State Foresters, communities can take action to live safely in fire-prone areas. 5. Committing to the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, an interagency team created to set and maintain high standards for wildland fire management on public lands (Forests and Rangelands 2014). State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Emergency Services Act Under the Emergency Services Act (California Government Code Section 8850 et seq.), the State developed an emergency response plan to coordinate emergency services provided by federal, state, and local agencies. Quick response to natural and man-made incidents is a key part of the plan. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) administers the plan and coordinates the responses of other agencies, including the California EPA (Cal/EPA), the CHP, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, air quality management districts, and county disaster response offices. Hazardous Materials State laws that govern hazardous materials are equal to or more stringent than their federal counterparts. The EPA has granted California primary oversight responsibility to administer and enforce hazardous waste management programs. The State has developed detailed planning and management requirements to ensure that hazardous wastes are handled, stored, and disposed of properly to reduce risks to human health and the environment. Several key state laws pertaining to hazardous wastes are discussed below. In addition, the DTSC, the SWRCB, and the Integrated Waste Management Act prescribe roles related to the generation and disposal of hazardous materials, also described below. Hazardous Materials Handling The California Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Law of 1985 (Business Plan Act) requires preparation of hazardous materials business plans and disclosure of inventories of hazardous materials. A business plan includes an inventory of the hazardous materials handled, City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-10 facility floor plans showing where hazardous materials are stored, an emergency response plan, and provisions for employee safety and emergency response training (California Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.95, Article 1). Statewide, the DTSC has primary regulatory responsibility for managing hazardous materials, with delegation of authority to local jurisdictions that enter into agreements with the State. Local agencies, including the Riverside County Environmental Health Department, administer these laws and regulations. Sections 12101 through 12103 of the California Health and Safety Code require that permits be obtained by those manufacturing, transporting, possessing, or using explosives and endorsed by the jurisdiction(s) in which the transportation or use would occur. Hazardous Waste Control Act The Hazardous Waste Control Act is codified in California Code of Regulations Title 26, which describes requirements for the proper management of hazardous wastes. The act created the state’s hazardous waste management program, which is similar to but more stringent than the federal RCRA program. The program includes hazardous waste criteria for:  Identification and classification  Generation and transportation  Design and permitting of recycling, treatment, storage, and disposal facilities  Treatment standards  Operation of facilities and staff training  Closure of facilities and liability requirements The Hazardous Waste Control Act and Title 26 regulations list more than 800 potentially hazardous materials and establish criteria for identifying, packaging, and disposing of such wastes. To comply with these regulations, the generator of hazardous waste material must complete a manifest that accompanies the material from the point of generation to transportation to the ultimate disposal location, and is required to file copies of the manifest with the DTSC. Government Code Section 65962.5 (Cortese List) The provisions of Government Code Section 65962.5 are commonly referred to as the Cortese List. The Cortese List is a planning document used by state and local agencies to provide information about hazardous materials release sites. Government Code Section 65962.5 requires Cal/EPA to develop an updated Cortese List annually, at minimum. The DTSC is responsible for a portion of the information contained in the Cortese List. Other state and local government agencies are required to provide additional hazardous material release information for the Cortese List. Underground Storage Tank Program The California Department of Public Health (formerly the California Department of Health Services) and the SWRCB maintain lists of hazardous underground storage tanks for remediation. Sites are listed based on unauthorized release of toxic substances. Leak prevention, cleanup, enforcement, and tank testing certification are elements of the UST program. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-11 Unified Program Cal OES grants oversight and permitting responsibility to qualifying local agencies for certain state programs pertaining to hazardous waste and hazardous materials. This is achieved through the Unified Program, created by state legislation in 1993 to consolidate, coordinate, and make consistent the administrative requirements, permits, inspections, and enforcement activities for the following emergency and management programs:  Hazardous materials release response plans and inventories (business plans)  California Accidental Release Prevention Program  UST Program  Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act Requirements for Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans  Hazardous Waste Generator and On-Site Hazardous Waste Treatment (tiered permitting) Programs  California Uniform Fire Code: Hazardous material management plans and hazardous material inventory statements Palm Desert’s participation in the Unified Program is coordinated by the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, as the designated Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) for the City. Cleanup of Contaminated Sites The State of California has a number of different regulatory structures governing cleanup of contaminated sites. The DTSC regulates many of these programs, including RCRA corrective actions, state Superfund sites, brownfields programs, and voluntary cleanups. The SWRCB (through Regional Water Quality Control Boards and some local agencies) regulates releases with the potential to affect water resources under programs such as the LUST program and SLIC program. Regulatory authority for these programs may be delegated by the federal government (as with RCRA corrective actions directed by the DTSC) or may be found in the California Health and Safety Code. These regulations vary in their specifics but require the reporting, investigation, and remediation of sites where releases of hazardous materials have occurred, followed by appropriate disposal of any hazardous materials. The programs govern a range of pollutants, such as solvents, petroleum fuels, heavy metals, and pesticides) in surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and air. School Site Selection and Approval Criteria and Guide State CEQA Guidelines Section 15186, School Facilities, requires that school projects, as well as projects proposed to be located near schools, examine potential health impacts resulting from exposure to hazardous materials, wastes, and substances. In particular, the State CEQA Guidelines require environmental impact reports to assess whether a project would emit hazardous air emissions or involve the handling of extremely hazardous materials, substances, or waste within 0.25 mile of an existing or proposed school (also see Public Resources Code Section 21151). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-12 The California Department of Education has developed the School Site Selection and Approval Guide to help school districts select appropriate locations for educational institutions. The guide contains 12 screening and ranking criteria, including safety, location, topography, cost, utilities, and public acceptance. Fire Hazards California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) protects the people of California from fires, responds to emergencies, and protects and enhances forest, range, and watershed values providing social, economic, and environmental benefits to rural and urban citizens. Cal Fire’s firefighters, fire engines, and aircraft respond to an average of more than 5,600 wildland fires each year. Those fires burn more than 172,000 acres annually (Cal Fire 2012a). The Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM) supports Cal Fire’s mission by focusing on fire prevention. The SFM provides support through a wide variety of fire safety responsibilities including regulating buildings in which people live, congregate, or are confined; controlling substances and products which may, in and of themselves, or by their misuse, cause injuries, death, and destruction by fire; providing statewide direction for fire prevention in wildland areas; regulating hazardous liquid pipelines; reviewing regulations and building standards; and providing training and education in fire protection methods and responsibilities. The responsibility for the prevention and suppression of wildfires in Riverside County belongs to Cal Fire, the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD), and individual cities in their incorporated areas. As the major firefighting force in the county, Cal Fire/RCFD maintains 94 fire stations and support facilities either fully or cooperatively, as well as a fleet of firefighting equipment in Riverside County (RCFD 2014). Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area Building Standards On September 20, 2005, the California Building Standards Commission approved the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s emergency regulations amending the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 2, known as the 2007 California Building Code (CBC), now adopted as the 2010 CBC. Included in these amendments were the wildland-urban interface codes, which include provisions for ignition- resistant construction standards in the wildland-urban interface. The broad objective of the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area Building Standards is to establish minimum standards for materials and material assemblies and provide a reasonable level of exterior wildfire exposure protection for buildings in wildland-urban interface fire areas. The standards require the use of ignition-resistant materials and design to resist the intrusion of flame or burning embers projected by a vegetation fire (wildfire exposure) (Cal Fire 2012b). Vegetation Management Program The Cal Fire Vegetation Management Program (VMP) is a cost-sharing program that focuses on the use of prescribed fire and mechanical means for addressing wildland fire fuel hazards and other resource management issues on State Responsibility Area lands. The use of prescribed fire mimics natural processes, restores fire to its historic role in wildland ecosystems, and provides significant fire hazard reduction benefits that enhance public and firefighter safety. The VMP allows private landowners to enter into a contract with Cal Fire to use prescribed fire to accomplish a combination City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-13 of fire protection and resource management goals. Cal Fire units implement VMP projects. The projects that fit within a unit’s priority areas (e.g., those identified through the Fire Plan) and are considered to be of most value to the unit are those that will be completed. The Vegetation Management Program has been in existence since 1981 and has averaged approximately 35,000 acres per year since its inception (Cal Fire 2004). Fire Hazard Severity Zones California Public Resources Code Sections 4201–4204 and Government Code Sections 51175– 51189 direct Cal Fire to map areas of significant fire hazards based on fuels, terrain, weather, and other relevant factors. These zones, referred to as Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), define the application of various mitigation strategies to reduce risk associated with wildland fires (Cal Fire 2007). Defensible Space Requirements In 1987, Senate Bill (SB) 1075 was adopted to require the California Board of Forestry to establish minimum fire safety standards that apply to State Responsibility Areas. Subsequently, Public Resources Code Section 4290 required local jurisdictions to implement these fire safe standards. The concept of defensible space is the cornerstone of fire safety regulations. The intent is to reduce the intensity of a wildland fire by reducing the volume and density of fuels (e.g., vegetation that can transmit fire from the natural growth to a building or structure), to provide increased safety for fire equipment and evacuating civilians, and to provide a point of attack or defense from a wildland fire. Defensible space is characterized by the establishment and maintenance of emergency vehicle access, emergency water reserves, street names, building identification, and fuel modification measures. Changes to Public Resources Code Section 4291 in 2006 expanded the defensible space clearance requirement maintained around buildings and structures from 30 feet to a distance of 100 feet. Strategic Fire Plan and Cal Fire Unit Fire Management Plans The Strategic Fire Plan for California is the state’s road map for reducing the risk of wildfire. The Fire Plan is a cooperative effort between the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and Cal Fire. By emphasizing what needs to be done long before a fire starts, the Fire Plan’s goals are to reduce firefighting costs and property losses, increase firefighter safety, and contribute to ecosystem health. The current plan was adopted in 2010 (Cal Fire 2013a). Individual Cal Fire Unit Fire Management Plans document assessments of the fire situation in each of Cal Fire’s 21 units and six contract counties. The 2005 Riverside Unit Fire Management Plan documents the assessment of the fire situation within the unit; it includes stakeholder contributions and priorities, and identifies strategic areas for pre-fire planning and fuel treatment as defined by the people who live and work with the local fire problem. Pipeline Safety In 1981, the California Legislature established the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act with the intent that the Office of the State Fire Marshal will exercise exclusive safety regulatory and enforcement authority over intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines. The SFM currently regulates the safety of approximately 4,500 miles of intrastate hazardous liquid transportation pipelines. The Pipeline Safety Division consists of engineers, analytical staff, and clerical support located in City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-14 Northern, Central, and Southern California. Pipeline Safety Division staff inspect pipeline operators to ensure compliance with federal and state pipeline safety laws and regulations. The division is also responsible for the investigation of all spills, ruptures, fires, or pipeline incidents for cause and determination of probable violations (Cal Fire 2013b). California Fire Code The 2013 California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9, of the California Code of Regulations) establishes regulations to safeguard against hazards of fire, explosion, or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures, and premises. The Fire Code also establishes requirements intended to provide safety and assistance to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. The provisions of the Fire Code apply to the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolition of every building or structure throughout California. The Fire Code includes regulations regarding fire-resistance-rated construction, fire protection systems such as alarm and sprinkler systems, fire services features such as fire apparatus access roads, means of egress, fire safety during construction and demolition, and wildland-urban interface areas. The City of Palm Desert has adopted the California Fire Code as part of its building regulations under Chapter 15.26 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code. California Environmental Quality Act The CEQA Guidelines require projects with hazards and hazardous materials to address several potential impacts based on the following threshold statements: a) Create a significant hazard to the public or the environment through the routine transport, use, or disposal of hazardous materials? b) Create a significant hazard to the public or the environment through reasonably foreseeable upset and accident conditions involving the release of hazardous materials into the environment? c) Emit hazardous emissions or handle hazardous or acutely hazardous materials, substances, or waste within one-quarter mile of an existing or proposed school? d) Be located on a site which is included on a list of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5 and, as a result, would it create a significant hazard to the public or the environment? e) For a project located within an airport land use plan or, where such a plan has not been adopted, within two miles of a public airport or public use airport, would the project result in a safety hazard for people residing or working in the project area? f) For a project within the vicinity of a private airstrip, would the project result in a safety hazard for people residing or working in the project area? g) Impair implementation of or physically interfere with an adopted emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan? City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-15 h) Expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury or death involving wildland fires, including where wildlands are adjacent to urbanized areas or where residences are intermixed with wildlands? Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Riverside County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan The City of Palm Desert is a participating jurisdiction in the Riverside County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The HMP identifies the county’s hazards, reviews and assesses past disaster occurrences, estimates the probability of future occurrences, and sets goals to mitigate potential risks to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural and man-made hazards for the County and Operational Area member jurisdictions, including Palm Desert. City of Palm Desert Local Hazard Mitigation Plan The City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) was adopted in 2012 and is specific to the potential hazards within Palm Desert. Hazards addressed include drought, earthquake, flood, extreme heat, wildfire, hazardous materials, and terrorism. The LHMP meets the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act, which requires local governments to prepare plans that identify hazards and risks within a community, and create appropriate mitigation. The purpose of the LHMP is to integrate hazard mitigation strategies into the City’s daily activities and programs. City of Palm Desert Emergency Operations Plan The City of Palm Desert Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) addresses planned response to extraordinary emergency situations associated with natural disasters, technological incidents, and national security emergencies in or affecting Palm Desert. The EOP describes the operations of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is the central management entity responsible for directing and coordinating the various City departments and other agencies in their emergency response activities. The EOP establishes the framework for implementation of the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) for Palm Desert, which is located within Riverside County Operational Area and Mutual Aid Region VI as defined by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. By extension, the plan will also implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which is being integrated into SEMS at the Governor’s directive (Executive Order S-2-05). The plan is intended to facilitate multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional coordination, particularly between the City of Palm Desert and Riverside County, special districts, and state agencies, in emergency operations. City of Palm Desert General Plan The City of Palm Desert General Plan was last updated in 2004 and includes an Emergency Preparedness Element, which contains a number of policies and programs relative to preparing for and responding to a number of hazards that may occur in the Planning Area. These policies and programs are identified below. Policy 1. The City shall maintain and update its Multi-Hazard Functional Plan to ensure maximum operational functionality and to incorporate mandated and internal documents. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-16 Program 1.A. The City shall maintain close communication and coordination with Riverside County to expedite adaptation of the new Emergency Operations Plan model. Program 1.B. Upon receipt of State/County-adopted Emergency Operations Plan, the City shall begin to incorporate the Palm Desert Hazard Management Plan, including checklists and other critical elements, into one SEMS-compliant document that can serve both legal and internal requirements. Policy 2. The City shall collaborate with other Coachella Valley agencies to refine disaster preparedness contingencies, including evacuation/supply routes, communications networks and critical facilities’ capabilities. Program 2.A. As a member of COACHELLACOMM, the City shall continue to cooperatively explore the technical viability, financial feasibility and possible timelines for completion and implementation of the citizen-alert paging and other public notification systems as appropriate. Program 2.B. Through the Coachella Valley’s Emergency Managers Association, the City shall maintain and enhance communication with Coachella Valley Association of Government’s (CVAG) Public Safety Group to facilitate establishment of CVAG’s plan for giving precedence to the development of the Priority Road Restoration Plan. Program 2.C. The City shall encourage John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital to investigate grant- funding sources for the installation of additional back up power systems sufficient to run its environmental systems, including air conditioning, and to implement those improvements as soon as possible. Policy 3. The City shall encourage the adoption and implementation of the Citizens Emergency Response Teams program by gated communities to facilitate those communities’ emergency planning and maintenance of adequate supply stockpiles, which will provide the community a 72- hour period of self-sustainability during an emergency. Program 3.A. The City shall expand its emergency preparedness education programs to offer gated community’s annual on-site emergency preparedness appraisals and training. Program 3.B. The City shall explore the possibility of offering incentives to current and future gated communities with populations exceeding a to-be-determined number of households whose Homeowner’s Associations elect participation in the CERT program and accompanying emergency preparedness training and planning. Policy 4. The City shall coordinate with Riverside County Emergency Services, local utilities providers and other agencies, as appropriate, to develop and distribute public information regarding emergency planning, responses, and resources available in the event of an emergency. Program 4.A. The City shall coordinate with Riverside Emergency Services, CVWD, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas and other utilities and agencies, as appropriate, to develop and disseminate public education materials advising visitors, residents and local businesses of appropriate responses in preparation for and during an emergency. Program 4.B. In conjunction with Riverside County Emergency Services, the City shall update its database to include, and coordinate with, all public and private schools, licensed day care facilities, City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-17 colleges, universities, and nursing homes to develop and disseminate public education materials to inform those entities regarding as to planning and recourse prior to and during an emergency. Program 4.C. The City shall encourage the adaptation of the Citizens Emergency Response Teams model for use within nursing homes to secure those facilities for an extended period following an emergency. Program 4.D. In conjunction with the County Emergency Services Department, the City shall develop and implement an annual review of emergency preparedness coordination and plans with public higher education facilities. Program 4.E. The City shall encourage that private schools and licensed day care facilities’ participate in the COACHELLACOMM Schools’ sub-committee to access training, planning information and resources. Policy 5. The City shall provide for the expansion and refinement of its Emergency Preparedness programs to the greatest extent practical. Program 5.A. The City shall begin a process of identifying additional staff Emergency Services to serve as back-up to the Emergency Services Director, and developing and implementing a comprehensive cross-training program between this staff, the Emergency Services Director, and other knowledgeable personnel or consultants who can inform the training process. Program 5.B. The City shall identify areas for expansion and refinement of its Emergency Preparedness programs, and develop an implementation strategy for integration into the City’s Emergency Operations Plan, upon its adoption. Policy 6. The City shall monitor and, as appropriate, advise the County on development planning and proposals which may conflict with the City's hazards assessments or it's Emergency Preparedness Plan. Program 6.A. The City shall identify constraints that may limit accessibility and resources in the city and its sphere of influence and will identify necessary services and accessibility to these areas in the event that it should at some point incorporate these areas into its city limits. Hazardous Materials Certified Uniform Program Agency The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health is the designated CUPA for Palm Desert. The CUPA was created by the California Legislature to minimize the number of business inspections and fees imposed on businesses. CUPA areas of responsibility are those described above under the heading “Unified Program.” Riverside County General Plan The Riverside County General Plan Safety Element contains the following policy relative to hazardous waste and materials. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-18 Policy S 6.1. Enforce the policies and siting criteria and implement the programs identified in the County of Riverside Hazardous Waste Management plan, which includes the following: (AI 98) a. Comply with federal and state laws pertaining to the management of hazardous wastes and materials. b. Ensure active public participation in hazardous waste and hazardous materials management decisions in Riverside County. c. Coordinate hazardous waste facility responsibilities on a regional basis through the Southern California Hazardous Waste Management Authority (SCHWMA). d. Encourage and promote the programs, practices, and recommendations contained in the County Hazardous Waste Management Plan, giving the highest waste management priority to the reduction of hazardous waste at its source. City of Palm Desert General Plan The City of Palm Desert General Plan was last updated in 2004 and includes policies and programs related specifically to hazardous materials, primarily in the Hazards and Toxic Materials Element, as identified below. Additional relevant policies and programs are included in the Fire and Police Protection Element, also as identified below. Hazards and Hazardous Materials Element Policy 1. The City shall continue to encourage existing research and studies on potential and known hazards to public health and safety and make this information available to the general public, commercial interests, and governmental organizations. Policy 2. The City shall continue to conduct and participate in studies with other agencies to identify existing and potential hazards to public health and safety. Policy 3. Maintain, coordinate, and update hazardous spills as a result of accident or intentional action, and community evacuation plans. Program 3.A. The Fire Department shall maintain a citywide Emergency Response Program, which provides for emergency services in the event of a hazardous spill or airborne release. Policy 4. Continue to maintain the critical centralized infrastructure and plan for enhancements to both the emergency and general city communications systems. Policy 5. The City shall thoroughly evaluate development proposals for lands directly adjacent to sites known to be contaminated with hazardous or toxic materials, as well as sites, which use potentially hazardous or toxic materials. The City may require soils testing of the proposed development site and the implementation of mitigation measures, which reduce the adverse affects of any contaminants to insignificant levels. Program 5.A. Periodically consult with the County of Riverside Department of Health to identify existing and new hazardous waste sites within the General Plan study area, which may include conducting onsite testing and other assessments. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-19 Program 5.B. A Conditional Use Permit shall be required for all new development that generates, transports, or stores significant hazardous materials. Policy 6. Encourage and facilitate the adequate and timely cleanup of existing and future contaminated sites within the city and its sphere-of-influence. Program 6.A. Coordinate with responsible county, state and federal agencies to activate cleanup procedures, and monitor the status of cleanup efforts on an ongoing basis. Policy 7. The City shall designate appropriate access routes to facilitate the transport of hazardous and toxic materials. Program 7.A. Coordinate with the Fire Department, Police Department, neighboring jurisdictions, and other appropriate agencies to identify segments of highway or local roads that shall be restricted from transporting hazardous and toxic materials in order to preserve public safety. Program 7.B. Enforce roadway access restrictions and consider the implementation of fines or penalties for violations. Policy 8. Develop and maintain an inventory and information database of all hazardous waste sites within the city limits and General Plan study area, and regulate the transport, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials to the extent empowered. Policy 9. Develop and maintain a list of the location of all underground fuel storage tanks with the potential to release hazardous materials into the environment, and monitor their use on an ongoing basis. Program 9.A. Coordinate with responsible agencies to assure enforcement of state and federal regulations for the testing and monitoring of underground fuel storage tanks for leakage. Policy 10. Continue to promote programs that encourage or educate the public in the proper handling and disposal of household hazardous waste or dangerous materials. Program 10.A. Provide persons and small businesses within the Planning Area with environmental information or audits to help them conserve resources, energy, reduce toxics and waste in accordance with county, state, and federal regulations, and provide general education on how to run an environmentally friendly business or household. Program 10.B. Develop an educational program and information materials, such as a community newsletter or hotline assistance, regarding proper management and disposal of hazardous and toxic wastes; distribute it to residents and small businesses, and post it on the City web site. Policy 11. The City shall actively oppose plans to establish hazardous or toxic waste dumps, landfills, or industrial processes that may potentially adversely affect the city and its Sphere of Influence. Fire and Police Protection Element Policy 8. The City, County Department of Environmental Health and other appropriate agencies shall regulate the use and storage of potentially hazardous materials. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-20 Program 8.A. The general location and siting of facilities which involve the use and/or storage of hazardous, highly flammable or explosive materials shall be thoroughly reviewed by City public safety specialists, and shall be conducted in such a manner that assures the highest level of safety in strict conformance with the Uniform Fire Code and other applicable codes and regulations. Airport Operations Hazards Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan The Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) adopted an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) pertaining to the Bermuda Dunes Airport, located in the Planning Area. The ALUCP Planning Area generally encompasses lands within a 9,000-foot radius of the runway centerline of Bermuda Dunes Airport. In order to provide for the orderly growth of the airport and surrounding area, the ALUCP includes defined airport compatibility zones in the vicinity of the airport, largely based on safety and noise factors, with prescribed land use restrictions by which the ALUC and other jurisdictions may assess the compatibility of proposed development projects in those areas. The adopted compatibility map for Bermuda Dunes Airport is shown in Figure 8-1. Riverside County General Plan The Planning Area are within the Western Coachella Valley Area Plan, as identified in the Riverside County General Plan. The following policy relates specifically to land uses affected by Bermuda Dunes Airport. Policy WCVAP 5.1. To provide for the orderly development of Bermuda Dunes Airport and the surrounding area, comply with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for Bermuda Dunes Airport as fully set forth in Appendix L and as summarized in Table 4, as well as any applicable policies related to airports in the Land Use, Circulation, Safety and Noise Elements of the Riverside County General Plan. Fire Hazards Riverside County General Plan The City of Palm Desert contracts with Riverside County for fire protection. The County in turn contracts with the State. Though the City of Palm Desert is not guided by Riverside County’s general plan, the Safety Element of the Riverside County General Plan contains the following policies related to fire management, which could apply to areas adjacent to the Planning Area. Policy S 5.1. Develop and enforce construction and design standards that ensure that proposed development incorporates fire prevention features through the following: a. All proposed construction shall meet minimum standards for fire safety as defined in the County Building or Fire Codes, or by County zoning, or as dictated by the Building Official or the Transportation Land Management Agency based on building type, design, occupancy, and use. b. In addition to the standards and guidelines of the Uniform Building Code and Uniform Fire Code fire safety provisions, continue additional standards for high-risk, high occupancy, dependent, and essential facilities where appropriate under the Riverside County Fire City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-21 Protection Ordinance. These shall include assurance that structural and nonstructural architectural elements of the building will not:  impede emergency egress for fire safety staffing/personnel, equipment, and apparatus; nor  hinder evacuation from fire, including potential blockage of stairways or fire doors. c. Proposed development in Hazardous Fire areas shall provide secondary public access, unless determined otherwise by the County Fire Chief. d. Proposed development in Hazardous Fire areas shall use single loaded roads to enhance fuel modification areas, unless otherwise determined by the County Fire Chief. Policy S 5.2. Reduce fire threat and strengthen fire-fighting capability so that the County could successfully respond to multiple fires (AI 88). Policy S 5.3. Require automatic natural gas shutoff earthquake sensors in high-occupancy industrial and commercial facilities, and encourage them for all residences. Policy S 5.4. Utilize ongoing brush clearance fire inspections to educate homeowners on fire prevention tips. (AI 96) Policy S 5.5. Conduct and implement long-range fire safety planning, including stringent building, fire, subdivision, and municipal code standards, improved infrastructure, and improved mutual aid agreements with the private and public sector. Policy S 5.6. Ensure coordination between the Fire Department and the Transportation Land Management Agency, Environmental Heath Department and private and public water purveyors to improve fire fighting infrastructure, during implementation of the County's capital improvement programs, by obtaining:  replacement and/or relocation of old cast-iron pipelines and inadequate water mains when street improvements are planned;  assessment of impact fees as a condition of development; and $ redundant emergency distribution pipelines in areas of potential ground failure or where determined to be necessary. Policy S 5.7. Develop a program to utilize existing reservoirs, tanks, and water wells in the County for emergency fire suppression water sources. Policy S 5.8. Periodically review inter-jurisdictional fire response agreements, and improve fire fighting resources as recommended in the County Fire Protection Master Plan to keep pace with development, including construction of additional high-rises, mid-rise business parks, increasing numbers of facilities housing immobile populations, and the risk posed by multiple ignitions, to ensure that (AI 4, AI 88):  Fire reporting and response times do not exceed those listed in the County Fire Protection Master Plan identified for each of the development densities described; City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-22  Fire flow requirements (water for fire protection) are consistent with Insurance Service Office (ISO) recommendations; and  The planned deployment and height of aerial ladders and other specialized equipment and apparatus are sufficient for the intensity of development desired. Policy S 5.9. Continue County Fire Department collaboration with the Transportation Land Management Agency (TLMA) to update development guidelines for the urban/wildland interface areas. These guidelines should include increasing the development area to at least 30 feet past the usual boundary (AI 88). Policy S 5.10. Continue to utilize the Riverside County Fire Protection Master Plan as the base document to implement the goals and objectives of the Safety Element. City of Palm Desert General Plan The City of Palm Desert General Plan was last updated in 2004 and includes a Fire and Police Protection Element, which contains policies and programs related specifically to fire protection and services, as identified below. Fire and Police Protection Element Policy 1. The City shall strictly enforce fire standards and regulations in the course of reviewing development and building plans and conducting building inspections. Program 1.A. Coordinate with the Coachella Valley Water District to assure sufficient water supplies and pressures are available to provide adequate fire flows for all existing and proposed development. Program 1.B. Development proposals shall be transmitted to the Police Department and the City Fire Marshal, and input shall be incorporated into project design or conditions of approval, as appropriate. Program 1.C. Commercial, industrial and institutional buildings, and multi-family developments shall be periodically inspected by the Fire Department to assure compliance with applicable fire codes and to educate building and development managers on fire safety issues. Policy 2. All proposals for new or substantially remodeled developments shall be reviewed for their potential demand for and impacts on city safety and the provision of police and fire protection services. Program 2.A. Consult and coordinate long-term planning with the Fire and Police Departments regarding the optimal location of future fire and police stations, and assure that adequate staffing levels are provided to meet the demands of new development in the city. Program 2.B. The City shall continue to monitor development levels in the vicinity of Cook Street and Interstate 10 to evaluate the need for and feasibility of constructing a new fire station in this area. Program 2.C. The City shall routinely evaluate and modify its structural fire assessments, as necessary, to assure that these funds are sufficient to cover annual operating costs. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-23 Policy 4. The City shall strive to maintain Fire Department staffing and other appropriate measures of community fire protection to maintain an ISO Class 3 insurance rating. Policy 5. Emergency, police, fire and paramedic vehicles shall be provided unencumbered access to all new development to the satisfaction of the City Fire Marshal, with a planning objective of maintaining a five minute response time over 95 percent of all priority one emergencies. Policy 11. Special on-site fire protection measures may be required on well vegetated, hilly areas with slopes of 10 percent or greater, with possible access problems, and/or a lack of sufficient water and/or water pressure. Such measures shall be specified during project review. Policy 12. The City shall periodically review the level, quality, innovation and cost-effectiveness of police and fire protection services, including contract services, and shall remain flexible when considering the most effective means of providing these services to the community. Policy 14. The City Police and Fire Departments shall closely coordinate and cooperate with the City and County emergency preparedness teams and shall assure the most effective disaster response practical. 8.4 References Bermuda Dunes Airport. 2014. Airport Information. Accessed July 2014. http://www.bermudadunesairport.com/airport-info/. Cal Fire (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection). 2004. Vegetation Management Program. Accessed July 2014. http://www.fire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/downloads/VMP2004.pdf. 2007. Riverside County Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps. Accessed July 2014. http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/fhsz_maps_riversidewest.php. 2012a. About Us. Accessed July 2014. http://calfire.ca.gov/about/about.php. 2012b. Wildland Urban Building Codes. Accessed July 2014. http://calfire.ca.gov/fire_protection/fire_protection_wildland.php. 2013a. 2010 Strategic Fire Plan for California. Accessed July 2014. http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/fireplan/fireplanning.php. 2013b. Pipeline Safety Division. Accessed July 2014. http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pipeline/pipeline.php. City of Palm Desert. 2004. City of Palm Desert Comprehensive General Plan. 2010. City of Palm Desert Emergency Operations Plan. 2012. City of Palm Desert Local Hazards Mitigation Plan. DTSC (California Department of Toxic Substances Control). 2014a. EnviroStor. Accessed July 2014. http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/. 2014b. Registered Hazardous Waste Transporter Database. Accessed July 2014. https://dtsc.ca.gov/database/Transporters/index.cfm. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 8-24 EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency). 2014. Superfund. Accessed July 2014. http://cfpub.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/srchsites.cfm. Forests and Rangelands. 2014. Previous Wildland Fire Management Initiatives. Accessed July 2014. http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/resources/overview/. PHMSA (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration). 2012. National Pipeline Mapping System Public Map Viewer. Accessed July 2014. https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/. 2014. PHMSA Updates. Accessed July 2014. http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA. RCFD (Riverside County Fire Department). 2014. Our Department. Accessed July 2014. http://www.rvcfire.org/Pages/default.aspx. SWRCB (State Water Resources Control Board). 2014. GeoTracker. Accessed July 2014. http://geotracker.swrcb.ca.gov/. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-1 9. Hydrology and Water Resources 9.1 Introduction This section presents the existing hydrology and water quality conditions, existing flood hazards, regulations, issues, and indicators for the city of Palm Desert. This section draws upon data from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) California Geological Survey, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), the City’s General Plan, the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), and previous environmental documentation prepared for the City. 9.2 Environmental Setting Regional Hydrology The city of Palm Desert is located in the Colorado River Basin Region. The region covers approximately 13 million acres (20,000 square miles) in the southeastern portion of California. It includes all of Imperial County and portions of San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. A significant geographical feature of the region is the Salton Trough, which contains the Salton Sea and the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. The two valleys are separated by the Salton Sea, which covers the lowest area of the depression. The trough is a structural extension of the Gulf of California. The Coachella Valley (Valley) is underlain by several large subsurface aquifers, known as subbasins, with boundaries that are generally defined by tectonic faults that restrict the lateral movement of water. The Whitewater River subbasin, the largest groundwater repository for the Coachella Valley, underlies the city of Palm Desert and a substantial portion of the valley floor. The Whitewater River subbasin encompasses approximately 400 square miles and generally extends from the junction of Interstate 10 and Highway 111, to the Salton Sea approximately 70 miles to the east. The subbasin is bounded on the north and east by the Garnet Hill and San Andreas Faults, respectively, and on the south by the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains. The Whitewater River subbasin is divided into four subareas: Palm Springs, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Oasis. The city of Palm Desert is within the boundaries of the upper Thermal subarea which extends from Cathedral City to Point Happy (near the intersection of Washington Street and State Highway 111). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-2 Sand and gravel lenses underlying the Thermal Subarea are discontinuous and clay beds are not extensive. However, two aquifer zones separated by a zone of finer-grained materials were identified from well logs. The fine grained materials within the intervening horizontal plane are not tight enough or persistent enough to restrict completely the vertical interflow of water, or to assign the term “aquiclude” to it. Therefore, the term “aquitard” is used for this zone of less permeable material that separates the upper and lower aquifer zones in the southeastern part of the Valley. Capping the upper aquifer at the surface are tight clays and silts with minor amounts of sands. Semi- perched groundwater occurs in this capping zone, which is up to 100 feet thick. Local Hydrology Limited surface water in the city and Sphere of Influence (SOI) is available in the winter and spring months from the Whitewater River, Palm Valley Stormwater Channel, Ramon Creek, Bruce Creek, Dead Indian Creek, and Cat Creek, as well as a number of smaller creeks and washes. The majority of local surface water is derived from runoff from the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains with lesser amounts from the Santa Rosa Mountains. This runoff either percolates in the streambeds or is captured in mountain-front debris basins where it recharges the groundwater basin. According to the estimates developed for the 2010 Coachella Valley Water Management Plan (CVWMP) update, an average of approximately 44,000 acre feet per year (AFY) of surface water recharges the Whitewater River subbasin. With the change in surface water use, the long-term average surface water available for recharge is estimated to be about 46,400 AFY. In 2009, surface water supplied less than 1 percent of the total water supply to the West Valley to meet urban and golf course demands. Figure 9-1 shows the existing surface water in the city and SOI. CVWD and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District are responsible for the management of regional drainage within and in the vicinity of Palm Desert, including rivers, major streams and their tributaries, and areas of significant sheet flooding. Regional drains in the city and SOI include the Whitewater Channel (called the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel south of the city and SOI), the Palm Valley Channel, and the Mid-Valley Regional Channel. Figure 9-2 shows the network of drainage lines in the city and SOI. Since most of the original drainage system in the Coachella Valley was constructed more than 50 years ago, it is approaching the end of its useful life. Significant maintenance and replacement will be required. The anticipated transition of land use from agriculture to urban will not eliminate this need because the underlying fine-grained sediments continue to impede the percolation of irrigation water. As development occurs in locations susceptible to shallow perched groundwater, the existing drainage system will need to be replaced and new drains constructed to control the shallow groundwater condition. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-3 FIGURE 9. 1: BODIES OF WATER City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-4 FIGURE 9. 2: STORMWATER DRAINAGE City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-5 Groundwater Hydrology The Whitewater River subbasin is developed to the point where significant groundwater production occurs. The natural supply of water to the northwestern part of the Coachella Valley is not keeping pace with the basin outflow due mainly to large consumptive uses created by the resort-recreation economy and permanent resident population. The imported Colorado River supply through the Coachella Canal is used mainly for irrigation. Annual deliveries of Colorado River water through the Coachella Canal of approximately 300,000 acre-foot (AF) are a significant component of southeastern Valley hydrology. CVWD provides domestic water services to Palm Desert using wells to extract groundwater from the Whitewater River subbasin. The groundwater supply of the Whitewater River subbasin consists of a combination of natural runoff, inflows from adjacent basins, returns from groundwater, recycled water, and imported water use. The supply is supplemented with artificial recharge with imported State Water Project Exchange and Colorado River water. The demand for groundwater has annually exceeded the limited natural recharge of the groundwater basin. The condition of a groundwater basin in which the outflows (demands) exceed the inflows (supplies) to the groundwater basin over the long term is called “overdraft.” Groundwater levels in the West Valley, which includes Palm Desert, have decreased substantially, except in the areas near the Whitewater Recharge Facility where artificial recharge has successfully raised water levels. Groundwater production in the western portion of the subbasin totaled 181,994 AF in 2013. Total inflows and outflows to the West Valley of the Whitewater River subbasin for the year 2013 are summarized in Table 9-1. The natural inflow of 36,000 AFY includes natural replenishment and flow across subbasin boundaries. The nonconsumptive return of applied water is estimated at 63,698 AF, which is 35 percent of the reported production of 181,994 AFY. The total inflow includes the natural inflow, the nonconsumptive return and the 26,620 AF of actual water replenished. The total outflow is the reported groundwater production plus 7,000 AFY of natural outflow. TABLE 9-1: ANNUAL WATER BALANCE IN THE WEST VALLEY PORTION OF THE WHITEWATER RIVER SUBBASIN Item Annual Calculation (AF) 2013 Groundwater Production -181,994 Non-consumptive return (1) 63,698 Natural inflow (2) 36,000 Natural outflow (3) -7,000 Groundwater replenishment (4) 26,620 Annual balance (5) -62,676 Source: Coachella Valley Water District 2014 (1) Based on 35 percent of production (181,994 AF x 0.35 = 63,698 AF). (2) Natural replenishment and flows across subbasin boundaries (USGS 1992). (3) Subsurface flows to the east portion of the Whitewater River subbasin (USGS 1992). (4) Water delivered to the Whitewater Groundwater Replenishment Facility. (5) This is a decrease in stored groundwater equal to 0.22 percent of th e subbasin’s storage capacity. The annual balance is the total inflow less the total outflow for a loss of 62,676 AF of water in storage in the subbasin per year. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-6 Overdraft In 2013, the annual water balance for the West Valley portion of the Whitewater River subbasin was negative, providing an increase in the cumulative overdraft. Imported water may offset groundwater overdraft in a particular year. However, on a long-term basis, water requirements are likely to continue to place demands on groundwater in storage. The 2010 CVWMP update outlines a plan to address long-term overdraft in the Coachella Valley. Groundwater Storage In 1964, the DWR estimated that the subbasins in the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin contained, in the first 1,000 feet below the ground surface, approximately 39,200,000 AF of water. The capacities of the subbasins are shown in Table 9-2. Water Quality Bodies of Surface Water The EPA identifies impaired bodies of surface water under federal Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d). Impairment is measured by Total Maximum Daily Load TABLE 9-2: ESTIMATED GROUNDWATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY GROUNDWATER BASIN Area Storage (1) (AF) San Gorgonio Pass Subbasin 2,700,000 Mission Creek Subbasin 2,600,000 Desert Hot Springs Subbasin 4,100,000 Garnet Hill Subbasin 1,000,000 Subtotal 10,400,000 Whitewater River (Indio) Subbasin Palm Springs Subarea 4,600,000 Thousand Palms Subarea 1,800,000 Oasis Subarea 3,000,000 Thermal Subarea 19,400,000 Subtotal Whitewater River Subbasin 28,800,000 Total All Subbasins 39,200,000 Source: Coachella Valley Water District 2014 (1) First 1,000 feet below ground surface (DWR 1964). (TMDL), which is the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards. There are currently no impaired bodies of surface water within the city and SOI. Groundwater Groundwater quality in the Coachella Valley varies with depth, proximity to faults, presence of surface contaminants, proximity to recharge basins, and other hydrogeologic or cultural features. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-7 Colorado River water used for direct delivery and recharge in the Coachella Valley has higher total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations on average than most of the local groundwater. Based on historical and projected variations in Colorado River water quality, the TDS range for the State Water Project (SWP) Exchange water recharged at the Whitewater River Recharge Facility is 530 to 750 mg/L, averaging 636 mg/L since 1973. The use of Colorado River water for groundwater recharge increases salinity in the Valley groundwater basin. Increased salinity has been observed in wells near the Whitewater recharge facility, which services the West Valley. The 2010 Water Management Plan identifies the current and emerging groundwater quality issues including salinity (as discussed above), arsenic, perchlorate, chromium-6, uranium, nitrate, carcinogens, and endocrine-disrupting compounds. CVWD continually monitors each of these issues to ensure water quality in the Coachella Valley. Stormwater Runoff The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) implements the federal CWA and was adopted in 1990. The NPDES mandates that plans and programs for stormwater management be developed, adopted, and implemented to assure that municipalities “effectively prohibit non- stormwater discharge into storm drains, and requires controls to reduce the discharge of pollutants from stormwater systems to waters of the United States to the maximum extent possible.” Pollutant control measures are exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis. The City of Palm Desert is a co-permittee with the County of Riverside, CVWD, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and municipalities within the Whitewater River Basin for NPDES management. The City Public Works Department manages the City’s NPDES program. Dam Failure The city and SOI do not include water reservoirs or dams subject to failure; however, the Wide Canyon Flood Control Dam located in Fun Valley has the potential to inundate portions of the Coachella Valley. Wide Canyon Dam is an earthfill dam, built in 1968, with a dam height of 84 feet and storage of 1,490 AF, and maintained by the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. The statutes governing dam safety are defined in Division 3 of the California State Water Code. It empowers the California Division of Safety of Dams to monitor the structural safety of dams that are greater than 25 feet in dam height or 50 AF in storage capacity. Flood Hazards Potential flooding problems in the city of Palm Desert are associated with storm flows in the Whitewater River and its tributaries, flooding on the alluvial fans, and to runoff associated with the Indio Hills and the foothills of the San Bernardino and Little San Bernardino Mountains. Floods that impact the city can be attributed to three different types of storm events: general winter storms, combining high-intensity rainfall and rapid melting of the mountain snowpack; tropical City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-8 storms out of the southern Pacific Ocean; and summer thunderstorms. A summer storm poses greater threat of flooding to the valley than a winter storm because of its high intensity and short duration of rainfall. The eccentricity of this type of storm can be characterized by the impact of the September 1976 summer-type storm, which resulted in no significant damage to the cities of Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, and La Quinta, yet caused extensive damage to Palm Desert. Most of the rainfall occurs during the cooler months of November through March, but occasional high-intensity thunderstorms and tropical storms occur in late summer and early fall. Although the ground may be generally dry at the beginning of a storm, sufficient amounts and intensities of rainfall can saturate the surface, substantially reducing percolation and increasing runoff. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Ratings and Flood Insurance Rate Maps Figure 9-3 illustrates FEMA’s 100-year flood zone areas for Palm Desert (FEMA 2008). A 100-year flood is an event that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. Most of the portion of the city and SOI north of Interstate 10 is in a 100- or 500-year (0.2 percent chance of occurring in any given year) flood zone. The Palm Valley Stormwater Channel and the Whitewater River are in a 100-year flood zone. In addition, a small portion of the city and SOI near the Palm Valley Stormwater Channel is in a 500-year flood zone. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-9 FIGURE 9.3: FEMA FLOOD ZONES City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-10 9.3 Regulatory Setting Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Federal Clean Water Act The CWA of 1972 is the primary federal law that governs and authorizes the EPA and the states to implement activities to control water quality. The following sections outline the various water quality elements of the CWA that apply to the General Plan update. Water Quality Criteria and Standards The EPA is the federal agency with primary authority for implementing regulations adopted under the CWA. The EPA has delegated to the state of California the authority to implement and oversee most of the programs authorized or adopted for CWA compliance through the state’s Porter- Cologne Act, described below. Under federal law, the EPA has published water quality regulations under Volume 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Section 303 of the CWA requires states to adopt water quality standards for all surface waters of the United States. As defined by the CWA, water quality standards consist of the designated beneficial uses of the water body in question and criteria that protect the designated uses. Section 304(a) requires the EPA to publish advisory water quality criteria that accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge on the kind and extent of all effects on health and welfare that may be expected from the presence of pollutants in water. Where multiple uses exist, water quality standards must protect the most sensitive use. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program (NPDES) The CWA established the NPDES permit program to regulate municipal and industrial discharges to surface waters of the United States. A discharge from any point source is unlawful unless the discharge is in compliance with an NPDES permit. Federal NPDES permit regulations have been established for broad categories of discharges including industrial, construction, point-source, municipal waste, and nonpoint-source stormwater runoff. NPDES permits generally identify effluent and receiving water limits on allowable concentrations and/or mass emissions of pollutants contained in the discharge, prohibitions on discharges not specifically allowed under the permit, and provisions that describe required actions by the discharger, including industrial pretreatment, pollution prevention, self-monitoring, and other activities. In 1990, the EPA published regulations establishing NPDES permit requirements for municipal and industrial stormwater discharges. Phase 1 of the permitting program applied to municipal discharges of stormwater in urban areas where the population exceeded 100,000 persons, including the city of Palm Desert. In 2003, the EPA established Phase 2 requirements of the NPDES stormwater permit regulations (known as the NPDES General Permit for Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems [MS4s]). Phase 2 requires NPDES permits to be issued for projects with construction activity that disturb 1 acre or more. RWQCBs implement the NPDES permit system (see additional information under State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws, below). The city and SOI is within the jurisdiction of the Colorado River Basin RWQCB. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-11 Section 401 Water Quality Certification or Waiver Under Section 401 of the CWA, an applicant for a Section 404 permit (to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States) must first obtain a certificate from the appropriate state agency stating that the fill is consistent with the state’s water quality standards and criteria. In California, the nine RWQCBs have the authority to grant water quality certification or waive the requirements. Section 303(d) Impaired Waters List Section 303(d) of the CWA requires states to develop lists of water bodies that would not attain water quality objectives after implementation of required levels of treatment by point-source dischargers (municipalities and industries). Section 303(d) requires that the state develop a TMDL for each of the listed pollutants. The TMDL is the amount of loading that the water body can receive and still be in compliance with water quality objectives. The TMDL can also act as a plan to reduce loading of a specific pollutant from various sources to achieve compliance with water quality objectives. The state-prepared TDML must include an allocation of allowable loadings to point and nonpoint sources, with consideration of background loadings (sources of naturally occurring pollutants) and a margin of safety. The TMDL must also include an analysis that shows links between loading reductions and the attainment of water quality objectives. The EPA must either approve a TMDL prepared by the state or, if it disapproves the state’s TMDL, issue its own. NPDES permit limits for listed pollutants must be consistent with the waste load allocation prescribed in the TMDL. After implementation of a TMDL, it is intended that the problems that led to placement of a given pollutant on the Section 303(d) list would be remediated. National Toxics Rule and California Toxics Rule In 1992, the EPA issued the National Toxics Rule under the CWA to establish numeric criteria for California priority toxic pollutants. The National Toxics Rule established water quality standards for 42 pollutants not covered under California’s statewide water quality regulations at that time. As a result of the court-ordered revocation of California’s statewide water quality control plans (basin plans) in 1994, the EPA initiated efforts to issue additional federal water quality standards for California. In 2000, the EPA issued the California Toxics Rule, which includes all the priority pollutants for which the EPA has issued numeric criteria not included in the National Toxics Rule. Safe Drinking Water Act Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Public Law 93-523) passed in 1974, the EPA regulates contaminants of concern to domestic water supply. The act defines contaminants of concern as contaminants that pose a public health threat or alter the aesthetic acceptability (e.g., taste and odor, staining of laundry and porcelain fixtures) of the water. The EPA’s primary and secondary maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), which apply to treated water supplies delivered to the distribution system, regulate contaminants of concern. MCLs and the process for setting these standards are reviewed every three years. Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act enacted in 1986 and 1996 established an accelerated schedule for setting MCLs for drinking water. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-12 The EPA has delegated the responsibility for administering California’s drinking-water program to the California Department of Public Health (DPH). The DPH is accountable to the EPA for program implementation and for adopting standards and regulations that are at least as stringent as those developed by the EPA. The applicable state primary and secondary MCLs are set forth in Title 22, Division 4, Chapter 15, Article 4 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), and described in Title 22 Standards, below. National Flood Insurance Program FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program to provide subsidized flood insurance to communities that comply with FEMA regulations that limit development in floodplains. FEMA also issues Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) that identify which land areas are subject to flooding. These maps provide flood information and identify flood hazard zones in the community. FEMA established the design standard for flood protection in areas covered by FIRMs, with the minimum level of flood protection for new development determined to be a 1-in-100 probability of annual exceedance (i.e., the 100-year flood event). As developments are proposed and constructed, FEMA is also responsible for issuing revisions to FIRMs, such as Conditional Letters of Map Revision and Letters of Map Revision through the local agencies that work with the National Flood Insurance Program. Executive Order 11988 Executive Order 11988 requires federal agencies to avoid to the extent possible the long- and short- term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of flood plains and to avoid direct and indirect support of floodplain development wherever there is a practicable alternative. It generally requires federal agencies constructing, permitting, or funding a project in a floodplain to avoid incompatible floodplain development, be consistent with the standards and criteria of the National Flood Insurance Program, and restore and preserve natural and beneficial floodplain values. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) The USACE is responsible for issuing permits for the placement of fill or discharge of material into waters of the United States. These permits are required under Sections 401 and 404 of the CWA. Water supply projects that involve stream construction, such as dams or other types of diversion structures, trigger the need for these permits and related environmental reviews by the USACE. The USACE also is responsible for flood control planning and assisting state and local agencies with the design and funding of local flood control projects. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) In California, the SWRCB has broad authority over issues related to controlling water quality for the state. The SWRCB is responsible for developing statewide water quality policy and exercises the powers delegated to the state by the federal government under the CWA. Other state agencies with jurisdiction over water quality regulation in California include the DPH (for drinking water regulations), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-13 Regional authority for planning, permitting, and enforcement is delegated to the nine RWQCBs. The regional boards are required to formulate and adopt basin plans for all areas in the region and establish water quality objectives in the plans. California water quality objectives (or “criteria” under the CWA) are found in the basin plans adopted by the SWRCB and each of the nine RWQCBs. The Colorado River Basin RWQCB is responsible for the city and SOI and surrounding region. Chapter 15, Public Services, Utilities, and Recreation, addresses the state regulations that apply to the demonstration of adequate water supply for the future water demands. Title 22 Standards California’s drinking water quality standards are contained in Title 22 of the CCR. Water quality standards are enforceable limits composed of two parts: the designated beneficial uses of water and criteria (i.e., numeric or narrative limits) to protect those beneficial uses. Municipal and domestic supply is among the beneficial uses defined in Section 13050(f) of the Porter-Cologne Act as uses of surface water and groundwater that must be protected against water quality degradation. MCLs are components of the drinking water standards adopted by the California Department of Health Services (now DPH) pursuant to the California Safe Drinking Water Act (Title 22 of the CCR, Division 4, Chapter 15, Domestic Water Quality and Monitoring). Primary water quality objectives were established for protection of health. Secondary water quality objectives were established for aesthetic concerns (e.g., taste and odor, staining of laundry and porcelain fixtures), and at elevated levels do not pose a health hazard. Drinking water MCLs directly apply to water supply systems “at the tap” (i.e., at the point of use by consumers in, for example, their home and office), and are enforceable by the state and the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health. California MCLs, both primary and secondary, directly apply to groundwater and surface water resources when they are specifically referenced as water quality objectives in the pertinent basin plan. In such cases, MCLs become enforceable limits by the SWRCB and RWQCBs. When fully health-protective, MCLs may also be used to interpret narrative water quality objectives prohibiting toxicity to humans in water designated as a source of drinking water in the basin plan. Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act The Porter-Cologne Act is California’s statutory authority for the protection of water quality. Under the act, the state must adopt water quality policies, plans, and objectives that protect the state’s waters for the use and enjoyment of the people. The act sets forth the obligations of the SWRCB and RWQCBs to adopt and periodically update basin plans. Basin plans are the regional water quality control plans required by both the CWA and Porter-Cologne Act in which beneficial uses, water quality objectives, and implementation programs are established for each of the nine regions in California. The act also requires waste dischargers to notify the RWQCBs of their activities through the filing of reports of waste discharge and authorizes the SWRCB and RWQCBs to issue and enforce waste discharge requirements, NPDES permits, Section 401 water quality certifications, or other approvals. The RWQCBs also have authority to issue waivers to reports of waste discharge and/or waste discharge requirements for broad categories of “low threat” discharge activities that have minimal potential for adverse water quality effects when implemented according to prescribed terms and conditions. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-14 Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plan The city and SOI are within the Colorado River Basin RWQCB, which is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the water quality control plan for the Colorado River Basin. The basin plan defines the beneficial uses, water quality objectives, implementation programs, and monitoring and assessment programs for the waters in the region. California State Nondegradation Policy In 1968, the SWRCB adopted a nondegradation policy aimed at maintaining high quality for waters in California. The nondegradation policy states that the disposal of wastes into state waters shall be regulated to achieve the highest water quality consistent with maximum benefit to the people of the state and to promote the peace, health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state. The policy provides as follows:  Where the existing quality of water is better than required under existing water quality control plans, such quality would be maintained until it has been demonstrated that any change would be consistent with maximum benefit to the people of the state and would not unreasonably affect present and anticipated beneficial uses of such water.  Any activity which produces waste or increases the volume or concentration of waste and which discharges to existing high-quality waters would be required to meet waste discharge requirements, which would ensure (1) pollution or nuisance would not occur and (2) the highest water quality consistent with the maximum benefit to the people of the state would be maintained. California Toxics Rule (CTR) and State Implementation Plan (SIP) The CTR was issued in 2000 in response to requirements of the EPA National Toxics Rule and establishes numeric water quality criteria for approximately 130 priority pollutant trace metals and organic compounds. The CTR criteria are regulatory criteria adopted for inland surface waters, enclosed bays, and estuaries in California that are subject to CWA Section 303(c). The CTR includes criteria for the protection of aquatic life and human health. Human health criteria (water- and organism-based) apply to all waters with a Municipal and Domestic Water Supply Beneficial Use designation as indicated in the basin plans. The Policy for Implementation of Toxics Standards for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California, also known as the SIP, was adopted by the SWRCB in 2000. It establishes provisions for:  Translating CTR criteria, National Toxics Rule criteria, and the basin plans’ water quality objectives for toxic pollutants into NPDES permit effluent limits.  Determining effluent compliance.  Monitoring for 2,3,7,8-TCDD (dioxin) and its toxic equivalents.  Providing chronic (long-term) toxicity control.  Initiating site-specific water quality objective development.  Granting exceptions for effluent compliance. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-15 The goal of the SIP is to establish a standardized approach for the permitting of discharges of toxic effluents to inland surface waters, enclosed bays, and estuaries in a consistent fashion throughout the state. NPDES Permit System and Waste Discharge Requirements for Construction The SWRCB has adopted specific NPDES permits for a variety of activities that have potential to discharge wastes to waters of the state. The SWRCB General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction and Land Disturbance Activities (Order 99-08-Division of Water Quality [DWQ]) applies to all land-disturbing construction activities that would affect 1 acre or more. Activities subject to the NPDES general permit for construction activity must develop and implement a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). The SWPPP includes a site map and description of construction activities and identifies the best management practices (BMP) that will be employed to prevent soil erosion and discharge of other construction-related pollutants, such as petroleum products, solvents, paints, and cement, which could contaminate nearby water resources. A monitoring program is generally required to ensure that BMPs are implemented according to the SWPPP and are effective at controlling discharges of pollutants that are related to stormwater. On September 2, 2009, the SWRCB approved important changes to Order 99-08-DWQ. The amended general permit (Order 2009-0009-DWQ) became effective on July 1, 2010, and differs from Order 99-08-DWQ in the following important ways:  Risk-Based Permitting Approach: The amended general permit establishes three levels of risk possible for a construction site. Risk is calculated in two parts: (1) Project Sediment Risk and (2) Receiving Water Risk.  Rainfall Erosivity Waiver: The amended general permit includes the option allowing a small construction site (>1 and <5 acres) to self-certify if the rainfall erosivity value (R value) for its project's given location and time frame calculates to be less than or equal to 5 (the variable “R” in the EPA’s Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation). Dischargers can access the online rainfall erosivity calculator from the EPA’s website.  Technology-Based Numeric Action Levels (NAL): The amended general permit includes NALs for pH and turbidity.  Technology-Based Numeric Effluent Limitations (NEL): The amended general permit contains daily average NELs for pH during any construction phase where there is a high risk of pH discharge and daily average NELs turbidity for all discharges in Risk Level 3. The daily average NEL for turbidity is set at 500 Nephelometric Turbidity Units to represent the minimum technology that sites need to employ to meet the traditional best available technology economically achievable/best conventional pollutant control technology standard and the traditional, numeric receiving water limitations for turbidity.  Minimum Requirements Specified: The amended general permit imposes more minimum BMPs and requirements that were previously only required as elements of the SWPPP or were suggested by guidance. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-16  Project Site Soil Characteristics Monitoring and Reporting: The amended general permit provides the option for dischargers to monitor and report the soil characteristics at their project location. The primary purpose of this requirement is to provide better risk determination and eventually better program evaluation.  Effluent Monitoring and Reporting: The amended general permit requires effluent monitoring and reporting for pH and turbidity in stormwater discharges. The purpose of this monitoring is to determine compliance with the NELs and evaluate whether NALs included in this general permit are exceeded.  Receiving Water Monitoring and Reporting: The amended general permit requires some Risk Level 3 dischargers to monitor receiving waters and conduct bioassessments.  Postconstruction Storm Water Performance Standards: The amended general permit specifies runoff reduction requirements for all sites not covered by a Phase I or Phase II MS4 NPDES permit, to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate impacts from post-construction stormwater runoff.  Rain Event Action Plan: The amended general permit requires certain sites to develop and implement a rain event action plan that must be designed to protect all exposed portions of the site within 48 hours before any likely precipitation event.  Annual Reporting: The amended general permit requires all projects that are enrolled for more than one continuous three-month period to submit information and annually certify that their site is in compliance with permit requirements. The primary purpose of this requirement is to provide information needed for overall program evaluation and public information.  Certification/Training Requirements for Key Project Personnel: The amended general permit requires that key personnel (e.g., SWPPP preparers, inspectors) have specific training or certifications to ensure their level of knowledge and skills are adequate to ensure their ability to design and evaluate project specifications that will comply with general permit requirements.  Linear Underground/Overhead Projects: The amended general permit includes requirements for all linear underground/overhead projects. Municipal Stormwater Permit Program The SWRCB Municipal Storm Water Permitting Program regulates stormwater discharges from MS4s. MS4 permits are issued in two phases. Under Phase I, which started in 1990, the RWQCBs adopted NPDES stormwater permits for medium municipalities (serving between 100,000 and 250,000 people). Most of these permits are issued to a group of co-permittees encompassing an entire metropolitan area. As part of Phase II, the SWRCB adopted a General Permit for the Discharge of Storm Water from Small MS4s (Water Quality Order No. 2003-0005-DWQ) to provide permit coverage for smaller municipalities. The current MS4 permit requires the discharger to develop and implement a stormwater management plan/program with the goal of reducing the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable. The maximum extent practicable is the performance standard specified in Section 402(p) of the CWA. The management programs specify City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-17 what BMPs will be used to address certain program areas. The program areas include public education and outreach; illicit discharge detection and elimination; construction and post- construction; and good housekeeping for municipal operations. Medium municipalities are required to conduct chemical monitoring. The responsibility for drainage in the eastern part of Riverside County, including Palm Desert, is borne by a combination of the County Transportation Department, CVWD, and the City of Palm Desert. However, the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District does provide NPDES compliance for the entire county. In 2013, the Colorado River Basin RWQCB adopted Order No. R7-2013-0011 that renewed the Municipal Storm Water Permit to the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Riverside County, CVWD, and incorporated cities, including Palm Desert. The MS4 permit designates the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and Riverside County as the principal permittees, and CVWD and 10 incorporated cities as co- permittees. As the principal permittee, the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is required to coordinate and facilitate activities with the co-permittees necessary to comply with the permit requirements, but is not responsible for ensuring compliance of any individual permittee. Each permittee is required to comply only with the permit requirements applicable to discharges within its boundaries. Within its geographic jurisdiction, each permittee is required to:  Comply with the requirements of the Stormwater Quality Management Program (summarizes the program components the co-permittees will implement to comply with the MS4 permit and to reduce the discharges of pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable), as described in Part 3 of the MS4 permit.  Coordinate among its internal departments and agencies, as appropriate, to facilitate implementation of the requirements of the Stormwater Quality Management Program.  Participate in intra-agency coordination (e.g., fire department, building and safety, code enforcement, public health) necessary to successfully implement the provisions of the permit and the Stormwater Quality Management Program.  Prepare an annual budget summary of expenditures applied to the stormwater management program. This summary shall identify the stormwater budget for the following year, using estimated percentages and written explanations where necessary, for specific categories defined in Part 3, Section E of the permit. Urban Water Management Planning Act Each urban water supplier in California is required to prepare an urban water management plan (UWMP) and update the plan on or before December 31 in years ending in 5 and 0, pursuant to California Water Code Sections 10610–10657, as last amended by Senate Bill (SB) 318 (Chapter 688, Statutes of 2004), the Urban Water Management Planning Act. SB 318 is the 18th amendment to the original bill requiring an UWMP, which was initially enacted in 1983. The city and SOI are included in the Coachella Valley Water Management Plan (2012). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-18 California Water Code Section 10912 (a)/Senate Bill 610 SB 610 (Chapter 643, Statues of 2001) became effective January 1, 2002. The purpose of SB 610 is to strengthen the process by which local agencies determine whether current and future water supplies are adequate and sufficient to meet current and future demand. SB 610 amended the California Public Resources Code to incorporate California Water Code requirements within the CEQA process for certain types of projects. Projects requiring water supply assessments include (State Water Code Section 10912 (a)):  A proposed residential development of more than 500 dwelling units.  A proposed shopping center or business establishment employing more than 1,000 persons or having more than 500,000 square feet of floor space.  A proposed commercial office building employing more than 1,000 persons or having more than 250,000 square feet of floor space.  A proposed hotel or motel, or both, having more than 500 rooms.  A proposed industrial, manufacturing, or processing plant, or industrial park planned to house more than 1,000 persons, occupying more than 40 acres of land, or having more than 650,000 square feet of floor area.  A mixed-use project that includes one or more of the projects specified in this subdivision.  A project that would demand an amount of water equivalent to, or greater than, the amount of water required by a 500-dwelling-unit project. SB 610 also amended the California Water Code to broaden the types of information required to be included in an UWMP (Water Code Section 10610 et seq.). California Water Code Sections 10610–10657/Senate Bill 221 SB 221 (Chapter 642, Statues of 2001) requires a county or city to include as a condition of approval of any tentative map, parcel map, or development agreement for certain residential subdivisions a requirement that a “sufficient water supply” be available. Proof of a sufficient water supply must be based on a written verification from the public water system that would serve the development. To determine “sufficient water supply,” the water supplier must consider:  The availability of water supplies over a historical record of at least 20 years.  The applicability of an urban water shortage contingency analysis.  Any reductions in water supply allocated to a specific water use sector pursuant to an adopted resolution or ordinance or contractual obligation on the part of the public water system.  The amount of water that the water supplier can reasonably rely on receiving from other water supply projects. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-19 The written verification of a water supplier’s ability or inability to provide sufficient water to a subdivision needs to be supported by substantial evidence, which may include the public water system’s most recently adopted UWMP or other information relating to the sufficiency of the water supply. The CVWD has adopted a 2010 UWMP which serves as the foundational document and source of information for Water Supply Assessments (SB 610) and Written Verifications of Water Supply (SB 221). The UWMP also serves as:  A long-range planning document for water supply.  Source data for development of a regional water plan.  Source documents for cities and counties as they prepare their general plans.  Key components to integrated regional water management plans. Pursuant to SB 610, described above, the UWMP provide estimates for population, water demand, and water supply with projections in five-year increments to 2035. Recycled Wastewater Requirements Wastewater recycling in California is regulated under Title 22, Division 4, of the CCRs under the jurisdiction of DPH. The intent of these regulations is to ensure protection of public health associated with the use of recycled water. The regulations establish acceptable levels of constituents in recycled water for a range of uses and prescribe means for ensuring reliability in the production of recycled water. Using recycled water for nonpotable uses is common throughout the state and is an effective means of maximizing use of water resources. The Colorado River Basin RWQCB establishes water reclamation requirements under the Title 22 regulations and is responsible for implementing wastewater recycling projects. The Colorado River Basin RWQCB adopted Order No. 97-700, which identifies the general waste discharge requirements for discharge of recycled water for golf course and landscape irrigation in the Colorado River Basin. California Department of Water Resources The DWR is responsible for preparation of the California Water Plan, management of the SWPPP, regulation of dams, provision of flood protection, and other functions related to surface water and groundwater resources. Other functions include helping water agencies prepare their UWMPs. California Environmental Quality Act The CEQA Guidelines require projects with water resources to address several potential impacts based on the following threshold statements: a) Violate any water quality standards or waste discharge requirements? b) Substantially deplete groundwater supplies or interfere substantially with groundwater recharge such that there would be a net deficit in aquifer volume or a lowering of the local groundwater table level (e.g., the production rate of pre-existing nearby wells would drop to a level which would not support existing land uses or planned uses for which permits have been granted)? City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-20 c) Substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site or area, including through the alteration of the course of a stream or river, in a manner which would result in substantial erosion or siltation on- or off-site? d) Substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site or area, including through the alteration of the course of a stream or river, or substantially increase the rate or amount of surface in a manner which would result in flooding or- or off-site? e) Create or contribute runoff water which would exceed the capacity of existing or planned stormwater drainage systems or provide substantial additional sources of polluted runoff? f) Otherwise substantially degrade water quality? g) Place housing within a 100-year flood hazard area as mapped on a federal Flood Hazard Boundary or Flood Insurance Rate Map or other flood hazard delineation map? h) Place within a 100-year flood hazard area structures which would impeded or redirect flood flows? i) Expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury or death involving flooding, including flooding as a result of the failure of a levee or dam? j) Inundation by seiche, tsunami, or mudflow? Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws City of Palm Desert General Plan The Water Resources Element of the City of Palm Desert General Plan addresses water quality, availability, and conservation for the city’s current and future needs. The element also discusses the importance of ongoing coordination and cooperation between the City, CVWD, and other agencies responsible for supplying water to the region. The goals, policies, and programs set forth in this element direct staff and other City officials in the management of this essential resource. The following policies regarding water resources are included in the General Plan. Policy 1. To the greatest extent practical, the City shall continue to encourage the use of drought-tolerant, low water consuming landscaping as a means of reducing overall and per capita water demand. Policy 2. The City shall encourage, facilitate and/or require the use of water conserving appliances and fixtures in all new development, as required by state law. Policy 3. The City shall encourage CVWD’s continuation and expansion of groundwater recharge efforts and use of tertiary treated wastewater as a means of reducing demand for groundwater resources. Policy 4. Encourage or require that all existing and new development be connected to the sewage treatment system of the Coachella Valley Water District. Policy 5. The City shall provide direction and guidelines for the development of on-site storm water retention facilities consistent with local and regional drainage plans and community design standards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-21 Policy 6. Coordinate with the Coachella Valley Water District, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and other appropriate agencies to share information on potential groundwater contaminating sources and management of same. Policy 7. The City shall evaluate all proposed land use and development plans for their potential to create groundwater contamination hazards from point and non-point sources, and shall confer with other appropriate agencies, as necessary, to assure adequate review. Policy 8. The City shall consult with the Coachella Valley Water District and other jurisdictions to jointly coordinate urban development and other water users within the long-term valley water budget. The Flooding and Hydrology Element of the Palm Desert General Plan addresses potential drainage and flooding hazards within the community. The foremost goal of this element is to protect the general health, safety, and welfare of the community from potential flood and associated hazards. The potential for and extent of major future flooding is also evaluated. Provisions for open space and multiple uses, wildlife, and pedestrian and equestrian corridors within major drainages are also included. The following policies regarding flooding and hydrology are included in the General Plan. Policy 1. Continue to update hydrologic conditions in the planning area, and plan and pro- actively coordinate with other responsible agencies upgrade the city's local and regional drainage system. Policy 2. Major drainage facilities, including debris basins and flood control channels, shall be designed to maximize their use as multi-purpose recreational or open space sites, consistent with the functional requirements of these facilities. Policy 3. Continue to actively participate in regional flood control and drainage improvement efforts and to develop and implement mutually beneficial drainage plans. Policy 4. The City shall cooperate in securing FEMA map amendments, recognizing the importance of redesignation of the 100-year flood plains within the city boundaries and sphere- of-influence. Policy 5. Pursue all credible sources of funding for local and regional drainage improvements needed for adequate flood control protection. Policy 6. All new development shall be required to incorporate adequate flood mitigation measures, such as grading that prevents adverse drainage impacts to adjacent properties, on-site retention of runoff, and the adequate siting of structures located within flood plains. Policy 7. Assure that adequate, safe, all-weather crossing over drainage facilities and flood control channels are provided where necessary, and are maintained for passage during major storm events. The General Plan Land Use Element includes the following land use designations related to hydrology and water resources: Public/Quasi-Public (PF) – The Public/Quasi-Public designation is assigned to City Hall and the Civic Center, other City and governmental offices, libraries, schools, hospitals, floodways, police and City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-22 fire stations, utility substations, as well as other public/quasi-public administrative offices. Public Utility Substation (PF/PU) designates electric, gas, telephone, water and other similar facilities. Open Space (OS) – The OS designation is assigned to those lands determined to be a special, important or valuable natural resource that warrants protection. OS/FW is the designation for floodways and waterways. City of Palm Desert Municipal Code Chapter 24.20 Stormwater Management and Discharge Control The purpose of this chapter is to ensure the future health, safety, and general welfare of city citizens by:  Regulating nonstormwater discharges to the municipal separate storm drain.  Controlling the discharge to municipal separate storm drains from spills, dumping, or disposal of materials other than stormwater.  Reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges to the maximum extent practicable. The intent of this chapter is to protect and enhance the water quality of city watercourses, water bodies, groundwater, and wetlands in a manner pursuant to and consistent with the CWA. Title 28 Flood Damage Prevention Title 28 Flood Damage Prevention of the Palm Desert Municipal Code seeks to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas. This title requires an applicant to obtain a development permit before any construction or other development begins within any area of special flood hazard. Comprehensive Storm Drain Master Plan The Palm Desert Comprehensive Storm Drain Master Plan, prepared in March 1993, is a strategy for the construction, maintenance and funding of storm drainage improvements in the city. It has been implemented by the Master Drainage Plan ordinance and serves as the operational tool for technical guidelines and developer requirements regarding site retention or installation specifics. Integrated Regional Water Management Plan The Coachella Valley Regional Management Group is a collaborative effort led by the five water purveyors of the Coachella Valley to develop an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan to address the water resources planning needs of the Valley. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 9-23 9.4 References California Environmental Protection Agency. 2014. State Water Resources Control Board. Accessed July 15. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/municipal.shtml City of Palm Desert. 2004. Comprehensive General Plan. Municipal Code. 2014. Accessed July 15. http://www.qcode.us/codes/palmdesert/ Coachella Valley Regional Management Group. 2014. Coachella Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan. Accessed July 17. http://www.cvrwmg.org/library.php Coachella Valley Water District. 2012. Coachella Valley Water Management Plan Update. 2014. Engineer’s Report on Water Supply and Replenishment Assessment, West Whitewater River Subbasin Area of Benefit 2014–2015. Colorado River Basin RWQCB (California Water Quality Control Board, Colorado River Basin Region). 2014. Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin River Basin – Region 7. Accessed July 15. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/coloradoriver/water_issues/programs/basin_planning/ County of Riverside. 2001. Riverside County Integrated Project. Accessed July 17. http://www.rcip.org/default_netscape.htm. DWR (California Department of Water Resources). 1964. Coachella Valley Investigation, Bulletin 108. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 2010. Listed Waters for Reporting Year 2010 California, Salton Sea Watershed. Accessed July 17. http://iaspub.epa.gov/tmdl_waters10/attains_watershed.control?p_huc=18100200&p_cycl e=&p_report_type=T FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). 2014. Flood Insurance Map, Riverside County. Accessed July 16. https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/NFHL/ Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. 2014. District Floodplain Management. Accessed July 15. http://www.floodcontrol.co.riverside.ca.us/FloodPlain.aspx USGS (United States Geological Survey). 1992. Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4142, Evaluation of a Ground-water Flow and Transport Model of the Upper Coachella Valley, California. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐1  10. Land Use and Planning 10.1 Introduction This chapter presents an analysis of the built environment of Palm Desert comprised of a description of existing land uses, general plan designations, zoning, past and future growth trends, recent and proposed development projects, and an analysis of existing planning documents. 10.2 Environmental Setting The Planning Area (City and SOI) The Planning Area cover 42,488 acres (69.6 square miles), of which, 17,226 acres are within the corporate boundaries of the City of Palm Desert, and 27,277 acres (42.6 square miles) are located within the Palm Desert Sphere of Influence (SOI). The city is bordered by Rancho Mirage to the west and Indian Wells to the south and east, and the unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes to the east. The existing city limits generally extend southward from Interstate 10, past Highway 111 and along Route 74 to the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains between Monterey Avenue and Washington Street. The city’s SOI encompasses areas to the north and south of the city, including portions of the Santa Rosa mountains south of the city limits and the unincorporated communities of Bermuda Dunes to the east, and Sun City Palm Desert north of Interstate 10. Figure 10.1 depicts the Palm Desert City Limits, SOI and location relative to other nearby cities or communities. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐2  FIGURE 10.1: PALM DESERT CITY LIMITS AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE   City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐3  Existing Land Uses Predominant land uses within the Planning Area include residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and open space. Figure 10.2 maps land uses throughout the city and within the SOI. FIGURE 10.2: 2004 GENERAL PLAN LAND USES  City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐4  Low Density residential uses account for 50% of the land area within the city and are distributed throughout the city. Low density-residential neighborhoods include both traditional urban neighborhoods as well as residential planned developments surrounding golf courses and other recreational amenities. Medium and High Density uses are generally concentrated along the city’s main thoroughfares, including Highway 111, Washington St., Country Club Dr. or in the University Park area, north of Frank Sinatra Dr. Regional and community commercial uses in Palm Desert are primarily concentrated along Highway 111 and Interstate 10. The city’s industrial and business park uses are located along the Interstate 10 corridor and along Cook St. between Hovley Lane and the Whitewater Storm Channel. Business park land uses account for 3% of the land area within the Planning Area. The majority of remaining vacant land with development potential in the city limits is limited to the University Park Planning Area, located between Interstate 10 and Frank Sinatra Drive. The development of the University Park Planning Area is likely to be influenced by future expansion of the California State University, University of California at Riverside, and College of the Desert campuses, as well as nearby resort and commercial developments. Within the Sphere of Influence, the predominant land use is Open Space – Public Reserves, which accounts for 74% of the land area in the SOI or approximately 20,090 acres. The area surrounding Highway 111, the primary commercial corridor in Palm Desert includes a mix of Regional Commercial (C-R), Community Commercial (C-C), and Office Professional (C-OP) uses. Other uses along Highway 111, include Resort/Hotel Commercial (C-R/H), High Density Residential (R-H). The El Paseo commercial corridor and Westfield Palm Desert Shopping Center are major retail attractions in Palm Desert, drawing shoppers from across the region. A breakdown of existing land uses within the Planning Area, as of 2014, is provided in Table 10.1. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐5  TABLE 10.1: EXISTING LAND USES WITHIN THE PLANNING AREA  Land Use Acres in city Acres in SOI Total Acres Residential Mountain Estates (R-ME) 0-1 du/20ac -- - Desert Estates (R-DE) 0-1 du/10 ac - 646 646 Hillside Reserve (R-HR) 1 du/5 ac 539 1,848 2,387 Low Density (R-L) 0-4 du/ac 7,550 3,292 10,842 Medium Density (R-M) 4-10 du/ac 1,148 239 1,387 Medium Density/High Density Overlay(R-M/R-HO)358 - 358 High Density (R-H) 10-22 du/ac 263 350 613 Commercial/Industrial/Business Land Uses Regional Commercial (C-R) 460 - 460 Community Commercial (C-C) 278 188 466 Resort/Hotel Commercial (C-R/H) 751 - 751 Mixed Use (MU) - Commercial / High Density (R-H) 10- 22 du/ac 39 - 39 Office Professional (C-OP) 100 - 100 Office Professional (C-OP) / High Density (R-H) 10-22 du/ac 24 - 24 Industrial - Business Park (I-BP) 497 70 567 Industrial - Light (I-L) 10 217 227 Other Land Uses Public/Quasi-Public Facilities (PF) 386 25 411 Public Facility/School (PF/S) 73 - 73 Public Facility/University (PF/U) 192 - 192 Open Space - Parks (OS/PP) 904 - 904 Open Space - Public Reserves (OS/PR)845 20,090 20,935 Open Space - Private (OS/PV) 576 - 576 Open Space - Waterway (OS/FW) 254 76 330 Total 15,247 27,041 42,288 Source: City of Palm Desert, 2014. Total acreage does not include roadways and rights-of-way. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐6  Growth Patterns Early development patterns within Palm Desert came in the form of traditional urban neighborhoods surrounding Highway 111. Since incorporation in 1973, development patterns in Palm Desert have shifted toward larger master planned communities, with a mix of single-family subdivisions, apartment, and condominium residences. Palm Desert’s largest period of growth occurred between 1980 and 2000. During that time, the city grew from a community of 10,142 housing units to 28,021 housing units, adding nearly 18,000 housing units, or an average of 900 housing units per year1. In 2013, the Department of Finance estimated that Palm Desert included 37,495 housing units, of which, 62% were occupied by year- round residents2. While single-family detached (39.4%) and attached (29.0%) housing units remain the predominant housing type in Palm Desert, recent shifts in housing construction patterns and preferences have resulted in larger numbers of multi-family housing units and mobile homes in Palm Desert. Table 10.2 identifies the changes in housing units by type between 2000 and 2014. TABLE 10.2: HOUSING UNITS BY TYPE (2000‐2014)  Year Single Multiple Mobile Homes Total 2000 20,634 6,190 1,197 28,021 2001 21,145 6,191 1,227 28,563 2002 21,666 6,308 1,267 29,241 2003 22,093 6,718 1,306 30,117 2004 22,540 7,064 1,345 30,949 2005 23,398 7,076 3,438 33,912 2006 23,907 7,198 3,491 34,596 2007 24,302 7,224 3,574 35,100 2008 24,800 7,666 3,613 36,079 2009 25,131 7,755 3,655 36,541 2010 25,434 7,762 3,694 36,890 2011 25,521 8,055 3,704 37,280 2012 25,584 8,121 3,704 37,409 2013 25,648 8,143 3,704 37,495 2014 25,798 8,143 3,704 37,645 As a premier resort destination and the art and cultural hub of the desert, the nonresidential development patterns within the Planning Area predominantly support the retail, service, hospitality, and tourism industries that support the local and regional economy. The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce includes more than 1,000 members in the arts, culture, entertainment, hospitality, recreation, restaurant, and retail industries3. 1 RCTLMA, 2013. 2 RCTLMA, 2013. 3 Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐7  Palm Desert has the second largest hotel room inventory in the Valley, with more than 2,200 hotel rooms and timeshares available for rent, with Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) serving as the second largest funding source to the City’s General Fund. Development Trends While the economic recession stalled the construction of some development within Palm Desert, recently approved or entitled projects include new hotels, shopping center renovations, business park expansions and more than a dozen residential projects. In January 2013 there were six non- residential projects under construction, including the Cal State University Master Plan, Marriott Shadow Ridge, University Village, Scotelle Office Building, Valley Center Business Park, and Starwood Vacation Ownership4. Residential projects under construction at the beginning of 2013 included Villa Portofino, Gallery, KB Homes, GHA Homes, Dolce, Spanish Walk, and Falling Waters5. 10.3 Regulatory Setting State California Government Code The California Government Code (Section 65300) describes the scope and authority of local jurisdictions to prepare, adopt, and amend General Plans. Communities prepare General Plans to guide the long-term physical development of the jurisdiction, and any land within the jurisdiction’s sphere of influence. At a minimum, the California Government Code requires General Plans to address land use, circulation, housing, noise, conservation, open space, and safety issues6. Additionally, California Government Code assigns equal importance to each General Plan element and requires General Plan elements to be internally and externally consistent, meaning that policies between elements should not be in conflict with one another, nor should subsequent plans or implementation programs, such as the Zoning Ordinance, Capital Improvement Plan, or Specific Plans, conflict with General Plan policies. The land use portion of the General Plan is expected to describe and identify the general location and extent of uses of land for housing, business, industry, open space, public facilities and categories for public or private uses of land. The land use element is also expected to establish and define population density and building standards for each district and other territories covered by the plan. 4 City of Palm Desert, 2013a. 5 City of Palm Desert, 2013b. 6 State of California, 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐8  Regional SCAG 2012-2035 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is responsible for developing, implementing, and funding the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) for the Southern California region, including the counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. The RTP/SCS was adopted in 2012 and prioritizes investment in land use, housing, and transportation solutions to improve mobility, safety, air quality, and financial challenges in the Southern California region. In Palm Desert, the land surrounding Highway 111 and Interstate 10 have been designated as high quality transit areas in the SCAG RTP/SCS. Riverside County General Plan The Riverside County General Plan provides a countywide vision and set of goals and policies to manage the growth and preservation of both the natural and built environments of the unincorporated areas of Riverside County, including areas within the Palm Desert, though outside of the City limits. Accompanying the Riverside County General Plan are 19 area plans7, providing specific land use goals and policies for specific unincorporated communities. The Western Coachella Valley Area Plan describes the physical settings and features of the region and provides land use designations, policies, and programs for the eight cities and unincorporated areas in the western portion of the Coachella Valley8. Unincorporated areas within the Palm Desert SOI have been given land use designations by both the City and Riverside County. The City’s General Plan land use designations in the SOI are largely consistent with the Riverside County land use designations with limited exceptions along Interstate 10 and in the eastern portion of Thousand Palms.9 7 RCTLMA, 2014. 8 RCTLMA, 2012. 9 City of Palm Desert, 2004. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐9  Riverside County Integrated Project (RCIP) When the CA Department of Finance estimating that Riverside County’s population would double from 1.5 million to over 3 million residents between 2000 and 2020, Riverside County leaders embarked on a 3-year integrated planning process to prepare a comprehensive set of planning guidelines known as the Riverside County Integrated Project (RCIP), to maintain and enhance the quality of life for existing and new residents in Riverside County10. The RCIP addresses conservation, transportation, and housing needs for Riverside County through a coordinated effort of county plans and government cooperation and includes policies and programs from the Riverside County General Plan, Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, and Community Environmental Transportation Corridor Acceptability Process (CETAP). Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan The Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP) was adopted by all affected agencies in October 2007, in compliance with State and Federal endangered species laws, to protect approximately 240,000 acres of open space and 27 species unique to the Coachella Valley desert environment. The CVMSHCP is divided into 21 conservation areas. Portions of Palm Desert and SOI include land within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountain Conservation Area and the Thousand Palms Conservation Area11. Local Palm Desert General Plan The adopted Palm Desert General Plan includes each of the mandated elements and is organized into five major chapters: Administration, Community Development, Environmental Resources, Environmental Hazards, Public Services and Facilities. The Community Development Chapter establishes the quality and character of Palm Desert’s built environment by defining the distribution of land uses, intensity of commercial and other development, and provision of transportation options and other public facilities. The Community Development Chapter includes the following elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Parks and Recreation, Community Design, Arts and Culture, and Economic and Fiscal. In addition to the land use designations and map, the Land Use Element establishes and describes the goals, policies and programs necessary to provide sufficient land for community needs while preserving the environment and quality of life for Palm Desert residents. To ensure the intent and goals of the General Plan are effectively implemented in the built environment, all projects seeking entitlements and building permits from the City must demonstrate that they are consistent with the General Plan land use designations and meet the applicable zoning standards. Two overlay zones have also been established to identify properties or areas that may require additional engineering or design analysis or may allow higher density residential development. 10 RCIP, 2000. 11 CVAG, 2007. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐10  Specific Plans In addition to the land use designations contained within the Palm Desert General Plan, there are four Specific Plans that have been adopted in Palm Desert to further refine the land use and design standards for specific portions of the community. Specific Plans in Palm Desert include:  West Hills (1982) – Contains land west of Highway 74 and the Palm Valley Stormwater Channel and aims to minimize adverse impacts of foothill and hillside development.  Palma Village (1985) – Includes land north of Highway 111, between Monterey Ave and Deep Canyon Rd. and focuses on promoting compatible, high quality infill development through reinvestment and revitalization in one of the City’s earliest neighborhoods.  Core Commercial (1987)- Encompasses the areas surrounding Highway 111, El Paseo and Alessandro Drive and provides goals and strategies to maximize the development of high quality economic development opportunities.  Project Area 4 (1997) – Provides land use compatibility, traffic, circulation, and infrastructure solutions for the area between Washington St., Fred Waring Dr., and El Dorado Dr., with a small portion of the area extending north of Country Club Dr.   City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐11  10.4 References City of Palm Desert. January 2013a. Non-Residential Project List, January 2013. City of Palm Desert. January 2013b. Residential Project List, January 2013. City of Palm Desert. January 2013c. Economic Development Strategic Plan. City of Palm Desert. March 2004. Palm Desert General Plan. Land Use Element. Coachella Valley Association of Governments. October 2007. Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan. Retrieved from: http://www.cvmshcp.org/index.htm on July 15, 2014. Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce. 2014. Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce 2014- 2015 Business Directory Map. Retrieved from: http://palmdesertchamber.chambermaster.com/map?moduleversion=3 on July 15, 2014. Riverside County Integrated Project. 2000. RCIP Website. Retrieved from : http://www.rcip.org/default_netscape.htm on July 15, 2014. Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission. October 2009. Palm Desert Municipal Service Review. http://www.lafco.org/sites/default/MSR/2005- 2012_MSRs/Palm_Desert_MSR_-_final_2009.pdf on July 15, 2014. Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency. March 2014. Riverside County General Plan. Retrieved from: http://planning.rctlma.org/ZoningInformation/GeneralPlan.aspx on July 15, 2014. Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency. 2013. Palm Desert 2013 Progress Report. Retrieved from: http://rctlma.org/portals/0/rcd/content/progress_reports/pr_2013/palm_desert.pdf on July 14, 2014. Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency. February 2012. Western Coachella Valley Area Plan. Retrieved from: http://planning.rctlma.org/Portals/0/genplan/general_plan_2013/3%20Area%20Plan%20 Volume%202/Western%20Coachella%20Valley%20AP.pdf on July 15, 2014. Southern California Association of Governments. May 2013. Profile of the City of Palm Desert. Retrieved from: http://www.scag.ca.gov/Documents/PalmDesert.pdf on July 14, 2014. State of California. California Government Code, Section 65300. Retrieved from: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml on July 14, 2014. State of California, Department of Finance. May 2014. E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2011-2014, with 2010 Benchmark. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 10‐12  http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-5/2011-20/view.php on July 15, 2014. State of California, Department of Finance. November 2012. E-8 Historical Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2000-2010. Retrieved from: http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-8/2000-10/ on July 15, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies. June 2013. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics: Palm Desert, CA. Retrieved from: http://onthemap.ces.census.gov on July 16, 2014.       City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐1  11. Mineral Resources 11.1 Introduction This section draws on data from the California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology, Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) was developed to ensure the preservation of mineral resources while concurrently addressing the need for protecting the environment. No known mineral resources exist in the city and SOI (Planning Area). 11.2 Environmental Setting As mapped in the Riverside County General Plan, Palm Desert is located in an MRZ-3 zone. The MRZ-3 classification indicates that the area has known mineral deposits that may qualify as mineral resources (MRZ-3a) or the area may have inferred deposits which may qualify as mineral resources (MRZ-3b). Current maps of the Planning Area are not detailed enough to distinguish between MRZ-3a and MRZ-3b.Per the Riverside County General Plan, in 1988, the State of California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology, under the direction of SMARA, released a report identifying aggregate materials in the Palm Springs Production Consumption Region, which includes the Planning Area and is designated as a MRZ-3 resource (see Figure 11-1). Desert Hot Springs Subbasin Groundwater in the Desert Hot Springs subbasin is characterized by high concentrations of fluoride, total dissolved solids, sodium sulfates, and other undesirable minerals, which have limited the subbasin’s use for agricultural and domestic water purposes. The presence of high mineral concentrations is largely due to faulting along the margins of the subbasin. Thousand Palms Subarea The southwestern boundary of the Thousand Palms subarea has been determined based on distinctive groundwater mineral characteristics. Groundwater in the subarea contains high concentrations of sodium sulfate, while groundwater in other subareas of the Whitewater River subbasin is generally composed of calcium bicarbonate. This is largely attributed to limited recharge to the Thousand Palms subarea. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐2  11.3 Regulatory Setting Regulations and policies provide a regulatory framework to address mineral resources that would be affected by implementation of the Palm Desert General Plan. The City has also adopted local regulations and policies addressing mineral resources. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws No federal plans, policies, regulations, or laws related to mineral resources apply to the city of Palm Desert. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Surface Mining and Reclamation Act The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (Public Resources Code, Division 2, Chapter 9, Section 2710 et seq.) mandated the classification of mineral lands throughout the state to help identify and protect mineral resources in areas subject to urban expansion or other irreversible land uses that would preclude mineral extraction. Since 1975, the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) has mapped areas throughout California that contain regionally significant mineral resources. Deposits of construction aggregate resources (sand, gravel, or crushed stone) were the initial commodity targeted for classification by the SMGB because of their importance to the state. Once areas are mapped, the SMGB is required to designate for future use those areas that contain aggregate deposits that are of prime importance to meeting the region’s future need for construction quality aggregates. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐3  FIGURE 11.1: MINERAL RESOURCE ZONE City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐4  The key objective of mineral lands classification under SMARA is for each jurisdiction to develop policies that will conserve important mineral resources, if feasible, when such resources are needed. SMARA requires that once policies are adopted, land use decisions by the local agency must be in accordance with that local agency’s management policies for mineral resources. These decisions must also balance the mineral value of the resource to the market region as a whole, not just their importance to the local jurisdiction. The State Geologist developed the California Mineral Land Classification System to assist in the implementation of SMARA. The system identifies the following types of Mineral Resources Zones (MRZs) for mapping and reporting purposes (DOC 2010): MRZ-1: Areas where adequate geologic information indicates that no significant mineral deposits are present, or where it is judged that little likelihood exists for their presence. MRZ-2a: Areas underlain by mineral deposits where geologic data shows that significant measured or indicated resources are present. Areas classified MRZ-2a contain discovered mineral deposits that are either measured or indicated reserves as determined by such evidence as drilling records, sample analysis, surface exposure, and mine information. Land included in the MRZ-2a category is of prime importance because it contains known economic mineral deposits. MRZ-2b: Areas underlain by mineral deposits where geologic information indicates that significant inferred resources are present. Areas classified MRZ-2b contain discovered deposits that are either inferred reserves or deposits that are presently sub-economic as determined by limited sample analysis, exposure, and past mining history. MRZ-3a: Areas containing known mineral deposits that may qualify as mineral resources, which could be considered hypothetical resources. MRZ-3a areas are considered to have a moderate potential for the discovery of economic mineral deposits. MRZ-3b: Areas containing inferred mineral deposits that may qualify as mineral resources, which could be considered speculative resources. Land classified MRZ-3b represents areas in geologic settings that appear to be favorable environments for the occurrence of specific mineral deposits. MRZ-4: Areas where geologic information does not rule out either the presence or absence of mineral resources. The distinction between the MRZ-1 and MRZ-4 categories is important for land use considerations. It must be emphasized that the MRZ-4 classification does not imply that there is little likelihood for the presence of mineral resources, but rather that there is a lack of knowledge regarding mineral occurrence. Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Riverside County General Plan While most of the Planning Area is in the incorporated city limits of Palm Desert, some of the Planning Area is in the unincorporated sphere of influence. Land in the unincorporated area remains subject to the Riverside County General Plan and development codes until annexed into the city. The General Plan contains the following policy relative to mineral resources. Policy OS 14.5. Require that new non-mining land uses adjacent to existing mining operations be designed to provide a buffer between the new development and the mining operations. The buffer City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐5  distance shall be based on an evaluation of noise, aesthetics, drainage, operating conditions, biological resources, topography, lighting, traffic, operating hours, and air quality. City of Palm Desert General Plan The City of Palm Desert General Plan was last updated in 2004 and includes a number of policies and programs relative to mineral resources. These policies and programs are identified below. Policy 5. Assure the long-term availability of local mineral resources, especially those of low unit value, to assure a reliable and affordable supply of materials for the construction of buildings, roads, flood control facilities and other necessary improvements. Program 5.A. To the extent practical, the City shall cooperate with CVAG and its member jurisdictions in monitoring and regulating the safe and environmentally responsible extraction and recycling of significant mineral resources located within the Planning Area and the region. Program 5.B. To the greatest extent practical, the City shall require or encourage the recycling of mineral-based construction materials, including asphalt, concrete, gypsum and similar materials, as well as the facilities to assure their efficient recycling. Program 9.A. Develop and adopt a comprehensive grading ordinance that protects hillsides and other open space and natural resource conservation areas that are sensitive in terms of topography and visibility, wildlife resources, water or mineral resources and air quality. City of Palm Desert Municipal Code The City’s Municipal Code includes the following section related to mineral resources in Palm Desert. 8.50.190 Water quality standards. A. Water from all new, repaired, and reconstructed community water supply wells shall be tested for and meet the standards for microbiological, general mineral, general physical, chemical, and radiological quality in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Domestic Water Quality and Monitoring. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐6  11.4 References City of Palm Desert. 2004. City of Palm Desert Comprehensive General Plan. County of Riverside. 2008. County of Riverside General Plan. DOC (California Department of Conservation). 1945. Map of Riverside County, California, Showing Locations of Mines and Mineral Deposits. Accessed July 9, 2014. http://cgsdigitalarchive.conservation.ca.gov/cdm/singleitem /collection/p16780coll6/id/201/rec/1. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 11‐7  This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 12‐1  12. Noise This section is to be completed at a late date. Completion of this section is dependent upon traffic counts that are pending. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | 12‐2  This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-1 13. Population and Housing 13.1 Introduction This chapter presents basic information about the city including the population characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, etc.), educational attainment levels, housing conditions, income, retail sales, hospitality and commercial recreation, and fundamental health conditions. This chapter also identifies the location of socioeconomic disparities in Palm Desert and how the city compares to other nearby/comparable communities and Riverside County as a whole. The City’s Housing Element for the 2013-2021 planning period was updated, adopted, and certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in 20131. The Palm Desert Housing Element contains more detailed information and analysis on housing affordability and programs available to Palm Desert residents and employees. 13.2 Environmental Setting Demographic Profile Population Palm Desert is one of nine incorporated communities in the Coachella Valley, with a 2014 population of 50,417 residents (See Figure 13.1). Populated areas within the Palm Desert Sphere of Influence (SOI) include Thousand Palms and Bermuda Dunes, which had 2010 populations of 7,715 and 7,282, respectively2. This makes Palm Desert the third largest city in the Coachella Valley and the 12th largest city in Riverside County accounting for 2.2% of the County’s total population. This chapter pulls from a variety of data sets therefore contains slightly different population numbers. 1 State of California, HCD, 2014. 2 U.S. Census Bureau City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-2 FIGURE 13.1: POPULATION BY JURISDICTION (2014) Source: CA Department of Finance, 2014. Of cities in the Coachella Valley, Palm Desert had the third largest population, behind Indio (82,398) and Cathedral City (52,595). Table 13.1 identifies the population of each incorporated jurisdiction’s population in 2014. TABLE 13.1: POPULATION AND MEDIAN AGE BY JURISDICTION (2014) Jurisdiction 2014 Total Population Median Age Cathedral City 52,595 35.0 Coachella 43,633 25.0 Desert Hot Springs 28,001 30.0 Indian Wells 5,137 68.3 Indio 82,398 31.4 La Quinta 39,032 44.8 Palm Desert 50,417 53.8 Palm Springs 46,135 51.4 Rancho Mirage 17,745 60.5 Riverside County 2,279,967 34.0 Source: CA Department of Finance, 2014. Table 13.2 shows Palm Desert’s relative population growth compared to the State of California and Riverside County. The California Department of Finance estimated that Palm Desert added 9,262 residents representing a 22.5% growth between 2000 and 2014. This translates to an average annual population growth of 662 persons per year over the last 14 years. This rate of growth was more rapid than the State but was significantly less than the growth rate experienced in Riverside County over the same period. Between 2000 and 2014 Riverside County grew by 734,580 people representing a 47.5% growth. Palm Desert, Riverside County, and California population growth from 2000 through 2014 is depicted in Table 13.2. 50,417 52,595 43,633 28,001 5,137 82,398 39,032 46,135 17,745 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 20 1 4 P o p u l a t i o n City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-3 TABLE 13.2: POPULATION GROWTH 2000 - 20143 Year California Riverside Co. Palm Desert 2014 38,340,074 2,279,967 50,417 2013 37,984,138 2,255,653 49,962 2012 37,668,804 2,234,209 49,619 2011 37,427,946 2,205,731 48,920 2010 37,223,900 2,179,692 48,215 2009 36,966,713 2,140,626 47,993 2008 36,704,375 2,102,741 47,453 2007 36,399,676 2,049,902 46,867 2006 36,116,202 1,975,913 47,270 2005 35,869,173 1,895,695 47,422 2004 35,570,847 1,814,485 43,899 2003 35,163,609 1,730,219 43,204 2002 34,725,516 1,655,291 42,279 2001 34,256,789 1,589,708 41,685 2000 33,873,086 1,545,387 41,155 Source: California Department of Finance, 2014. Age Palm Desert’s population is significantly older than the population of Riverside County. 2010 census reported a median age of 53 compared to 33.7 for the County as a whole. Palm Desert’s age structure is slightly younger than the median age of other Coachella Valley communities like Indian Wells (68.3), or Rancho Mirage (60.5), though older than Coachella (25.0), Desert Hot Springs (30.0) and Riverside County (34.0) as a whole (see Table 13.1). Approximately 53% of Palm Desert’s population is female, and 47% is male. The largest age groups in Palm Desert are the 60-64, 65-69, and 70-74 age groups, each representing approximately 8% of the total population. The smallest age groups in Palm Desert is the 35-39 age group, representing just 3% of the population. The under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 85+ age groups each represent approximately 4% of the total population. The distribution of Palm Desert’s population by age is shown in Figure 13.2. 3 Department of Finance estimates are for January 1 of each year while US Census data is collected on April 1 in years which the census occurs. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-4 FIGURE 13.2: PALM DESERT POPULATION BY AGE (2012) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2008-2012. Race/Ethnicity The racial composition of Palm Desert, shown in Table 13.3, indicates 98% of residents are one race, with 2% reporting two or more races. Of residents, 86% are white, 6% indicated some other race, 5% are Asian, 5% are Black or African American, and less than 1% are American Indian or Alaska Native. 1,088 1,157 902 1,342 1,435 1,157 995 717 1,157 1,273 1,481 1,296 1,550 1,828 1,874 1,828 1,157 879 (717) (1,018) (902) (787) (902) (1,226) (810) (833) (1,134) (1,411) (1,504) (1,759) (2,198) (2,059) (1,897) (1,504) (1,365) (1,134) (2,500) (2,000) (1,500) (1,000) (500) - 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Under 5 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20 to 24 years 25 to 29 years 30 to 34 years 35 to 39 years 40 to 44 years 45 to 49 years 50 to 54 years 55 to 59 years 60 to 64 years 65 to 69 years 70 to 74 years 75 to 79 years 80 to 84 years 85 years and over Male Female City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-5 TABLE 13.3: POPULATION BY RACE (2012) Year California Total population 49,619 One race 48,378 Two or more races 991 One race 48,378 White 42,274 Black or African American 639 American Indian and Alaska Native 193 Asian 2,426 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 47 Some other race 2,799 Two or more races 991 White and Black or African American 96 White and American Indian and Alaska Native 122 White and Asian 189 Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native 89 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2008-2012. Table 13.4 presents information on race and ethnicity for Palm Desert in comparison to Riverside County. It is important to note that in census terms Hispanic population is not classified as a racial category but is instead identified as an ethnicity. In practical terms this means that Hispanics can be of any race. In order to make comparisons between Hispanic population in the different census recognized racial groups, the non-Hispanic portion of each group needs to be accounted for separately from the Hispanic population which can be of any race. Palm Desert’s population is 70.42% non-Hispanic white compared to 39.69% for the County. Nativity and language attributes are presented on Table 13.5. In terms of nativity, Palm Desert’s population was born in the United States at a rate roughly equal to the County however nearly half of the native born population resident in Palm Desert was born in a state other than California. This produces an index of 209% when compared to the County and is reflective of Palm Desert’s role as a destination community that attracts population, often for the purposes of retirement. Palm Desert has somewhat lower percentage of its population born outside the United States than the County as a whole. Interestingly while the largest percentage of the County’s foreign-born population originates from Latin America, a significant proportion of the foreign-born population of Palm Desert has its origins in Europe and Canada. In fact Canadian born population occurs at a rate of over 6.80 times that found in Riverside County as a whole. This indicates that Palm Desert is a significant destination for Canadian born migrants. Similarly the rate of European born residents occurs at a frequency of 3.75 times greater than exhibited in Riverside County as a whole. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-6 TABLE 13.4: NATIVITY AND LANGUAGE, PALM DESERT 2012 ACS Palm Desert Riverside County Palm Desert Indexed to Riverside Co. PLACE OF BIRTH Total population 49,619 2,192,982 100.00% Native 40,709 1,711,123 106.56% Born in United States 40,128 1,688,915 106.42% State of residence (CA) 20,371 1,265,964 72.08% Different state 19,757 422,951 209.23% Puerto Rico or abroad to American parent(s) 581 22,208 117.18% Foreign born 8,250 481,859 76.69% U.S. CITIZENSHIP STATUS Foreign-born population 8,250 481,859 100.00% Naturalized U.S. citizen 3,843 205,758 109.09% Not a U.S. citizen 4,407 276,101 93.23% WORLD REGION OF BIRTH OF FOREIGN BORN Foreign-born population 8,250 481,859 100.00% Europe 1,648 25,610 375.85% Asia 1,694 91,969 107.58% Africa 127 6,466 114.72% Oceania 31 2,322 77.98% Latin America 3,483 344,634 59.03% Canada 1,267 10,858 681.54% LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME Population 5 years and over 47,080 2,030,097 100.00% English only 36,924 1,221,523 130.34% Language other than English 10,156 808,574 54.16% Speak English less than "very well" 4,164 327,448 54.83% Spanish 6,718 673,265 43.03% Speak English less than "very well" 2,766 276,304 43.17% Other Indo-European languages 1,647 42,022 169.00% Speak English less than "very well" 439 11,156 169.68% Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1,681 80,919 89.58% Speak English less than "very well" 930 36,790 109.00% Other languages 110 12,368 38.35% Speak English less than "very well" 29 3,198 39.10% Source: US Census and MR+E City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-7 In terms of language spoken at home, English is spoken exclusively at home among residents of Palm Desert at rate 30% greater than for Riverside County. There are significantly fewer residents who speak a language other than English at home or speak English less than very well. Those that speak other Indo-European languages are represented at a higher rate within Palm Desert than for the County. This is likely a reflection of the relative prevalence of European born population within Palm Desert. Educational Attainment The educational attainment of Palm Desert residents is nearly evenly distributed across those that have a bachelor’s degree or higher (24%), or some college experience or Associate degree (26%). Approximately 12% of residents have less than a high school education, with 16% of residents receiving a high school degree as their highest level of educational attainment. Note that educational attainment levels are only measured for those over the age of 29 (those under 29 years of age represent 22% of the population). In comparison to those employed in Palm Desert, residents have a higher proportion of the population with at least some college education. Figure 13.3 compares the educational attainment levels of both Palm Desert’s residents and employees. FIGURE 13.3: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES (2011) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD, 2011. 1,851 3,967 2,614 3,854 4,076 5,223 3,864 3,989 3,572 8,597 0%20%40%60%80%100% Residents Employees Less than high school High school or equivalent, no college Some college or Associate degree Bachelor's degree or advanced degree Educational attainment not available (workers aged 29 or younger) City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-8 Household Characteristics Number of Households Compared to most other jurisdictions in the Coachella Valley, Palm Desert has a higher proportion of non- family households. Approximately 54% (13,012) of Palm Desert households were comprised of families in 2012, while 46% were non-family households or households with just one person. The only jurisdiction in the area to have a higher rate of non-family households was Palm Springs (see Table 13.4 and Figure 13.4). The average household size in Palm Desert is 2.09 persons per household, lower than the Riverside County average of 3.24 persons per household. 34% of Palm Desert households are comprised of a single person. This compares to countywide total of 19.3%. Given the large senior (65+) and young adult (under 29) population, the relatively small household size is likely a result of fewer households with children or additional family members. Of the nonfamily households in Palm Desert the largest category is female householders living alone which characterize 5,046 households representing about 21% of the total households in the city. Of the 13,241 family households 31.7 % include related children under 18 years of age. This compares to 56.8% for the County as a whole. 2,275 households report school-age children from ages 6 to 17 years of age comprising 17.2% of the cities total households. Table 13.5 summarizes the key statistics on household structure in Palm Desert in comparison to Riverside County providing an index to compare the distributions of household characteristics between the City and County. TABLE 13.5: FAMILY VS. NON-FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS BY JURISDICTION (2012) Family Households Non-Family Households Total Households Palm Desert 13,012 11,053 24,065 Cathedral City 10,614 5,527 16,141 Coachella 8,399 586 8,985 Desert Hot Springs 5,711 3,024 8,735 Indian Wells 1,704 951 2,655 Indio 17,578 5,553 23,131 La Quinta 10,153 4,137 14,290 Palm Springs 8,628 14,241 22,869 Rancho Mirage 4,819 3,705 8,524 Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. Households vs. Housing Units A household includes the related family members and all the unrelated people, if any, such as lodgers, foster children, wards, or employees who share the housing unit.1 Information in this analysis on households is focused on the characteristics of the people (number of people, relationship, income, etc.), while information regarding housing units looks at the characteristics of the structure (vacancy rate, sales price, housing type, etc.) City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-9 FIGURE 13.4 HOUSEHOLDS BY JURISDICTION (2012) Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. Household Income Household income is a primary factor in determining housing affordability in an area. The median household income for Palm Desert is about $53,000 for a household size of 2.09 persons. Compared to the median Riverside County income of around $55,000 for an average household size of 3.24 persons. Given that only 52% of Palm Desert residents over the age of 16 are in the labor force, the average earnings ($72,336) represents the average income of Palm Desert residents that are actively employed in the community. While the median income is a good measure for comparing to other communities, it is also important to understand the distribution of income across Palm Desert households. As shown in Figure 13.5, household income ranges from less than $10,000 annually to more than $200,000. The largest share of households had an annual income between $35,000 - $49,000 and $50,000 - $74,999. The percent of Palm Desert households living in poverty was lower than most other cities in the region, with 6.3% of families and 9.2% of all residents living in poverty in 2012. - 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 Palm Desert Cathedral City Coachella Desert Hot Springs Indian Wells Indio La Quinta Palm Springs Rancho Mirage Family Households Non-Family Households City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-10 FIGURE 13.5: HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2012) Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. Nearly half, or 48%, of Palm Desert households received Social Security income compared to 29% for the County. This Social Security income accounted for just under $20,000 per household in 2012 which was approximately $3,000 more per household than was received in the County. Retirement income was reported by 26% of Palm Desert households, compared to 18% for the County. The mean retirement income reported by Palm Desert households was $35,711 compared to $26,020 for households in the County reporting retirement income. Affordability The traditional mark of housing affordability is the percent of household income spent on housing costs (mortgage or rent). The U.S. Census Bureau has identified the 30% threshold, as a mark indicating a housing affordability problem. Table 13.5 provides the number of households by tenure and the percentage of their income spent on housing costs (see also Figure 13.6). Across all three household types, the majority of households are either paying less than 20% or more than 35% of their income on housing. Less than $10,000 5%$10,000 to $14,999 6% $15,000 to $24,999 10% $25,000 to $34,999 12% $35,000 to $49,999 15% $50,000 to $74,999 16% $75,000 to $99,999 11% $100,000 to $149,999 13% $150,000 to $199,999 6% $200,000 or more 6% City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-11 TABLE 13.5: HOUSEHOLD COSTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME (2012) Owner-Occupied (w/ mortgage) Owner-Occupied (no mortgage) Renter- Occupied Less than 20.0 percent 2,174 3,510 1,968 20.0 to 24.9 percent 1,474 598 803 25.0 to 29.9 percent 730 581 765 30.0 to 34.9 percent 681 238 701 35.0 percent or more 3,870 1,430 3,538 Total Households 8,929 6,357 7,775 Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. FIGURE 13.6: HOUSING COSTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME (2012) Owner-Occupied (w/ mortgage) Owner-Occupied (no mortgage) Renter-Occupied Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. Housing Units The 2010 census identified 37,073 housing units in the City of Palm Desert. Palm Desert Housing Units account for 4.4% of Riverside County’s total housing stock, which contrasts with the City’s share of County population (2.2%) and the number of households (3.4%). This higher proportion of housing units is partially based on a higher rate of vacant housing units, due to seasonal or recreational use. 24% 17% 8%8% 43% 55% 9% 9% 4% 23%25% 10% 10% 9% 46% City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-12 Housing The 2010 census identified 37,073 housing units in the City of Palm Desert accounting for 4.36% of Riverside County’s total housing stock. This is an interesting statistic in comparison to the City’s share of County population which is 2.21% and the number of households which is 3.37%. As was discussed above with households the relative large share of one-person households and smaller households helps to explain why the city has a disproportionately large share of households relative to its population size compared Riverside County but the fact that the city with a little over 2% of the County's population contains 4.63% of the counties total housing stock is interesting data point. The source of this variance can be found in the high rate of vacant housing units reported on April 1, 2010. The Census shows 12.19% of the City’s total housing stock was vacant. This was produced by 13,956 vacant housing units. Of these nearly 14,000 dwelling units 10,418 or 28.1% of the Palm Desert total housing stock was vacant because it was used for seasonal recreational or occasional use. This compares to 6.3% for Riverside County as a whole. Palm Desert accounts for over a fifth (20.6%) of Riverside County’s total stock of seasonal and recreational housing. This is an important feature of the City’s housing market as well as an important factor that needs to be considered in land-use planning moving forward. That is to say, as much is an additional 28% or nearly a third of the city's existing housing stock may be occupied during the visitor seasons in the winter and on holidays or weekends. At the same time the City’s population can be expected to ebb during the summer and during off-peak times for use of recreational housing. Table 13.7 provides detailed information on housing tenure and occupancy in Palm Desert note that of the occupied housing units in Palm Desert 40.92% are owner occupied. This is a rate lower than Riverside counties overall owner occupancy rate of 57.73%. Housing Tenure & Occupancy As a resort or seasonal community, the year-round occupancy rate of Palm Desert housing units (60%) is lower than most communities in California, though similar to many other communities in the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs (64%) and Rancho Mirage (58%). Of the occupied units in Palm Desert, owner-occupied units represent 15,452 units (or 40% of total units) and renter-occupied units account for 8,037 units (or 21% of total units). The majority of unoccupied units (15,357 units) are for seasonal, recreational use, while a small number of vacant units are for rent, sale, or vacant for other reasons. Figure 13.7 depicts the occupancy and tenure characteristics of Palm Desert housing units. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-13 FIGURE 13.7: OCCUPANCY AND TENURE STATUS (2012) Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics. Of the owner-occupied units in Palm Desert, almost 42% of households do not have a monthly mortgage payment (see Figure 13.8). Of those that do have a mortgage, the average monthly homeowner costs payment was $1,900 in 2012, while those without a mortgage had average monthly homeowner costs of $700. 40% 21% 3%1%2%1% 30% 2% 60% 40% Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied For Rent Rented, not occupied For Sale Sold, not occupied For Seasonal Use Other Vacant City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-14 FIGURE 13.8: MORTGAGE STATUS OF OWNER-OCCUPIED UNITS (2012) Source: U.S. Census Bureau DP04: Selected Household Characteristics Housing units with a mortgage, 58% Housing units without a mortgage, 42% Housing units with a mortgage Housing units without a mortgage City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-15 . TABLE 13.6: PALM DESERT HOUSING TENURE AND OCCUPANCY CHARACTERISTICS Palm Desert Riverside County Palm Desert Indexed to Riverside Co. Occupancy Status Total housing units 37,073 800,707 4.63% Occupied housing units 23,117 686,260 3.37% Vacant housing units 13,956 114,447 12.19% Tenure Occupied housing units 23,117 686,260 3.37% Owner occupied 15,171 462,212 3.28% Owned with a mortgage or loan 9,322 363,460 2.56% Owned free and clear 5,849 98,752 5.92% Renter occupied 7,946 224,048 3.55% Vacancy Status Vacant housing units 13,956 114,447 12.19% For rent 1,616 23,547 6.86% Rented, not occupied 67 1,107 6.05% For sale only 798 18,417 4.33% Sold, not occupied 99 3,255 3.04% For seasonal, recreational, or occasional use 10,418 50,538 20.61% For migratory workers 1 84 1.19% Other vacant 957 17,499 5.47% Source: US Census and MR+E In 2010, approximately 13,956 or 12.2% of the City’s total housing stock was vacant. 10,418 of those vacant units, or 28.1% of Palm Desert’s total housing stock was vacant due to seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, compared to 6.3% for Riverside County as a whole. Notably, Palm Desert accounts for approximately 20.6% of Riverside County’s total stock of seasonal and recreational housing. The prevalence of seasonal or recreational housing units is an important feature of the City’s housing market and an important factor to be considered in future land-use planning efforts. Housing Stock The physical attributes of Palm Desert’s housing stock is shown in Table 13.7. Consistent with the prevalence of seasonal occupancy, Palm Desert has a significantly higher occurrence of multiunit housing than is found in the County as a whole. While the largest category is single unit detached housing with 15,503 dwelling units, single unit attached property (townhouse or condominium units) makes up nearly one third of Palm Desert’s total housing stock and accounts for 21.09% of the County’s total inventory of single unit attached properties. Structures with 5 to 9 units make up just under 6% of the cities total housing stock compared to 4% for the County as a whole. Palm Desert contains significantly more multiunit properties in every category in comparison to the County. Interestingly, in most parts of California multiunit housing tends to produce housing overcrowding with large numbers of occupants per room, however in Palm Desert there is significantly less City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-16 housing overcrowding (defined as more than one occupant per room) than is observed in the County as a whole. Slightly more than 2% of all of the units identified in the 2012 ACS in Palm Desert identified as being overcrowded. This compares to over 7% for Riverside County as a whole. The prevalence of single person households and seasonal occupancy explains both the high number of multiunit structures in Palm Desert along with the low rates of observed overcrowding. TABLE 13.7: HOUSING UNIT ATTRIBUTES, PALM DESERT, 2012 ACS Palm Desert Riverside County Palm Desert Indexed to Riverside Co. Total housing units 39,422 799,360 4.93% Occupied housing units 24,065 676,618 3.56% Vacant housing units 15,357 122,742 12.51% Units in structure 1-unit, detached 15,503 543,732 2.85% 1-unit, attached 10,789 51,150 21.09% 2 units 1,148 10,984 10.45% 3 or 4 units 2,308 25,459 9.07% 5 to 9 units 2,352 31,967 7.36% 10 to 19 units 1,460 25,694 5.68% 20 or more units 2,216 35,738 6.20% Mobile home 3,626 73,029 4.97% Boat, RV, van, etc. 20 1,607 1.24% Occupants per room 1.00 or less 23,501 627,033 3.75% 1.01 to 1.50 369 36,321 1.02% 1.51 or more 195 13,264 1.47% Source: US Census ACS and MR+E Age of Housing Stock The age of Palm Desert’s housing stock is shown on Table 13.8. 33.84% of the total dwelling units in the City were built between 1980 and 1989 this represents the peak decade for residential construction. Palm Desert has developed out earlier than Riverside County which experienced its peak in construction of residential units from 2000 to 2009. Of the existing dwelling units in the City of Palm Desert only 202 or just over 0.5% were built prior to 1940, this compares to 2.10% for Riverside County as a whole. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-17 TABLE 13.8: AGE OF DWELLING UNITS IN PALM DESERT Year Palm Desert Riverside County Palm Desert (%) County (%) Built 2010 or later 178 2,595 0.45% 0.32% Built 2000 to 2009 4,969 217,084 12.60% 27.16% Built 1990 to 1999 6,487 126,975 16.46% 15.88% Built 1980 to 1989 13,340 177,294 33.84% 22.18% Built 1970 to 1979 9,359 122,637 23.74% 15.34% Built 1960 to 1969 3,352 67,000 8.50% 8.38% Built 1950 to 1959 1,384 52,923 3.51% 6.62% Built 1940 to 1949 151 16,050 0.38% 2.01% Built 1939 or earlier 202 16,802 0.51% 2.10% Total 39,422 799,360 Source: US Census ACS and MR+E Home Sales and Median Prices In terms of sales values, Table 13.9 compares the median sales price for single-family homes in Palm Desert, the State of California and Riverside County. Note that the data for Palm Desert is provided at the zip code level 92211 and 92260. Zip code 92211 covers most of the east side of the city, north of Fred Waring Drive. Zip code 92211 also includes parts of unincorporated Riverside County north of I-10. Zip code 92260 covers most of the west and south side of the city, including the area surrounding SR 111 and neighborhoods to the south. In May 2014, the median sales price for single-family home in 92260 was reported at $455,000, significantly higher than both the statewide median of $386,000 and Riverside County median of $290,000. Housing in zip code 92211 had a median sales price of $333,000 in May 2014, which was between the State and County averages. As with most of the national housing market, median prices peaked in both Palm Desert zip codes in early 2007, following the housing expansion that occurred from 2002 to 2007. During this period the median sales value in 92211 remained below the California average. However, once the rapid decline in housing prices began in the 2008 financial crisis, median sales values in 92211 retained their value better than either the State or County averages. From mid-2008 until the third quarter of 2012 sales prices in 92211 were higher than the values that were recorded for the State as a whole. Since 2000, housing in 92260 has been appreciably more expensive than housing in either the State or the County. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-18 TABLE 13.9: MEDIAN SALES PRICES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ANNUAL AVERAGE(2000 – 2013) Riverside County Palm Desert Year California 92211 92260 2013 $340,021 $246,233 $303,930 $409,317 2012 $282,544 $207,638 $278,788 $391,402 2010 $293,375 $217,782 $321,422 $403,469 2009 $295,759 $223,342 $319,542 $460,655 2008 $356,036 $305,308 $374,838 $578,409 2007 $445,845 $404,701 $417,184 $610,563 2006 $476,665 $443,622 $437,039 $622,942 2005 $453,406 $408,458 $431,300 $612,550 2004 $380,566 $332,210 $366,124 $503,156 2003 $301,247 $245,177 $286,548 $367,797 2002 $253,292 $201,058 $263,842 $328,857 2001 $221,345 $174,621 $260,490 $301,796 2000 $192,864 $151,607 $250,814 $276,565 Source: DataQuick, 2014. The financial crisis of 2008 had significant impacts on new housing development in Palm Desert. Between 2009 and 2013, Palm Desert issued an average of 78 building permits per year for single- family detached units, reaching a low of 21 permits in 2009 and a maximum of 125 permits in 2013. Data provided for 2014 which is partial only through May of this year shows the continued trajectory of increase in permits for single-family housing with 115 permits issued. Employment This section identifies and compares the employment trends of both the residents of Palm Desert, and those that work in Palm Desert. Jobs by Industry As of 2011, there were 15,977 residents of Palm Desert in the labor force, while the City’s businesses employed a total of 25,630 people. While most industries have similar numbers for residents and employees, the Retail Trade; Accommodation & Food Service; and Administration & Support, Waste Management positions had higher rates of non-residents (See Figure 13.9). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-19 FIGURE 13.9: EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES (2011) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics, 2011. Employment by age, Palm Desert Residents Comparing the age of employees and residents provides the opportunity to further understand the types of jobs and workers that are present in Palm Desert. Of employed residents, the largest age group is 30-54 (53%), while those over 55 or under 29 each made up approximately ¼ of the employed residents. In comparison (see Figure 13.10) those that are employed in Palm Desert (and may or may not live in the city) have a higher proportion of employees under the age of 29 (34%), and a smaller share of employees over 55. 263 15 137 619 483 552 1,978 406 369 538 368 904 128 985 1,377 2,109 960 2,477 801 508 147 0 92 919 223 479 5,603 220 705 803 456 909 132 2,414 1,500 2,024 1,531 5,573 1,701 199 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Utilities Construction Manufacturing Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Transportation and Warehousing Information Finance and Insurance Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Management of Companies and Enterprises Administration & Support, Waste Management… Educational Services Health Care and Social Assistance Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Accommodation and Food Services Other Services (excluding Public Administration) Public Administration Employees Residents City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-20 FIGURE 13.10 EMPLOYMENT BY AGE (2011) EMPLOYED PALM DESERT RESIDENTS PALM DESERT EMPLOYEES Source: U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics, 2011. Earnings and Income Similar to the age distribution of employees and residents in Palm Desert, the largest segment of employees earn between $1,251 and $3,333 per month (44%), followed by less than $1,250 (31%), and those earning more than $3,333 (25%) (see Figure 13.11). In comparison, residents tend to have higher earned wages, with 40% earning more than $3,333, 38% earning between $1,251 and $3,333, and approximately 22% earning less than $1,250 monthly. FIGURE 13.11: EMPLOYEE VS. RESIDENT EARNINGS (2011) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics, 2011. 22% 53% 25% 34% 47% 19% 3,567 6,084 6,326 8,036 11,249 6,345 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 $1,250 per month or less $1,251 to $3,333 per month More than $3,333 per month Employees Residents City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-21 Jobs-Housing Balance The jobs to housing ratio is an indicator of community composition and can be used as a policy tool to encourage shorter travel distances between home and work. Another indicator of housing/employment relationships is the inflow/outflow numbers, as shown in Figure 13.12. In Palm Desert, there are a small number of people that both live and work in Palm Desert (3,233), while the majority of employees commute in from other communities (87%), and the majority of residents commute to communities outside of Palm Desert for work (80%). FIGURE 13.12: PALM DESERT INFLOW/OUTFLOW (2011) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics, 2011. Growth Trends and Projections The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) prepares population, housing, and employment projections for each jurisdiction in the region as part of the regional transportation planning process. Table 13.10 identifies the projected growth in population, households and employment in Palm Desert by 2035. TABLE 13.10: PALM DESERT GROWTH PROJECTIONS 2008 2014 2020 2035 % Growth 2008-2035 Population 47,100 50,400 52,100 56,800 21% Households 23,000 23,600 25,800 28,000 22% Employment 37,700 Not estimated 41,600 44,500 18% Sources: SCAG, 2012; CA Department of Finance, 2014. Employed in Palm Desert, live outside (22,397) Live in Palm Desert, employed outside (12,744) Live and Work in Palm Desert (3,233) City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-22 Retail Sales The retail sector is an important part of the Palm Desert economy. Not only is it a major category of economic activity within the city it also provides a significant number of jobs to Palm Desert residents. This is consistent with the city's role as a visitor destination and should be viewed as part of the overall hospitality and visitor services segment of the local economy. On a per capita basis, Palm Desert retail outlets received over $25,000 in 2012. This was more than double the statewide average of $10,070 and the county average of just under $9,000. On a per capita basis Palm Desert is a net importer of retail sales in every category tracked by the state board of equalization except for motor vehicles and parts. The largest per capita variances were for furniture and home furnishings and clothing and clothing accessories and general merchandise stores. The home furnishings expenditures on a per capita basis is likely an artifact of the large presence of second homes within Palm Desert the other major categories clothing to general merchandise and eating and drinking places are strongly associated with discretionary expenditures tied to tourism. Table 15 shows Palm Desert’s relative growth in retail sales over the last decade indexed to 2002. During this time period Palm Desert’s share of total retail sales and Riverside County has grown from 5.2% to 6.2% of the county total. Retail sales expanded in Palm Desert through the economic expansion of 2002 to 2007. However this expansion occurred at a slower rate than Riverside County as a whole. With the onset of the recession in 2007 retail sales in both the city and county declined sharply. However by 2009 retail sales in Palm Desert began to recover and post growth in each subsequent year. At the same time Riverside County has continued to experience declines with retail sales returning above 2002 levels only in 2012. This decoupling of trajectories between the city and county retail sales volumes further supports the importance of the visitor economy on the city of Palm Desert. That is to say retail sales in Palm Desert seem to be affected by conditions in the larger economy at both the regional and national level rather than solely dependent on local conditions. Within the city of Palm Desert retail sales are concentrated in four identified districts including: El Paseo, SR-111, Town Center Way and Dinah Shore. El Paseo is a high-end visitor oriented shopping district comprised of the mix of national branded and local retailers oriented towards discretionary expenditures. El Paseo’s share of the City’s retail sales has grown appreciably since 2008 and at present accounts for 15.8% of the city's total retail sales volume. The 111 corridor operates in many respects as the Main Street for Palm Desert.. The retail establishments along 111 offer a mix of local serving and visitor serving uses with a strong emphasis on food and beverage and smaller scale retail. Establishments along SR-111 account for 22.6% of the city's total retail sales which represents the largest concentration of retail activity. Town Center Way includes the Westfield Palm Desert Mall which serves as one of the premier regional shopping malls in the Coachella Valley. There are also a number of large format retailers located on property peripheral to the mall itself. The Westfield Palm Desert Mall and adjacent properties along Town Center account for 13.5% of Palm Desert’s retail sales. The Dinah Shore area is primarily a freeway oriented and corridor commercial district anchored by the Monterey Shore Plaza. Signage along Dinah Shore is visible from I-10 and the area is easily accessible from the Monterey Avenue exit. This cluster of City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-23 stores accounted for 10.9% of Palm Desert’s total retail sales in 2013. Table 16 summarizes these distributions from 2008 to 2013. Hospitality and Commercial Recreation Palm Desert is a widely known international leisure destination. The community is well regarded for its resort hotels, golf courses along with shopping and dining amenities. Hospitality and commercial recreation have formed the core of the community's economy since its foundation. The Coachella Valley’s dry climate with pleasant winter temperatures makes it an ideal destination for vacationers and seasonal residents. Table 17 summarizes climate information for Palm Desert. The city attracts both regional visitors form the Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas as well as visitors from further away. The nearest commercial airport is in Palm Springs, which during the peak season has direct flights to 16 cities in the US and Canada. Table 18 shows the available fight origins at Palm Springs Airport. Ontario Airport and LAX also offer access to Palm Desert. For 2013 the Coachella Valley was estimated by the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau to have received 12.2 million total visitors of which 5.5 million stayed overnight. Palm Desert has an inventory of 2,198 available hotel rooms in 14 identified properties. These hotels generated over $102 million in total room sales that resulted in $9.1 million of transient occupancy tax (TOT) collected by the City of Palm Desert for fiscal year 2012/13. In addition the City has identified 1,158 short term rentals, which are not included in the room sales totals that been reported. Table 19 shows the hotel inventory and room sales for Palm Desert from 2011 to the present along with the average sale per room which is presently just under $47,000. Table 20 shows the listed inventory of hotels within Palm Desert by the published number of rooms, which differs from the number of rooms available reported by the City of Palm Desert, along with each property’s associated automobile club rating. In general the hotel inventory is oriented towards higher rated and amenitiized properties including nationally recognized resorts such as Marriott Shadow Ridge and the Desert Springs Marriott Resort. Golf plays a very important role in anchoring the hospitality industry in Palm Desert. Table 21 lists the golf facilities in the city. There are 28 full 18-hole golf courses in the city along with an additional 9-hole course, producing a total of 513 total golf holes. This yields a ratio of 116 hotel rooms per golf course and a per capita rate of 1,753 persons per course. By way of comparison the National Parks and Recreation Association recommends one golf course for 50,000 persons as a planning standard. While Palm Desert is clearly a major golf destination, the sport has experienced declining participation in the US since peaking in popularity in the early 1990s. Total golf participation rate reported by the National Golf Foundation has declined from a peak of 12.1% in its 1990 survey to 9% in 2011. The National Golf Foundation also reports that the number of American golfers playing eight or more rounds per year has fallen over 4% every year since 2006. Beyond golf, Palm Desert offers a variety of other visitor attractions. Most of these activities are in line with the City's economic development strategy towards culture and experience driven visitor attractions. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-24 13.3 Regulatory Setting State California Government Code The California Government Code (Section 65300) describes the scope and authority of local jurisdictions to prepare, adopt, and amend General Plans. Communities prepare General Plans to guide the long-term physical development of the jurisdiction, and any land within the jurisdiction’s sphere of influence. At a minimum, the California Government Code requires General Plans to address land use, circulation, housing, noise, conservation, open space, and safety issues4. Additionally, the California Government Code assigns equal importance to each General Plan element and requires General Plan elements to be internally and externally consistent, meaning that policies between elements should not be in conflict with one another, nor should subsequent plans or implementation programs, such as the Zoning Ordinance, Capital Improvement Plan, or Specific Plans, conflict with General Plan policies. The housing portion of the General Plan is expected to analyze existing and projected housing needs, examine special housing needs, evaluate the effectiveness of current goals and policies, identify constraints to providing affordable housing, identify land available within the jurisdiction to accommodate the jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need, and identify opportunities to incorporate energy conservation measures into the housing stock. The Housing Element is the only portion of the General Plan that has a statutory requirement to be reviewed and certified by a State Agency and must be updated within a specified time period on a 4 or 8 year cycle. California Health and Safety Code In addition to the regulations set forth in the California Government Code, additional provisions related to housing and local policy are set forth in the California Health and Safety Code (HSC) under Division 13 - Housing, and Division 24 – Community Development and Housing. Division 13 of the HSC provides rules and regulations related to employee housing, manufactured housing, mobile home parks, elderly housing, access for physically handicapped persons, and building standards for new, existing, and historic structures to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all California residents. Regional Southern California Association of Governments The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) that represents 6 counties and 191 cities in southern California. As the MPO for the region, SCAG is responsible for analyzing the region’s transportation system, the future of growth in the region, and potential funding sources to address housing, transportation, and livability issues for the 18 million residents that call southern California home. 4 State of California, 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-25 As part of the Regional Transportation Planning (RTP) process that occurs every four years, SCAG is responsible for determining the growth in housing, employment, and population across the region, and identifying efficient and effective methods to accommodate that growth. SCAG estimates that by 2035, the region will add more than 4 million residents, primarily in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. As the agency charged with identifying population, housing, and employment projections and trends, SCAG also leads the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process to identify the amount of growth, at a variety of income levels, that each jurisdiction within the region will need to accommodate within the housing element planning period, and assist jurisdictions in analyzing the existing and future housing needs of their community. Local Palm Desert General Plan The adopted Palm Desert General Plan includes each of the mandated elements and is organized into five major chapters: Administration, Community Development, Environmental Resources, Environmental Hazards, Public Services and Facilities. The Community Development Chapter establishes the quality and character of Palm Desert’s built environment by defining the distribution of land uses, intensity of commercial and other development, and provision of transportation options and other public facilities. The Community Development Chapter includes the following elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Parks and Recreation, Community Design, Arts and Culture, and Economic and Fiscal. To comply with State Law, the Palm Desert Housing Element was most recently updated in 2013. The streamlined update to the Housing Element was reviewed and updated to reflect the current status of housing needs, available land, constraints, program implementation, and compliance with other statutory requirements enacted since the housing element was adopted. Palm Desert Municipal Code The Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 25 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code (PMDC), serves as the implementation component of the General Plan to ensure the orderly development of the City and to protect, promote, and enhance the public health, safety, and general welfare of the City. The Zoning Ordinance establishes standards and procedures for development within each zoning district including: height, setback, density, yard, parking, walls, landscaping, and use standards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-26 13.4 References City of Palm Desert. June 2014. Palm Desert Municipal Code. Chapter 25, Zoning. Retrieved from: http://www.qcode.us/codes/palmdesert/ on July 17, 2014. City of Palm Desert. September 2013. Palm Desert 2013-2021 Housing Element. Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency. 2013. Palm Desert 2013 Progress Report. Retrieved from: http://rctlma.org/portals/0/rcd/content/progress_reports/pr_2013/palm_desert.pdfon July 14, 2014. State of California, Department of Housing and Community Development. July 2014. Housing Element Compliance Report. Retrieved from: http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/hrc/plan/he/status.pdf on July 17, 2014. Southern California Association of Governments. May 2013. Profile of the City of Palm Desert. Retrieved from: http://www.scag.ca.gov/Documents/PalmDesert.pdf on July 14, 2014. Southern California Association of Governments. April 2012. SCAG Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Retrieved from: http://www.scag.ca.gov/Documents/2012fRTP_ExecSummary.pdf on July 17, 2014. State of California. 2014. California Government Code, Section 65300. Retrieved from: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml on July 14, 2014. State of California. 2014. California Health and Safety Code, Section 33000. Retrieved from: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml on July 17, 2014. State of California, Department of Finance. May 2014. E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2011-2014, with 2010 Benchmark. http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-5/2011-20/view.php on July 15, 2014. State of California, Department of Finance. November 2012. E-8 Historical Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2000-2010. Retrieved from: http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-8/2000-10/ on July 15, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies. June 2013. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics: Palm Desert, CA. Retrieved from: http://onthemap.ces.census.gov on July 16, 2014. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2014. Consolidated Plan and Continuum of Care Planning Tool for Palm Desert (Place). Retrieved from: http://egis.hud.gov/cpdmaps/ on July 16, 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |13-27 State of California, Department of Finance, E-8 Historical Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2000-2013. Sacramento, California State of California, Board of Equalization, Taxable Sales in California, 2000-2013. Sacramento California United States Census Bureau. 2010 Census.U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. United States Census Bureau. “Summary File.” American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Office. 2012. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-1 14. Transportation 14.1 Introduction The availability and affordability of transportation options shape not only the way in which people navigate the physical environment, but also the environment itself. Mobility within a community involves multiple modes of transportation, including automobile, public transit, bicycle, and others. Offering multiple modes of transportation can improve utility, social connectivity, and provide a range of choices for the individual traveler. This chapter describes the physical and operational conditions of the circulation network in Palm Desert, including roadways, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, public transit, goods movement, and neighborhood electric vehicles. This chapter also summarizes the regulatory framework affecting transportation in the city, including State, regional and local regulations and plans. Finally, this chapter identifies key issues and opportunities for consideration in developing the Palm Desert General Plan Update, as well as community indicators that can be used to monitor the health of the overall transportation system moving forward. 14.2 Environmental Setting Existing Conditions The city of Palm Desert lies in Riverside County in the Coachella Valley, approximately 14 miles east of Palm Springs, 71 miles east of Riverside, and 122 miles east of Los Angeles. It is bordered by Thousand Palms to the north, Rancho Mirage to the west, and Indian Wells to the east. The transportation system in Palm Desert includes diverse elements including roadway systems, bicycle systems, neighborhood electric vehicle facilities, as well as a public transit system providing both local and regional bus service. A field assessment was conducted in July 2014 to further assist in the exiting conditions evaluation. It is noted that during the summer, roadway and transportation activity is generally around 20% less than during the peak seasonal period which occurs during the fall and winter. An updated report will be made available once data can be collected during the peak season. The transportation elements within the city of Palm Desert are discussed in greater detail below. Roadway System The city of Palm Desert is a resort destination and community with well-developed traffic patterns. The street system consists of a network of local roadways that connect to major roadways in a grid type pattern. The grid system is comprised of five functional systems: arterials, thoroughfares, secondary streets, collector streets, and local streets. The classification of streets is based on a functional hierarchy defined by the number of travel lanes, roadway width (curb to curb), right-of-way City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-2 (public property line to public property line), and traffic volumes. The network of local roads and arterials, thoroughfares, secondary streets, and collector streets provides connectivity within the city of Palm Desert and to neighboring communities. Regional connectivity to the city of Palm Desert is provided by Interstate 10, Highway 111, and California State Route 74. Functional Classification The existing General Plan of Palm Desert in the Circulation Element designates five different roadway types in the city and one special designation for El Paseo in the city’s commercial shopping district. Functional classification refers to how a road accommodates two characteristics: First, the extent to which the roadway prioritizes the through movement of traffic and second, the level of access provided to adjacent properties. Based on these generalized characteristics, roadways often vary in terms of right-of-way, roadway width, number of lanes, intersection and traffic signal spacing, speed, and other factors. Functional classification is generally determined in the Circulation Element of the city’s General Plan, in which the functional classification is assigned to a particular roadway based on the criteria above. Table 14.1 below identifies these roadway types for the city of Palm Desert and provides the general geometric cross sectional characteristics of each. TABLE 14.1: PALM DESERT GENERAL PLAN ROADWAY FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS Roadway Type Description of Typical Street Cross Section Characteristics Arterial Street An arterial street generally features three lanes in each direction and dedicated left and right turn lanes. There is also a raised center median. Typically, there is a bike lane between automobile lanes and the curb and gutter, with no parking. Thoroughfare A typical thoroughfare is a four lane facility with a center median. There is either a bike lane or parking present between the rightmost traffic lane and the curb and gutter. Secondary Street A secondary street generally features two travel lanes in each direction and a two way left turn lane in the middle. There can be a bike lane between the automobile lanes and the curb and gutter, with no parking. Collector Street A collector street is generally a two lane facility with either a median or a two way left turn lane. Parking or a bike lane runs along the curb and gutter. Local Street A local street is typically a two lane facility with no median. El Paseo This is a special designation given to El Paseo which is the heart of the El Paseo Shopping District. It is generally a four lane facility with a raised center median and generally features dedicated turn lanes. Source: Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Element, 2004 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-3 Local Streets The majority of streets in the city of Palm Desert are local streets. These are streets located within residential communities and are used by residents to access the grid network of arterial streets, thoroughfares, secondary streets, and collector streets. Speed limits are typically 25 mph or less, and there is a higher likelihood of tight radius turns and meandering alignments. Some local streets have sidewalks while others lack pedestrian facilities. Typical local streets will not have medians or striped centerlines. As the majority of streets are local streets, they will not be individually addressed in this report. Arterial streets, thoroughfares, secondary streets, and collector streets are discussed below. Table 14.2 outlines the classified facilities within the city. Table 14.3 shows the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volumes along the major streets in the city, as reported from a variety of sources including CVAG, the 2004 Circulation Element, and Caltrans. Figure 14.1 shows the Palm Desert roadway network by functional type, as well as the location of signalized intersections. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-4 TABLE 14.2: PALM DESERT ROADWAYS Classification Roadways Arterial Streets Highway 111 Fred Waring Drive (east of Hwy 111) Country Club Drive Frank Sinatra Drive (west of El Dorado Drive) Gerald Ford Drive (west of Cook Street) Dinah Shore Drive (west of Portola Avenue) Monterey Avenue (south of Interstate 10) Portola Avenue (north of Magnesia Falls Drive) Cook Street (north of Hwy 111) Washington Street Thoroughfares California State Route 74 Portola Avenue (Magnesia Falls Drive to Haystack Road) San Pablo Avenue (Hwy 111 to Fred Waring Drive) Hovley Lane East El Dorado Drive Monterey Avenue (north of Interstate 10) Gerald Ford Drive (east of Cook Street) Varner Road Secondary Streets Portola Avenue (south of Haystack Road) Cook Street (south of Hwy 111) San Pablo Avenue (north of Fred Waring Drive and south of Hwy 111) Deep Canyon Road (Hwy 111 to Fred Waring Drive) Fred Waring Drive (west of Hwy 111) Park View Drive Frank Sinatra Drive (east of El Dorado Drive) Oasis Club Drive Collector Streets Shadow Mountain Drive San Gorgonio Way Alessandro Drive Deep Canyon Road (Fairway Drive to Hwy 111 and north of Fred Waring Road) San Pascual Avenue Magnesia Falls Drive Local Street All others Source: Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Element, 2004 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-5 Arterial Streets Highway 111 – Designated as an arterial roadway, Highway 111 provides three travel lanes in each direction through most of the portion running through the city of Palm Desert. There is a raised, landscaped median, left turn lanes, and a speed limit of 45 mph. Hwy 111 is surrounded by commercial land uses in Palm Desert. Fred Waring Drive (east of Hwy 111) – This segment of Fred Waring Drive is designated as an arterial roadway within the city of Palm Desert. It is constructed with three travel lanes in each direction, left and right turn lanes, and a raised, landscaped median. Speed limits along this segment range from 45 to 50 mph. Residential land uses surround this portion of Fred Waring Drive. Country Club Drive – Country Club Drive runs through the city from Monterey Avenue to Washington Street and is designated as an arterial roadway. It is surrounded by residential and recreational land uses. There are two traffic lanes serving each direction, as well as left and right turn lanes. There is also a raised, landscaped median along its entire span. Frank Sinatra Drive (west of El Dorado Drive) – This segment of Frank Sinatra Drive runs from Monterey Avenue to El Dorado Drive. This east-west roadway provides two travel lanes in each direction and left and right turn lanes, with a raised median dividing each direction. The speed limit is 55 mph. Frank Sinatra Drive runs through both residential and commercial land uses. East of El Dorado Drive, this roadway continues as Tamarisk Row Drive, a secondary roadway. Gerald Ford Drive (west of Cook Street) – This segment of Gerald Ford Drive runs east-west from Monterey Avenue to Cook Street. Gerald Ford Drive provides two travel lanes in each direction west of Portola Avenue and one travel lane in each direction from Portola Avenue to Cook Street. The speed limit ranges from 50 to 55 mph. Left and right turn lanes are provided along with a raised, landscaped median. Residential land uses are predominantly present around Gerald Ford Drive. Dinah Shore Drive (west of Portola Avenue) – Dinah Shore Drive from the city boundary to Portola Avenue is designated as an arterial roadway, running through commercial land uses. This segment is a six-lane roadway west of Monterey Avenue and four-lane roadway east of Monterey Avenue, with left and right turn lanes provided. The speed limit is 45 mph. There is a raised, landscaped median provided. Monterey Avenue (south of Interstate 10) – This segment of Monterey Avenue runs south from Interstate 10 before terminating at Highway 111 and becoming State Route 74. Monterey Avenue is a six-lane roadway to north of Dinah Shore Drive and a four-lane roadway to the south. The speed limit ranges from 45 to 55 mph. There are residential land uses with some commercial land use around this segment. Portola Avenue (north of Magnesia Falls Drive) – Portola Avenue is designated as an arterial roadway running north-south from Interstate 10 to Magnesia Falls Drive, through a mix of residential and commercial land uses. Two travel lanes are provided in each direction. Most of this segment does not have a median. The speed limit ranges from 50 to 60 mph. Portola Avenue continues south of Magnesia Falls Drive as a thoroughfare roadway and south of Haystack Road as a secondary roadway. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-6 Cook Street (north of Hwy 111) – This portion of Cook Street runs north-south from Interstate 10 to Highway 111 as an arterial roadway with two travel lanes in each direction with left and right turn lanes. There is a raised, landscaped median through most of the segment. Speed limits range from 50 to 55 mph and there are various residential, commercial, and recreational land uses. Washington Street – Washington Street is a six-lane arterial roadway running north-south through the city of Palm Desert from Interstate 10 to Fred Waring Drive. There are left and right turn lanes provided as well as a raised, landscaped median. The speed limit is 50 mph. Washington Street runs through mostly commercial land uses. Thoroughfares California State Route 74 – This roadway, designated as a thoroughfare through the city, provides two travel lanes in each direction. The speed limit ranges from 40 to 60 miles per hour. Land uses surrounding SR 74 are residential. San Pablo Avenue (Hwy 111 to Fred Waring Drive) – This thoroughfare segment of San Pablo Avenue consist of four lanes with a speed limit ranging from 35 to 40 mph. A raised, landscaped median and diagonal street parking are present south of San Gorgonio Way. Both commercial and residential land use are along this segment. Hovley Lane East – This west-east thoroughfare provides two travel lanes in each direction with left and right turn lanes and a raised, landscaped median. The speed limit ranges from 45 to 50 mph and there are residential, commercial, and recreational land uses present along the roadway. El Dorado Drive – El Dorado Drive is a four-lane thoroughfare that provides left and right turn lanes as well as a raised, landscaped median south of Country Club Drive. The speed limit is 50 mph. This roadway runs through residential land uses. Varner Road – Varner Road is a thoroughfare running parallel to Interstate 10 north of the city’s northern boundary. This roadway varies between one and three lanes in each travel direction. It is bound on its southern side by Interstate 10 and on its northern side by various industrial, commercial, residential, and open space land uses. Secondary Streets Deep Canyon Road – This segment of Deep Canyon Road, designated as a secondary street, runs through residential land uses with a speed limit of 45 mph. There are two lanes provided in each direction, although southbound lanes are reduced to one from Hidden Palms Drive to Alessandro Drive. Park View Drive – Designated as a secondary street, Park View Drive runs through residential and commercial land uses and provides one travel lane in each direction with dedicated left and right turn lanes. The speed limit is 50 mph. West of Highway 111, Park View Drive continues as Painters Path. Oasis Club Drive – Oasis Club Drive is a north-south secondary street that runs from Hovley Lane East to Country Club Drive before continuing northward as Tamrisk Row Drive. It is a four lane roadway with a speed limit of 55 mph. Residential land uses surrounded the roadway on both sides. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-7 Collector Streets Shadow Mountain Drive – Shadow Mountain Drive is a two lane collector street running east-west from Highway 74 to Portola Avenue. The speed limit is 30 mph and residential land uses are present on each side. Street parking is allowed along the entire roadway. San Gorgonio Way – San Gorgonio Way is a two lane collector street with street parking and a 30 mph speed limit running through primarily residential land uses with some commercial. It continues east past San Pascual Avenue as De Anza Way. Alessandro Drive – This two lane collector street runs parallel to Highway 11 through residential and commercial land uses. The speed limit is 30 to 35 miles per hour and street parking is available on both sides. San Pascual Avenue – San Pascual Avenue is a residential collector street with a speed limit of 35 mph. There is one travel lane in each direction as well as street parking. Magnesia Falls Drive – Magnesia Falls Drive runs east-west from Monterey Avenue to Deep Canyon Road. There is one travel lane in each direction as well as a raised, landscaped median. The speed limit is 50 mph west of Portola Avenue and 35 mph east. Land uses around Magnesia Falls Drive are a mixture of residential, recreational, and public facilities. El Paseo El Paseo is located in the heart of Palm Desert's main shopping street. The area around the street has evolved into an upscale shopping district featuring hundreds of boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. El Paseo is often compared to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive due its concentration of posh retail outlets and lush landscaping. The street runs parallel to Highway 111, which serves as the main thoroughfare in the Palm Springs metropolitan area. Freeways Interstate 10 – A six-lane portion of Interstate 10 runs along the city’s northern boundary and provides the city with important inter-city and inter-regional connectivity. Interstate 10 is connected to the city via interchanges on Bob Hope Drive, Monterey Avenue, Cook Street, and Washington Street. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-8 TABLE 14.3: PALM DESERT ADT COUNTS Street Segment ADT1 Highway 111 E of Bob Hope Dr. E of Fred Waring Dr. W of Monterey Ave. E of San Pablo Ave. W of Cook St. W of Washington St. 38,636 32,446 30,174 35,763 35,093 29,353 Fred Waring Dr. E of Highway 111 E of Monterey Ave, E of San Pablo Ave. W of Cook St. W of Washington St. 17,615 28,164 29,993 31,788 28,997 Country Club Dr. W of Monterey Ave. W of Portola Ave. W of Washington St. 22,531 23,581 25,780 Frank Sinatra Dr. W of Monterey Ave. W of Portola Ave. W of Cook St. 11,375 9,965 9,520 Gerald Ford Dr. W of Monterey Ave. W of Portola Ave. W of Cook St. E of Cook St. 13,162 11,141 13,303 7,964 Dinah Shore Dr. W of Monterey Ave. 24,627 Monterey Ave. N of Dinah Shore Dr, N of Gerald Ford Dr. N of Country Club Dr N of Fred Waring Dr. 44,125 30,797 30,987 29,450 Portola Ave. S of Highway 111 N of Highway 111 N of Fred Waring Dr. N of Magnesia Falls N of Country Club Dr N of Frank Sinatra 14,007 14,737 17,818 22,079 12,159 7,827 Cook St. N of Highway 111 N of Fred Waring Dr. N of Country Club Dr N of Frank Sinatra N of Gerald Ford Dr. N of US I-10 13,579 25,143 25,090 23,866 27,908 5,9002 Washington St. N of Highway 111 N of Fred Waring Dr. N of Hovley Ln. N of Country Club Dr N of US I-10 N of Varner Road 35,258 37,579 34,659 45,275 17,751 9,5002 San Pablo Ave. N of Highway 111 N of Fred Waring Dr. 11,3002 10,0002 Hovley Ln. E. E of Portola Ave. E of Cook St. E of El Dorado Dr, 14,2002 13,6002 12,8002 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-9 Street Segment ADT1 El Dorado Dr. N of Hovley Ln. E. N of Country Club Dr N of Frank Sinatra 3,5002 3,2002 2,2002 Varner Rd. E of Monterey Ave. E of Cook St. E of Washington St. 5,050 3,5002 21,367 Deep Canyon Rd. N of Highway 111 N of Fred Waring Dr. 22,6002 19,8002 Park View Dr. W of Monterey Ave. E of Monterey Ave. 5,1002 8,4002 Oasis Club Dr, N of Hovley Ln. E. 5,2002 U.S. Interstate-10 W of Bob Hope E of Monterey E of Cook St. E of Washington St. 86,6783 100,8603 99,8123 79,0333 Source: 1. CVAG 2013 Traffic Census Report 2. Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Element, 2004 3. Caltrans PeMS Signalized Intersections There are currently 102 existing signalized intersections in the Palm Desert. The locations of existing as well as future signalized intersections are provided in Figure 14.1. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-10 FIGURE 14.1: ROADWAY CLASSIFICATIONS BY FUNCTIONAL TYPE AND SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-11 Parking The city of Palm Desert supplies ample parking facilities both on-street and off-street for commercial and residential needs. Collector and local residential streets generally allow on-street curbside parking. El Paseo provides free on-street parking as well as off-street parking for local businesses. A portion of San Pablo Avenue provides diagonal on-street parking between the Class 2 bicycle and golf cart lane and the sidewalk. While on-street parking is not available on Highway 111, parking stalls are available for local business use along Palm Desert Drive North and Palm Desert Drive South, both of which are parallel and adjacent facilities to Highway 111. Parking lots and parking structures are also available for a number of shopping centers. However, many arterial and thoroughfare roadways prohibit on-street parking to accommodate Class 2 striped bicycle and golf cart lanes. Based on weekday observations conducted in July 2014, there is excess parking capacity provided in the city of Palm Desert. On-street parking facilities along roadways such as El Paseo were generally half utilized. Usage for off-street outdoor parking lots along roadways such as Highway 111 and Monterey Avenue varied, but were generally between low and approximately half utilized. However, off-street covered parking structures for shopping centers along Highway 111 and other roadways were closer to full capacity. As noted, transportation activity is generally 20% less during the summer in Palm Desert. An updated evaluation will be done during the fall/winter peak seasons. Public Transit Public transit in the city of Palm Desert is provided through local bus service and demand-responsive paratransit service. Fixed-Route Transit Service The city of Palm Desert is served by the SunLine Transit Agency. As of 2014, six routes provide service to the city: 32, 53, 54, 70, 111, and Commuter Link 220. 32 (Palm Desert to Palm Springs) – This line runs from Palm Desert to Palm Springs and provides service through Rancho Mirage, Thousand Palms, and Cathedral City. Line 32 travels through Palm Desert along Monterey Avenue and Country Club Drive. Service is provided seven days a week, with the line running from approximately 5:00 AM to 10:45 PM on weekdays and 7:00 AM to 10:45 PM on weekends. Headways are 50 minutes on weekdays and 60 minutes on weekends. Street parking is generally available on El Paseo Drive. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-12 53 (Palm Desert) – Line 53 runs through Palm Desert and connects to Indian Wells. Line 53 within Palm Desert travels along Cook Street, Portola Avenue, Highway 111, and Fred Waring Drive. This line provides service seven days a week, from approximately 6:30 AM to 6:45 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 6:15 PM on weekends. Headways are 40 to 60 minutes on weekdays and 80 minutes on weekends. 54 (Palm Desert to Indio) – This line connects Palm Desert to Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Indio. Line 54 travels through Palm Desert along Fred Waring Drive. Service is provided on weekdays only from 6:00AM to 8:00PM with 40 to 50 minute headways. 70 (Bermuda Dunes to La Quinta) – Line 70 runs from Bermuda Dunes to La Quinta and passes through Palm Desert while providing a connection to Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and La Quinta Cove. Within Palm Desert, Line 70 travels on Washington Street. This line provides service seven days a week, running from approximately 5:15 AM to 8:45PM on weekdays and 5:15 AM to 9:30 PM on weekends. Headways are 45 minutes on weekdays and 90 minutes on weekends. 111 (Palm Springs to Indio) – Line 111 runs from Palm Springs to Indio and connects Palm Desert to Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, and Palm Springs. This line passes through Palm Desert on Highway 111 and provides service seven days a week. Line 111 runs from approximately 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM on weekdays and 5:45 AM to 10:30 PM on weekends. Headways are 20 minutes during the day and 30 to 40 minutes during the late evening. Commuter Link 220 (Palm Desert to Riverside) – Commuter Link 220 is a commuter bus line connecting Palm Desert to Riverside. This line provides service to destinations such as Casino Morongo, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, and the UC Riverside main campus. Commuter Link 220 also provides a connection to Metrolink trains and Riverside Transit Agency buses via Riverside Metrolink Station and Riverside Downtown Bus Terminal. This line operates Monday through Friday with service beginning at Westfield Palm Desert. There are two outgoing morning buses at 4:38 AM and 5:55 AM and two incoming evening buses. Amenities such as free Wi-Fi internet are provided for commuters. Commuter Link 220 travels on Monterey Avenue through Palm Desert. Paratransit Service Unlike fixed-route transit service, paratransit service does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Paratransit can consist of vans or mini-buses that provide on-demand curb-to-curb service from any origin to destination within the service’s specified service area. Qualifying residents can utilize SunLine Transit Agency’s SunDial service. SunDial is a curb-to-curb paratransit service serving Coachella Valley residents unable to use regular bus service. SunDial provides next day transportation service within ¾ of a mile on either side of any local SunLine bus route (excluding Commuter Link 220 and North Shore Line 95). Service within the same city is $1.50 and within cities is $2.00. Eligible resident may also purchase a 10-ride same city pass for $15.00 or city to city pass for $20.00. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-13 Transit Facilities Transit facilities in Palm Desert consist of bus stops for SunLine buses along Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, Monterey Avenue, Cook Street, Washington Street, and other roads. A large portion of the bus stops in the city have a bench or a shaded bus shelter. Goods Movement Goods movement plays an important role in both the circulation network and the economy of a city such as Palm Desert. Often, it can be difficult to balance accommodating trucks and other vehicles without impeding other modes or the well-being of residents of the city. Due to its important location among three highways, Palm Desert should incorporate goods movement along its roadways into effective transportation planning. The Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) of 1982 defines a network of highways as truck routes. Large trucks are allowed to operate on these routes. Goods movement into and through Palm Desert is currently accommodated by STAA-designated Interstate 10, Highway 111, and State Route 74. The STAA also encourages local governments to accommodate trucks on roadways beyond those designated by the Act. Shaded bus shelters make transit trips more attractive and enjoyable Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-14 Non-Motorized Transportation Facilities Non-motorized modes of transportation are environmentally friendly alternatives to motor vehicles that enhance both personal and social well-being. The current General Plan’s Circulation element recognizes the importance of expanding travel options for pedestrians, bicyclers, and golf cart users. These alternatives to motorized transportation are not only central to the Palm Desert lifestyle, they are also important traveling modes, part of a seamless transportation system that includes other modes of moving around such as transit. In addition to transporting, these modes of travel provide many public access, health, and economic benefits and are recognized as integral components of Palm Deserts’ transportation system. Safe, convenient, attractive, and well-designed pedestrian, bicycle, and golf cart facilities are essential if these modes are to be properly accommodated and encouraged. Inadequate facilities discourage users and waste money and resources on unnecessary facilities. The City has been well aware of this need and has several policies to continue this effort. Pedestrian Environment The suburban, tract housing layout comprising a notable portion of the city has resulted in an automobile dominant community. The current General Plan’s Circulation Element concedes that while sidewalks have been constructed in various parts of the city, in some areas their design and construction has been inconsistent, disjointed and unconnected. However, the commercial shopping centers near the Westfield Mall, El Paseo Shopping District, and Desert Crossing Mall do provide for a pleasant pedestrian experience. Six factors that might affect walkability and the pedestrian experience in the city at large have been analyzed, including: Sidewalk Continuity – Communities are more walkable if sidewalks do not end abruptly and are present on the entire segment and both sides of a roadway. This is especially important for the mobility-impaired or those pushing small children in strollers. Neighborhood electric vehicles and golf carts are a unique feature of the Palm Desert lifestyle. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-15 Sidewalk Conditions - This refers to the physical condition of sidewalk surfaces. Sidewalks that are broken or cracked can deter walkability and pose a safety hazard, particularly for the mobility impaired, such as those in wheel chairs and persons using walkers or strollers. Shading - Persons are more inclined to walk in areas where there is shade present, particularly in Southern California and the Coachella Valley with its relatively warm weather and limited rainfall as compared to other locations. Additionally, shade trees create an aesthetic value that is pleasing to the pedestrian. Grade - Persons are more inclined to walk in areas that are relatively flat or have limited grade changes. Amenities - All items being equal, persons are more inclined to walk in areas that are interesting environments with shopping, retail, restaurants, and other similar uses. Pedestrian-friendly amenities include street furniture, attractive paving, way-finding signage, enhanced landscaping, and improved lighting. Buffers - A more walkable environment is one in which there is some degree of separation between the pedestrian and the motorist. This typically includes wider sidewalks, street parking and sidewalk bulb-outs at intersections where feasible. Crosswalks with appropriate signage serve as an important buffer as well. A general evaluation of the pedestrian environment in Palm Desert is provided in Table 14.4 below. A map of the city’s existing sidewalk inventory is provided in Figure 14.2. Missing sidewalks can decrease the attractiveness and safety of this travel mode. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-16 TABLE 14.4: EXISTING PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES Criteria Evaluation Sidewalk Continuity Some major roadways in Palm Desert either have discontinuous sidewalks or only provide sidewalks on one side of the roadway. Many residential streets also either suffer from discontinuous sidewalks or do not provide any sidewalks at all. Sidewalk Conditions Throughout the city of Palm Desert, sidewalks are generally in good condition, free of cracks, fissures, or uplift. Shading The city of Palm Desert has abundant trees and landscaping along many of its roadways and pedestrian walkways that provide an attractive streetscape. However, trees along most pedestrian walkways provide little to no shading due to their small canopies. Grade Streets are generally flat with no grade. However sidewalks along some roadways have slight slopes. Amenities Offered El Paseo and the surrounding area offer amenities such as places to sit, shopping, dining, attractive median landscaping and public art. Throughout the city, attractive landscaping lines roadway medians and pedestrian walkways and buffers. Buffers Buffered space is common throughout the city via landscaping, curbside parking, and bicycle and golf cart lanes. However, many locations lack buffered space and could also benefit from wider sidewalks. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-17 FIGURE 14.2: PALM DESERT EXISTING SIDEWALK INVENTORY City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-18 Bicycle and Golf Cart Facilities The City of Palm Desert has made a concerted effort to expand the ease of alternative transportation options for residents, recognizing both health and environmental benefits. This includes the expansion of bicycle facilities that increase connectivity between residential, recreational, commercial, and other community amenities throughout the city. The City has also focused on the use of golf carts beyond golf courses onto public streets and private roads as a safe, convenient, and environmentally-friendly transportation mode through its Golf Cart Transportation Program. Bicycles and golf carts share an extensive system of shared and separated facilities along Palm Desert’s roadways. These facilities consist of Class 1 separated paths, Class 2 striped lanes, Class 3 shared roadways, and shared sidewalks. Class 2 striped lanes, which provide a dedicated lane of one-way travel within the paved section of the street, exist on many of Palm Desert’s roadways including Highway 74, Country Club Drive, Cook Street, and portions of Portola Avenue and Monterey Avenue. Class 3 shared roadways providing a right-of-way with shared use with other motorists are provided on El Paseo, Shadow Mountain Drive, Town Center Way, San Gorgonio Way, De Anza Way, and other roads. Figure 14.3 provides the existing Golf Cart and Bike Path Routes in the city of Palm Desert. There are some barriers to bicycle ridership in Palm Desert. The summertime temperatures combined with a lack of roadway shading can make bicycling uncomfortable. Also, current bicycle facilities such as shared roadways and striped lanes do not provide a physical barrier from automobile traffic. It can also be difficult to use the bicycle to conduct trips throughout the city due to a lack of bicycle parking near amenities such as shopping as well as the need for bicycle-friendly way finding. Bicycle and golf carts often share the same facilities Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-19 FIGURE 14.3: GOLF CART AND BIKE PATH ROUTES City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-20 Transportation System Performance Using available data from a variety of sources including the US Census, Caltrans, and the Riverside County Department of Transportation, this section presents an overview of how the transportation system within Palm Desert currently performs. Mode Choice Mode choice refers to the mode of travel which is used for any particular trip. The US Census Department through the American Community Survey regularly reports mode choice for travel to work. The results for Palm Desert and comparable regions are provided in Table 14.5 below. TABLE 14.5: COMMUTER MODAL SPLIT Commute Mode Choice Palm Desert Riverside County California United States Single Occupant Auto 75.3% 76.9% 73.0% 76.1% Carpool 11.2% 13.4% 11.5% 10.0% Public Transit 1.6% 1.4% 5.1% 5.0% Bicycling/Walking 2.4% 2.0% 3.8% 3.4% Other Means 1.1% 1.3% 1.3% 1.2% Work at Home 8.4% 5.1% 5.2% 4.3% Source: American Community Survey (2008 – 2012) FIGURE 14.4: COMMUTER MODE SPLIT IN PALM DESERT (2008 – 2012) Source: American Community Survey (2008 – 2012) Single Occupant Auto, 75.28% Carpool, 11.20% Public Transit, 1.57% Bike/Walk, 2.41% Other, 1.13% Work at home, 8.42% City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-21 As shown in the chart above, residents of Palm Desert use single-occupant vehicles to travel to work substantially more than other modes. Carpooling is much lower (11.2 percent as compared to 75.3 percent). Other modes also have low usage, such as public transit (1.6 percent) and bicycling and walking (2.4 percent). Transit usage is consistent with the rest of Riverside County (1.4 percent) but lower than the state (5.1 percent) and nation (5.0 percent). Finally, it is noted that the percentage of residents in Palm Desert that work from home is almost twice the national average. Travel Time to Work Chart 2 below presents comparative travel time information for Palm Desert and Riverside County for travel to work for a one way-trip. As shown, travel times for Palm Desert residents are shorter than in the rest of Riverside County. 21.6 percent of Palm Desert residents travel less than 10 minutes to work, versus 10.7 of countywide residents. Also almost 40 percent of Palm Desert residents travel less than 15 minutes, much higher than the rest of the county (24 percent). 7.6 percent of Palm Desert residents take 45 or more minutes to reach work, compared to 26.2 percent of overall county residents. FIGURE 14.5: TRAVEL TIME TO WORK Source: American Community Survey (2008 – 2012) 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0% Less than 10 Minutes 10 to 19 mins 20 to 29 mins 30 to 39 mins 40 to 59 mins 60 to 89 mins 90 or more mins % o f C o m m u t e r s Travel Time to Work Palm Desert Riverside County City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-22 Work Trips Inside Palm Desert Another aspect of travel behavior relates to the propensity for residents to either remain within their community or travel outside of their community for their work trips. One data source for this information is the Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD). According to the LEHD database, as presented in Table 14.6, the percentage of persons living in Palm Desert who also work in Palm Desert has fallen substantially between 2002 and 2011 from 29.5 percent to 20.6 percent. The percentage of persons living in Palm Desert but working elsewhere rose from 70.5 percent to 79.4 percent during the same span of time. TABLE 14.6: PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS TRAVELING OUTSIDE CITY FOR WORK Year Residents Working in Palm Desert Residents Working Outside Palm Desert 2002 29.5% 70.5% 2003 27.9% 72.1% 2004 28.7% 71.3% 2005 26.9% 73.1% 2006 27.0% 73.0% 2007 24.0% 76.0% 2008 23.0% 77.0% 2009 23.1% 76.9% 2010 21.6% 78.4% 2011 20.6% 79.4% Source: LEHD (2002 – 2011) Vehicle Miles Traveled A key transportation performance metric is vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is a summation of the trip length for each vehicle trip multiplied by the number of trips. VMT is used to estimate GHG emissions, is a key element of SB 375, and may be required as an evaluation metric under SB 743. Table 14.7 presents VMT per household for Palm Desert as compared to all households in Riverside County. Data taken from the Riverside County Transportation Analysis Model was used to determine the number of households; the Caltrans Highway Performance Monitoring System was used to determine VMT in the city of Palm Desert and in Riverside County. This calculation will be updated as more data is available. As shown in the table, VMT per household in Palm Desert is lower than the countywide average. TABLE 14.7: VMT PER HOUSEHOLD FOR PALM DESERT AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY Year Palm Desert Riverside County 2008 36.4 83.2 Source: Riverside County Transportation Analysis Model & Caltrans Highway Performance Monitoring System City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-23 Traffic Congestion Regional congestion can be assessed using a variety of approaches. One common approach is Level of Service (LOS), which assigns a letter grade based on quantitative or qualitative performance metrics. A second approach is to use a variety of datasets to identify congestion through speed and stopped vehicles. Both analytics are presented in this section. The City of Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Element uses the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology to analyze signalized intersections. The HCM methodology for signalized intersections estimates the average control delay for the vehicle at the intersection. After the quantitative delay estimates are complete, the methodology assigns a qualitative letter grade that represents the operations of the intersection. These grades range from level of service (LOS) A (minimal delay) to LOS F (excessive congestion). For roadway segments, the Circulation Element compares traffic volumes to roadway capacities to assign level of service (LOS) letter grades. The Circulation Element establishes and directs actions to maintain acceptable levels of service on all community roadways. LOS C is considered to be the desired and optimal level of traffic volume on any given roadway. However, the Circulation Element acknowledges that as traffic volumes increase, LOS C becomes difficult and costly to achieve in urban areas. Therefore, LOS D is provisionally considered the generally acceptable service level. The Circulation Element states that exceedance of the City's LOS C goal is only acceptable where maximum feasible intersection improvements have been implemented. An inventory of the intersections within the city of Palm Desert was taken and 40 intersections have been selected for analysis based on the existing traffic demand and their location in the roadway network. Table 14.8 below provides the intersections, delay, and level of service for the existing AM and PM peak hours. Delay and level of service are calculated using the HCM 2000 methodology. Figure 14.4 provides the location of the 40 analyzed intersections. Figure 14.5 provides the existing traffic volumes and lane configurations. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-24 FIGURE 14.6: ANALYZED INTERSECTIONS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-25 FIGURE 14.7: EXISTING CONDITIONS (2014) TRAFFIC VOLUME AND LANE CONFIGURATIONS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-26 FIGURE 14.8: EXISTING CONDITIONS (2014) TRAFFIC VOLUME AND LANE CONFIGURATIONS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-27 TABLE 14.8: EXISTING LEVEL OF SERVICE Intersection Name Control AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Delay LOS Delay LOS Cook & Hovley Ln East Signalized 33.6 C 33.8 C Portola & Hovley Ln East Signalized - - 20 B Cook & Country Club Signalized 52.3 D 33.4 C Washington & Country Club Signalized 34.4 C 36.1 D Portola & Country Club Signalized 44.9 D 47.8 D Eldorado & Country Club Signalized 15.4 B 20.6 C Oasis Club/Tamarisk Row & Country Club Signalized 21.3 C 17.5 B Monterey Avenue & Dinah Shore Drive Signalized 28.7 C 61.2 E Washington & Hovley Ln East/42nd Ave Signalized 61.9 E 52.3 D Monterey Avenue & Gerald Ford Signalized 28 C 28.3 C Portola & Magnesia Falls Signalized - - 22.1 C Portola & Gerald Ford Signalized - - 21.9 C Portola & Frank Sinatra Signalized - - 28.8 C Monterey Avenue & Frank Sinatra Drive Signalized 25.5 C 33 C Cook & Gerald Ford Signalized - - 22.3 C San Pablo & Fred Waring Drive Signalized 45.6 D 19.1 B Portola & Fred Waring Signalized 29.7 C 25.9 C Deep Canyon & Fred Waring Signalized 31.2 C 21 C Fred Waring & Phyllis Jackson Signalized 12.7 B 8.1 A Cook/Cook Street & Fred Waring Signalized 40.8 D 6.5 A Washington & Fred Waring Signalized 45.6 D 37.3 D Hwy 74 & El Paseo Signalized 18.2 B 26.5 C Monterey Avenue & Country Club Signalized 35.7 D 37.5 D Cook & Frank Sinatra Signalized - - 27.3 C Painters Path/Park View & Hwy 111 Signalized 74.1 E 11.5 B Hwy 111 & Fred Waring Drive Signalized 46.8 D 37.1 D Hwy 111 & Desert Crossing Signalized 21.7 C 21 C El Paseo/Town Center & Hwy 111 Signalized 22.6 C 20.5 C Plaza & Hwy 111 Signalized 20.4 C 23 C Hwy 74/Monterey & Hwy 111 Signalized 41.1 D 32.3 C San Pablo & Hwy 111 Signalized 43.4 D 25.2 C San Luis Rey & Hwy 111 Signalized 19.2 B 21.6 C Portola & Hwy 111 Signalized 30.3 C 24.5 C El Paseo/Cabrillo & Hwy 111 Signalized 51.9 D 13.5 B Deep Canyon & Hwy 111 Signalized 57.5 E 38.9 D Portola & El Paseo Signalized 28 C 24.9 C Hovley Ln East & Oasis Club Signalized - - 20.1 C Monterey Avenue & I-10 WB Off-ramp Signalized - - 25.4 C Monterey Avenue & I-10 EB Off-ramp Signalized - - 16.2 B Monterey & Fred Waring Drive Signalized 46 D 37.9 D Source: Citywide Synchro Network (2014) City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-28 The second approach to congestion is to directly measure congestion as it occurs. One commonly used source is the INRIX database, which in turn uses crowd-sourced data from intersection detectors, GPS units in commercial vehicles, and other sensors to present real time data. Two screenshots of the INRIX database are presented below. The first screenshot below (Figure 14.6) represents conditions in the region around Palm Desert at 8:00 AM on a weekday morning in July 2014. The blue dots and trailing lines indicate the location of a bottleneck and the extent of the bottleneck. As shown on the image, bottlenecks generally occur on roadway segments that are headed towards or away from a major regional facility like I-10 and Highway 111. The intersection at Highway 111 and Monterey Avenue in particular experiences significant bottlenecks during the AM Peak Hour. Other bottleneck locations occur on Portola Avenue, Cook Street, and Washington Avenue. FIGURE 14.6: INRIX AM BOTTLENECK DATA INRIX ANALYTIC TOOLS SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD, 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-29 Data for the evening period (5:00 PM on the same day) is presented in the following screenshot below (Figure 14.7). Bottle neck locations are at similar locations as during the AM Peak Hour but are found in other locations as well. Highway 111, Monterey Avenue, Cook Street, and Washington Avenue all experience significant bottlenecks during the PM Peak Hour. FIGURE 14.7: INRIX PM BOTTLENECK DATA INRIX ANALYTIC TOOLS SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD, 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-30 Safety A traffic collision is considered to be any event where a vehicle strikes any object while moving. That object could be another car, a pedestrian, or something fixed in place like a light post. When collisions cause damage or injury, the details are recorded by the local law enforcement agency and loaded into the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). The latest SWITRS report was used to analyze collision data in Palm Desert. From 2008 to 2012, there were a total of 844 vehicle collisions, with five collisions resulting in a single fatality each and 48 collisions resulting in severe injuries. The top three cited factors contributing to collisions were: unsafe speed (34 percent), traffic signals and signs (18 percent), and right-of-way violations (14 percent). Driving under the influence of alcohol or drug was a factor in only 7 percent of the total collisions. The number of vehicle collisions of any type remained constant during the five-year period between 2008 and 2012 and ranged from 160 per year to 183 per year. During the same time period, the number of collisions involving a pedestrian or bicyclist has remained constant, meaning that the total share of these types of collisions has increased, as illustrated in Figure 14.8 below. Source: SWITRS Accident Data (2008 – 2012) Figure 14.9 below shows the locations and types of collisions in Palm Desert in the five year period from 2008 to 2012. As illustrated in Figure 14.9, the spatial distribution of collision frequency differs by collision type. Vehicle collisions occurred throughout the city but were mainly concentrated in the El Paseo area as well as along major corridors and in major intersections. Bicycle collisions occurred along a few roadways mainly around the commercial shopping areas and the western half of the city, such as Fred Waring Drive, Highway 111, Monterey Avenue, and Portola Avenue. Pedestrian collisions were concentrated around the commercial shopping areas near roadways such as Fred Waring Drive and Highway 111 but also occurred in the eastern portion of the city along Washington Street and Country Club Drive. 0 40 80 120 160 200 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Nu m b e r o f C o l l i s i o n s Year FIGURE 14.8 –COLLISIONS BY TYPE Vehicle Only Bicycle Pedestrian City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-31 FIGURE 14.9: TRAFFIC COLLISIONS LOCATIONS City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-32 14.3 Regulatory Setting The regulatory framework is used to inform decision makers about the regulatory agencies/policies that affect transportation in the city. This enables them to make informed decisions about planning improvements to transportation systems in the city. This document includes a discussion of funding as well as regulation. Major policy documents impacting the transportation system in the city of Palm Desert include laws at the state level and planning documents at a regional and local level. State Regulations AB 1358 – Complete Streets Act The California Complete Streets Act of 2008 was signed into law on September 30, 2008. Beginning January 1, 2011, AB 1358 required circulation elements to address the transportation system from a multi-modal perspective. The bill states that streets, roads, and highways must “meet the needs of all users…in a manner suitable to the rural, suburban, or urban context of the general plan.” Essentially, this bill requires a circulation element to plan for all modes of transportation where appropriate – including walking, biking, car travel, and transit. The Complete Streets Act also requires circulation elements to consider the multiple users of the transportation system, including children, adults, seniors, and the disabled. For further clarity, AB 1358 tasks the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to release guidelines for compliance which are so far undeveloped. AB 32 – Global Warming Solutions Act With the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the State of California committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The California Air Resource Board (ARB), which is coordinating the response to comply with AB 32, is currently on schedule to meet this deadline. In 2007, ARB adopted a list of early action programs that could be put in place by January 1, 2010. In 2008, ARB defined its 1990 baseline level of emissions, and by 2011 it completed its major rule making for reducing GHG emissions. Rules on emissions, as well as market-based mechanisms like the proposed cap and trade program, came into effect January 1, 2012. The cap and trade program controls pollution by a governing agency selling permits on the amount of pollutants a firm can emit. A firm’s pollutants cannot exceed the limit. Firms requiring the need to increase their emissions must purchase permits from other firms requiring fewer permits. SB 375 – Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act On December 11, 2008, the ARB adopted its Proposed Scoping Plan for AB 32. This scoping plan included the approval of SB 375 as the means for achieving regional transportation-related GHG targets. SB 375 provides guidance on how curbing emissions from cars and light trucks can help the state comply with AB 32. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-33 There are five major components to SB 375. First, SB 375 will address regional GHG emission targets. ARB’s Regional Targets Advisory Committee will guide the adoption of targets to be met by 2020 and 2035 for each Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the State. These targets, which MPOs may propose themselves, will be updated every eight years in conjunction with the revision schedule of housing and transportation elements. Second, MPOs will be required to create a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) that provides a plan for meeting regional targets. The SCS and the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) must be consistent with each other, including action items and financing decisions. If the SCS does not meet the regional target, the MPO must produce an Alternative Planning Strategy that details an alternative plan to meet the target. Third, SB 375 requires that regional housing elements and transportation plans be synchronized on eight-year schedules. In addition, Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation numbers must conform to the SCS. If local jurisdictions are required to rezone land as a result of changes in the housing element, rezoning must take place within three years. Fourth, SB 375 provides CEQA streamlining incentives for preferred development types. Residential or mixed-use projects qualify if they conform to the SCS. Transit-oriented developments (TODs) also qualify if they 1) are at least 50% residential, 2) meet density requirements, and 3) are within one-half mile of a transit stop. The degree of CEQA streamlining is based on the degree of compliance with these development preferences. Finally, MPOs must use transportation and air emission modeling techniques consistent with guidelines prepared by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). Regional Transportation Planning Agencies, cities, and counties are encouraged, but not required, to use travel demand models consistent with the CTC guidelines. SB 743 – General CEQA Reform On September 27, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 743 into law. A key element of this law is the potential elimination or deemphasizing of auto delay, level of service (LOS), and other similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as a basis for determining significant impacts in many parts of the State According to the legislative intent contained in SB 743, these changes to current practice were necessary to “More appropriately balance the needs of congestion management with statewide goals related to infill development, promotion of public health through active transportation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.” To implement this intent, SB 743 contains amendments to current congestion management law that allows cities and counties to effectively opt-out of the LOS standards that would otherwise apply in areas where Congestion Management Plans (CMPs) are still used. Further, SB 743 requires the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to update the CEQA Guidelines and establish, “... criteria for determining the significance of transportation impacts of projects within transit priority areas.” The new criteria, “… shall promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses.” Once the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency certifies the new guidelines, then “…automobile delay, as described solely by level of service or similar measures of vehicular City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-34 capacity or traffic congestion shall not be considered a significant impact on the environment…, except in locations specifically identified in the guidelines, if any.” OPR is in the early stages of investigating alternative metrics, but a preliminary metrics evaluation suggests that auto delay and LOS may work against goals such as greenhouse gas reduction and accommodation of all modes. OPR is seeking public engagement in the process, which it must complete by July 1, 2014. As noted, SB 743 requires impacts to transportation network performance to be viewed through a filter that promotes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses. Some alternative metrics were identified in the law including VMT or automobile trip generation rates. SB 743 does not prevent a city or county from continuing to analyze delay or LOS as part of other plans (i.e., the general plan), studies, or ongoing network monitoring, but these metrics may no longer constitute the sole basis for CEQA impacts. AB 417 – CEQA and Bicycle Transportation Plans Prior to AB 417, California cities and counties that prepared a bicycle transportation plan were required to conduct a CEQA review of the plan before approval. The requirement imposed high and sometimes prohibitive costs and delays, resulting in fewer improvements to bicycle safety in California. AB Bill 417 creates a statutory exemption from CEQA for bicycle transportation plans for an urbanized area for restriping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations, and related signage for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. Specifically, the bill exempts the following types of bicycle transportation plans or projects prepared pursuant to Streets and Highways Code Section 891.2 for an urbanized area if those projects have been described at a reasonably high level of detail: re-striping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations, and related signage for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. It does not exempt all potential impacts of a bike plan, such as a new path through a natural area, for example. Prior to determining that a bicycle plan is exempt, the lead agency shall do both of the following: (1) hold properly noticed public hearings in areas affected by the bicycle transportation plan to hear and respond to public comments, and (2) include measures in the bicycle transportation plan to mitigate potential bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic impacts. Caltrans Guide for the Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies The Caltrans Traffic Impact Study Guide provides a starting point and a consistent basis in which Caltrans evaluates traffic impacts to State highway facilities. The guide provides information on when a traffic impact study is needed, the scope of a traffic impact study (i.e. the boundaries of the traffic study and the analysis scenarios), the required data for a traffic impact study, analysis methodologies for various types of state facilities, and guidelines for mitigating impacts. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-35 OPR General Plan Guidelines Update The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research provides its General Plan Guidelines as guidance to local governments as they develop their general plans. The OPR is currently in the process of developing its 2014 update of the guidelines. This update will include guidance on fiscally-constrained circulation elements. Namely, a general plan’s circulation element must take into consideration costs such as capital, maintenance, and labor. Regional Regulations and Plans Riverside County Congestion Management Program The passage of Proposition 111 in June 1990 established a process for each metropolitan county in California, including Riverside, to prepare a Congestion Management Plan (CMP). The CMP, which was prepared by the RCTC in consultation with the County and the cities in Riverside County, is an effort to align land use, transportation, and air quality management efforts, to promote reasonable growth management programs that effectively use statewide transportation funds, while ensuring that new development pays its fair share of needed transportation improvements. The focus of the CMP is the development of an Enhanced Traffic Monitoring System in which real- time traffic count data can be accessed by RCTC to evaluate the condition of the Congestion Management System (CMS) as well as meet other monitoring requirements at the State and Federal levels. Per the adopted Level of Service target of “E,” when a CMS segment falls to “F,” a deficiency plan is required. Preparation of a deficiency plan will be the responsibility of the local agency where the deficiency is located. Other agencies identified as contributors to the deficiency will also be required to coordinate with the development of the plan. The plan must contain mitigation measures, including Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies and transit alternatives, and a schedule of mitigating the deficiency. To ensure that the CMS is appropriately monitored to reduce the occurrence of CMP deficiencies, it is the responsibility of local agencies, when reviewing and approving development proposals, to consider the traffic impacts on the CMS Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (CVAG TUMF) In November 1988, Riverside County voters approved Measure “A”; a one-half cent increase in sales tax over a twenty year period to be used for transportation purposes. A major factor contributing to the support of Measure “A” was the “return to source” concept which requires the additional sales tax revenue generated in a specific geographic area be used to finance projects within that same area, and that Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees (TUMF) be adopted valley wide on all new development. The program has been so successful, in November 2002, Riverside County voters approved a 30-year extension of Measure “A” (2009 - 2039). Despite its success, Measure “A” funds will only contribute a portion of the transportation improvements necessary to prevent a potential breakdown of the regional transportation system. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-36 The TUMF program was developed to generate additional funds required for necessary improvements to the regional transportation system. TUMF is a development impact assessment which provides funding for transportation improvements required to support new development. The assessment is based on the number of vehicle trips new development or site improvement will generate. Local jurisdictions may choose not to collect TUMF, however, jurisdictions not collecting TUMF forfeit their share of Local Measure “A” funds to the regional arterial program. CV Link CV Link is a proposed transformative multi-modal transportation facility that could provide significant environmental, health, and economic benefits to many generations of Coachella Valley residents and visitors. CV Link is proposed to connect eight of the nine cities in the Coachella Valley and three Indian tribes. Bicycles, pedestrians, and low-speed electric vehicles (LSEVs) will use the corridor to access employment, shopping, schools, friends, and recreational opportunities. LSEVs include golf carts and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) that can travel up to 25 mph. CV Link is the largest, most ambitious, project of its kind in SCAG’s Regional Transportation Plan, California, and the nation. FIGURE 14.10: CV LINK VISION MAP Source: CV Link Executive Summary, June 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-37 CV Link is proposed to facilitate a safer, more attractive, and economically thriving corridor to serve the needs of residents throughout the Coachella Valley. In addition to the safety, emissions, and health benefits, private investments along the route will facilitate the development and redevelopment of properties and drive economic prosperity.  By 2035, CV Link could facilitate over 3 million bicycle and pedestrian trips per year  CV Link will provide a safer route to school and facilitate sports for many of the over 40,000 students attending public schools located within 1 mile of the corridor - 54% of all public school students in the valley.  For every dollar invested in CV Link, the valley will realize $11 in benefits over the next 25 years Coachella Valley Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan The deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has the potential to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions dramatically, and increase energy independence through the utilization of locally produced energy. However, the success of long-term transportation electrification will depend in part on the near-term deployment of charging infrastructure. As a result, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) has developed the Coachella Valley Plug- in Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan to help support and accelerate the mass deployment of PEVs in the region. The Plan is the result of a community outreach process and collaboration among local and regional agencies, state and federal funding agencies, members of the California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council, staff from the electric vehicle industry, and other stakeholder groups that are pursuing numerous avenues to support PEV deployment in the Coachella Valley. The Plan highlights strategies and actions from research, analysis, and public input to help the Coachella Valley achieve the goal of being “PEV Ready;” that is, well positioned to handle large -scale adoption of PEVs over the next 10 years The Plan includes an introduction to PEVs – with a focus on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – and the associated charging infrastructure, referred to as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Although there are only a modest number of PEVs on the road in the Coachella Valley today, forecasts for this Plan indicate that as many as 8,000-10,000 PEVs will be on the road in 2022. This level of deployment will require as many as 2,000 EVSE to be deployed in the Coachella Valley to support PEV owners. The Plan includes the following key recommendations, among others:  Adopt a Climate Action plan, General Plan update, or stand-alone plan that encourages deployment of PEVs and EVSE  Create minimum requirements for PEV parking  Allow PEV parking spaces to count toward minimum parking requirements City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-38  Adopt regulations and enforcement policies for PEV parking spaces  Specify design guidelines for PEV parking spaces  Accelerate PEV adoption  Increase charging opportunities to increase electric VMT CVAG Transportation Project Prioritization Study The Transportation Project Prioritization Study (TPPS) serves as an unbiased, methodological way to provide CVAG direction in determining funding for regional arterials by prioritizing the eligible study segments. The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) is responsible for the distribution of sales tax (Measure A) Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees (TUMF) and other funds to be used for transportation related projects in the Coachella Valley area. In order to better determine the prioritized need for arterial road improvement projects, CVAG has developed the TPPS. The study area includes the incorporated areas of the Coachella Valley as well as a portion of the County of Riverside. The cities include: Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage. The TPPS compares significant roadway segments for these nine municipalities and the County of Riverside in the Coachella Valley area using distinct evaluation criteria and scores to form a ranking list used in deciding where funding should be directed. The criteria used to analyze the improvement needs are determined by the CVAG Transportation Technical Advisory Sub- Committee (TTAS). The TPPS prioritization is based on four main criteria and five bonus point criteria of roadway characteristics. After all segments have been analyzed using criteria set forth by CVAG and the TTAS, they can then be merged or divided into logical and feasibly constructible buildable projects. The results of the study will be used by CVAG as an evaluation tool to help define budgeting priority for the improving segments in this study. The higher ranked projects should be considered first for funding opportunities. CVAG Non-Motorized Transportation Plan Update The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) recognizes the value of providing opportunities for local residents and visitors to bicycle for work and recreation, as well as to use off- road trails for hiking, equestrians and jogging. Such opportunities help to reduce auto trips, improve the environment, promote healthy lifestyles and create livable communities. The Non-Motorized Transportation Plan updates a plan for bikeways and trails that was completed in 2001. It includes updates of a bicycle plan for each jurisdiction as well as revisions to plans for hiking and equestrian trails. The bicycle plans will make each city and the County of Riverside eligible for Bicycle Transportation Account funds, and enhance their chances to compete for other funds. Cities and the County will also improve their chances of receiving funds for the trails on this Plan. Plans for all of the facilities contained herein provide opportunities to include them along with future development. The Non-Motorized Transportation Plan Update reiterates the Goals and Objectives from the 2001 Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, presents the bikeway and trails plan in both the Coachella and City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-39 Palo Verde Valleys, presents all of the individual bicycle master plans for each jurisdiction along with project priorities and phasing, describes eligible funding sources, lays out an implementation strategy and includes a discussion on design issues. Local Regulations and Plans City of Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Element The City of Palm Desert General Plan (2004) was developed to provide the policy framework for how and where physical development in the city would occur. The 2004 General Plan Circulation Element specifically addresses Palm Desert’s transportation goals and including:  Provide a sustainable and environmentally responsible transportation and circulation system that provides a wide range of facilities and transportation options that move people, vehicles, and goods in an efficient, safe and economical manner.  A logically distributed hierarchy of streets that meet the current and future demand of the city and region, while maintaining and protecting the city's residential neighborhoods and resort character. Envision Palm Desert 2013 – 2033 Strategic Plan The Palm Desert Strategic Plan is a vision that recognizes the critical role that Palm Desert plays in the Coachella Valley, its exceptional quality of life, commitment to sustainability and importance as a generator of jobs and economic activity. It envisions a new energy and excitement in a year-round destination with world-class institutions and events, a vibrant city that is attractive to innovative employers because of its educational excellence, cultural richness, civic engagement and community passion. The plan’s transportation vision is of a community with safe, convenient, and efficient transportation options for residents and visitors. Priorities are to create walkable neighborhoods in residential, retail, and open space areas to reduce the use of low occupancy vehicles; revitalize the Highway 111 corridor through land use and other improvements; and emphasize multiple modes of travel including carpooling, bus riding, cycling and walking. Best Practices and Emerging Trends Complete Streets The term Complete Streets describes a comprehensive approach to the practice of mobility planning, as opposed to planning exclusively for automobiles and trucks. The complete street concept recognizes that transportation corridors have multiple users with different abilities and mode preferences, such as drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users. Complete streets apply equally to downtown main streets and high-capacity commercial corridors. Complete streets policies encourage street connectivity with the aim of creating a comprehensive, integrated, and connected network for all modes, and they consider the range of users, including children, the disabled, and seniors. Complete streets can be safer for everyone, support livable communities, and have positive public health and economic impacts. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 14-40 Active Transportation Active transportation (AT) is any means of getting around powered by human energy, primarily walking and bicycling, but also skateboarding, riding a scooter, and other modes. AT is often referred to as “non-motorized transportation.” Just as motorized transportation networks connect destinations via an interconnected system of roadways, AT networks allow people to do the same via walking or bicycling. Sidewalks and bicycle facilities are the primary components of AT networks. AT benefits health and the environment, can reduce VMT, and is proven to provide substantial economic benefits to communities. Federal funding for non-motorized transportation is provided in the Transportation Alternatives program under the current transportation bill, MAP-21, through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, as well as the Highway Safety Improvement Program, the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, and the Surface Transportation Program. SB-99, the California Active Transportation Program bill, established various transportation programs and associated funds and accounts, including the Bicycle Transportation Account, the Bikeway Account, and the Safe Routes to School Program. Multi-Modal LOS Conventional methods for calculating LOS for a road or intersection only address the experience of one set of users: vehicle drivers. This simple fact has broad implications, because LOS is often used as the primary (or sometimes the only) metric of transportation system performance. Over the past several years, the transportation planning field has seen a profusion of new methods for calculating LOS designed to account for the experiences of a much wider range of road users. Layered Networks In cases where it is difficult for a single roadway to meet the needs of all users, layered networks, which provide priority to particular modes on different roadways, can improve the efficiency and/or safety of a roadway or network. There are many situations where the needs of one mode can negatively affect another mode: - Increased automobile speeds reduce pedestrian safety - Expanded automobile capacity can result in wider and less pedestrian‐friendly roadways - Creation of bicycle facilities may create conflicts with buses - Light Rail Transit or streetcar tracks can be confusing for turning vehicles and bicyclists - Pedestrian priority treatments can increase delays for vehicles - Roadway designs that accommodate trucks can result in large intersections that increase pedestrian crossing times and reduce automobile LOS Improving connectivity is important for each mode using the roadway system. A layered network concept allows certain roadways to be continuous for a particular mode, while discouraging use by other modes. For example, a collector street can provide continuity for pedestrians, bicyclists or transit vehicles, while discouraging use by ‘cut-through’ traffic. One of the advantages of a dense, highly- connected urban roadway network with redundant travel routes, such as in Palm Desert is that it provides flexibility in accommodating different travel modes on different roadways. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-1 15. Public Services, Utilities, and Recreation 15.1 Introduction This section identifies existing public services, utilities, and recreation conditions, regulations, and key issues in the city and SOI. Topics addressed include fire protection, police protection, water supply and use, wastewater, storm drainage, solid waste, schools, and parks and recreation. 15.2 Environmental Setting Fire Protection Fire protection, first response emergency medical services, and natural disaster preparedness services in Palm Desert are provided by the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD), in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The City contracts with Riverside County for fire protection and emergency services and is also a member of the Cove Communities Services Commission, which includes the cities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and Indian Wells. The Commission meets regularly to discuss mutually related public safety matters. RCFD operates under a sound, integrated, and cooperative regional fire protection system throughout Riverside County. Each city has access to and benefits from the services provided by fire stations in other communities. The RCFD provides firefighters, paramedics, fire inspectors, vehicles, maintenance of fire stations and vehicles, and review of commercial and housing development plans. Palm Desert Office of the Fire Marshal provides services aimed at reducing the risk of fire and injuries to the public. The office consists of the Deputy Fire Marshal, one Fire Safety Specialist, two Fire Safety Inspectors, and on Office Assistant. The Fire Marshal staff ensures public safety is maintained by accomplishing the following duties:  Recommends adoption and enforces codes and ordinances relative to fire and life safety issues associated with commercial, industrial, and residential development.  Coordinates the inspection of commercial buildings, and enforces hazardous materials regulations.  Works with developers and City Planning Departments on development projects impacting fire protection services, from conception through planning process approval. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-2  Conducts new construction inspections, and State Fire Marshal-required inspections (including high rise, educational schools, board and care, and day care inspections), enforcing applicable fire codes and ordinances.  Interacts with developers, architects, and engineers, assisting them in meeting the fire protection requirements for buildings and developments by reviewing all architectural blue prints, development plans, and proposals submitted in the City of Palm Desert.  Coordinates the Business Inspection program, so all the businesses within the City of Palm Desert are evaluated for Fire and Life Safety hazards. Stations and Staffing There are currently three fire stations within the Palm Desert city limits—Palm Desert Station No. 33, Palm Desert Station No. 67, and Palm Desert Station No. 71. Additional fire support is provided, when necessary, from Station No. 55 in Indian Wells and from Stations No. 50 and No. 69 in Rancho Mirage. The RCFD operates under a Regional Fire Protection Program, which allows its fire stations to actively support one another regardless of geographic or jurisdictional boundaries. This provides the community with the most effective and efficient method of emergency response and allows sharing of resources such as specialized equipment and personnel. Palm Desert has a total Fire Department staffing of 44 positions (not including the shared ladder truck), for a total of 2.59 positions per seat. This number includes five positions for fixed and vacation relief. Table 15.1 provides details on staffing at equipment at each station. Engine 33 is the only Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine in the city. As such, this engine will always respond to calls with a paramedic on board. ALS services can be provided immediately even if the medic unit has not yet responded. The other two engines in Palm Desert are currently Basic Life Support (BLS) engines, but are proposed to be phased into an ALS configuration at a later date. Ladder Truck 33 is shared with the Cities of Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage per the Cove Communities Services Commission Joint Powers Agreement. Emergency Medical Service and Fire Service Demand & Response Times Regional communications and dispatch services are also provided by the RCFD. The RCFD serves around 1,360,000 residents in an area spanning 7,200 square miles. In 2013, the RCFD responded to 133,536 total incidents, and 8,172 calls for service within Palm Desert. The average en-route-to-on- scene response time was 3.6 minutes, with 86.2 percent of call response under 5 minutes. Insurance Services Office Rating The Insurance Services Office (ISO) property class rating is important to a community, as many insurance companies base the fire risk portion of property insurance premiums on the community’s ISO rating. The ISO uses a 1 to 10 rating scale, with Class 1 being the best level of service (and lowest fire insurance premium cost) and Class 10 representing no service at all. The RCFD fire stations in Palm Desert have an ISO Class 3 rating. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-3 TABLE 15.1: PALM DESERT FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING & EQUIPMENT Fire Station Address Vehicles/Staffing (per shift) Total Staffing (all shifts) Fire Station No. 33 44400 Town Center Way Ladder Truck 33 Ladder Truck 33 = 12 1 Captain Engine 33 = 6 1 Engineer Medic 33 = 6 2 Firefighter (FF) IIs Engine 33 (ALS) 1 Engineer 1 FF II 1 FF II/Medic Medic 33 1 Engineer Medic* 1 FF II/Medic Fire Station No. 67 73200 Mesa View Drive Engine 67 (BLS) Engine 67 = 6 1 Captain Medic 67 = 5 1 Engineer 1 FF II Medic 67 1 Engineer Medic* 1 FF II/Medic Fire Station No. 71 73995 Country Club Drive Engine 71 (BLS) Engine 71 = 5 1 Captain Medic 71 = 6 1 Engineer 1 FF II Medic 71 1 Engineer Medic* 1 FF II/Medic Fire Station No. 55 (Indian Wells) 44900 El Dorado Drive Medic 255 Medic 255 = 5 2 FF II/Medics * Other shifts comprise primarily two FF II/Medics. Police Protection The Palm Desert Police Department (PDPD), served under contract by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, provides police protection services to preserve peace and prevent crime and disorder by enforcing state laws and city ordinances within the city and SOI. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-4 Units and Staffing The PDPD consists of the Patrol Division, as well as a number of specialized divisions/teams, outlined below. The PDPD currently operates with 81 staff members: 36 sworn patrol staff, approximately 29 personnel dedicated to special teams, and 16 contract support staff. Based on the current population of the city (50,417 as of January 2014 (per the California Department of Finance), Palm Desert has an officer/population ratio of 1.61 sworn officers per 1,000 residents. This ratio is above the staffing ratio of 1.5 sworn officers per 1,000 residents that is recommended in the current General Plan. Patrol Division The Patrol Division responds to all calls for police placed through the 911 system or nonemergency telephones. Patrol officers handle the initial investigation of thefts, burglaries, robberies, assaults, and other service calls. The PDPD promotes the concept of community-oriented policing by assigning officers to regular beats. The city is divided into five service or “beat” areas: 30 Beat covering the business corridor along Highway 111; 32 Beat which covers the southern portion of the city; 34 Beat covering the portion of the city east of Cook Street and south of Country Club Drive; 36 Beat which covers the western portion of the city west of Cook Street and south of Country Club Drive; and 38 Beat for the portion of the city north of Country Club Drive. Investigations and Evidence Bureau The PDPD Investigations and Evidence Bureau serves all three of the cities in the Cove Communities Services Commission. The unit investigates robberies, assaults, sex crimes, child abuse, and property crimes, as well as missing persons, runaways, and domestic violence incidents. Traffic Division The PDPD Traffic Division is a contract law enforcement division responsible for investigating traffic collisions and conducting traffic enforcement and education programs throughout the city. The Traffic Division supports the Patrol Division by handling traffic issues and providing additional emergency response support for critical accidents. The Traffic Division includes eight motorcycle enforcement program officers, one commercial vehicle enforcement officer to investigate overweight, unsafe, or improper loads on commercial vehicles, and one community services officer (CSO). Special Enforcement Team The PDPD Special Enforcement Team (SET) serves to augment the department’s patrol division and further its mission of proactive prevention. In conjunction with the Business District Team (BDT) and Crime Prevention Program officers, SET officers conduct intensive follow-up investigations of burglaries, thefts, and other local crimes to keep patrol officers in the field and available for emergency calls. Each beat is covered by a SET member to devote time to incidents occurring in that area. SET officers often provide security for special/community events and interact with the Palm Desert residents on a regular basis. In addition, SET targets specific crimes that affect all three Cove Communities by collaborating with SET officers from Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage to identify, investigate, and target criminals committing crimes throughout the three communities. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-5 K-9 Officer Palm Desert has a canine, or K-9, officer used to help with searching for missing or lost persons, tracking criminals from crime scenes, assisting with fleeing or armed suspects, and searching for evidence and narcotics. Business District Team The Business District Team (BDT) was added in 2006 to conduct high-visibility patrol and handle service calls for Palm Desert’s business district (30 Beat). The business district area includes the El Paseo corridor, the Westfield Mall, Highway 111 corridor, and the Desert Crossing shopping center. The BDT unit patrols the area on foot and bicycle. The BDT also conducts undercover operations and conducts the Homelessness Outreach & Criminal Transient Enforcement program to reduce the active criminal transient population in Palm Desert. Burglary Suppression Unit The Burglary Suppression Unit (BSU), established in July 2011, works to reduce thefts in Palm Desert by investigating burglary-related crimes, apprehending suspects, recovering stolen property, and educating the public on crime prevention. School Resources Officers The City of Palm Desert funds two school resources officer (SRO) positions, one for Palm Desert Charter Middle School and one for Palm Desert High School. The SROs work with school officials, teachers, students, and the Desert Sands Unified School District campus security officers to create a safe learning environment, educate students and staff on public safety issues, and combat juvenile delinquency. Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force The Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force (CVVCGTF) is a multi-agency task force comprising members from various federal and local law enforcement agencies that works to promote safe and secure neighborhoods, free of violent crime and gang activity. Its duties include intervention and education, gang suppression patrols, and criminal enterprise investigations. Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force The Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force (CVNTF) is a multi-agency task force comprising members of various state, county, and local law enforcement agencies that works to diminish the availability and use of illegal drugs and apprehend offenders in Coachella Valley cities and adjacent unincorporated areas of Riverside County. Stations There is one main sheriff station in the city, located at 73-705 Gerald Ford Drive, that serves the cities of Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, and unincorporated areas of Riverside County. The City also leases the former sheriff station, connected to City Hall in the Civic Center Park, to Riverside County for its Coachella Valley dispatch operation and investigation bureau. This is the only operating substation in the city, but it is not open to the public. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-6 Crime Rates As defined by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, seven major Part I offenses are used to measure the extent, fluctuation, and distribution of serious crime. Part I crimes are split into violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny, arson, and motor vehicle theft). In 2012, Palm Desert reported 104 Part I violent crimes and 2,327 Part I property crimes. The reported number of violent crimes, which increased by 26.9 percent from 2011 to 2012, was 104 percent lower than the statewide rate and 86 percent lower than the national rate. The number of property crimes in Palm Desert increased by 7.6 percent from 2011 to 2012. Property crime rates in Palm Desert in 2012 were 41 percent higher than the state average, and 38 percent higher than the national average. TABLE 15.2: CRIME STATISTICS FOR PALM DESERT (2012) Crime 2011 2012 Percentage of Total Crimes Murder 2 0 0% Rape 2 6 0% Robbery 40 49 2% Assaults (Aggravated) 32 49 2% Burglary 593 727 30% Auto Theft 115 118 5% Larceny-Theft 1,439 1,477 61% Arson 3 5 0% Total 2,226 2,431 100% Note: 2012 is the latest final/verified data available. 2013 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data is "preliminary" pending final verification by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Data Source: FBI 2014b TABLE 15.3: CRIME RATES COMPARISON (2012) Crime Comparison Palm Desert California United States 2012 Total Crime Rate Total Crime Rate Total Crime Rate Violent Crimes 104 207.9 160,944 423.1 1,214,464 386.9 Property Crimes 2,322 4,642.1 1,049,465 2,758.7 8,975,438 2,859.2 Source: FBI 2014b City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-7 Calls for Service and Response Times For PDPD response, a priority code of 1 to 4 is assigned to each call by the dispatch center, with 1 being the highest priority. For 2013, PDPD reported 25,020 calls with valid response times. The highest priority calls were responded to within 5.58 minutes. The average response time for all calls was 17.23 minutes (see Table 15.4). TABLE 15.4: PALM DESERT POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TIMES June 2013 - May 2014 Emergency Just Occurred Past Type Total Calls Total Response Time (minutes) Total Calls Total Response Time (minutes) Total Calls Total Response Time (minutes) Priority 1 Calls N/A N/A 33 4.4 N/A N/A Priority 2 Calls 7 12.2 198 9.8 15 12.4 Priority 3 Calls 3,237 18.5 25 15.7 245 27.1 Priority 4 Calls N/A N/A 153 18.3 1,974 24.8 Priority 1-4 Total Calls/Avg. Response 3,244 15.35 409 12.05 2,234 21.43 Source: Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Central Crime & Intelligence Analysis Unit Water Supply and Use Potable and non-potable water is provided to the city by the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). Water demand in Palm Desert and the surrounding communities is supplied by several sources: groundwater, surface water from local streams, imported water either from the State Water Project (SWP) or from the Colorado River via the Coachella Canal, and recycled water. All drinking, or domestic water, comes from groundwater, while water for irrigation comes primarily from recycled waste water and the Colorado River. In 1964, it was estimated that the five subbasins that make up the Coachella Valley groundwater basin contained a total of approximately 39.2 million acre-feet (AF) of water in the first 1,000 feet below the ground surface; much of this water originated as runoff from the adjacent mountains. Of this amount, approximately 28.8 million AF of water was stored in the Whitewater River subbasin. The Whitewater River subbasin, which encompasses approximately 400 square miles and underlies much of the Coachella Valley, serves as the groundwater repository for the Palm Desert area. The city is located within the boundaries of the upper Thermal subarea. The entire Thermal subarea (including the upper and lower Thermal subareas) contains an estimated 19.4 million acre-feet of groundwater in storage in the first 1,000 feet below the surface. The amount of water in the Whitewater River subbasin has decreased over the years due to pumping to serve urban, rural, and agricultural development in the Coachella Valley. “Overdraft” is a condition in which water is withdrawn at a faster rate than its rate of recharge. Total groundwater production in 2011 for the upper Whitewater River subbasin totaled 182,823 AF. In 2011, the City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-8 annual water balance (total inflow minus total outflow) for the upper Whitewater River subbasin was a gain of 142,379 AF of water, due to replenishment of the groundwater from imported water sources. While inflow was greater than outflow for 2011, the cumulative overdraft for the Whitewater River subbasin through 2011 was 735,974 AF (overdraft conditions have increased since 1936). Since 1949, the Coachella Canal (a branch of the All American Canal) has been providing water for irrigation use by farms and golf courses. In addition, CVWD and the Desert Water Agency (DWA) have an agreement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) to obtain water from the MWD Colorado River Aqueduct, which crosses the upper portion of the Valley near Whitewater, in exchange for CVWD and DWA State Water Project water. Since 1973, CVWD and DWA have been releasing Colorado River water near Whitewater to replenish groundwater in the upper portion of the Whitewater River subbasin of the Valley. CVWD’s domestic water system, which serves the city, includes a total of 102 wells with an average depth of 1,000 to 1,300 feet. In Palm Desert, CVWD maintains 32 active domestic wells, 13 domestic water reservoirs, and 19 domestic water booster stations. Within the past year (June 2013 to May 2014), Palm Desert customers used 28,899 AF of water, with a daily average consumption of 25.8 million gallons per day (mgd). The Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company provides domestic water services to the Bermuda Dunes community, except for development along Washington Street, which is served by CVWD. Its five active wells, drilled to depths of 750 to 800 feet, can produce 1,700 to 3,200 gallons of potable water per minute. Three of the production wells discharge water directly into the water distribution system, which conveys water through distribution water mains ranging in size from 4 to 12 inches in diameter. The two other wells deliver water directly into a water reservoir near the intersection of 41st Avenue and Hermitage Drive. The reservoir has a capacity of one million gallons. Myoma Dunes operates a sixth well, which is used solely by Bermuda Dunes Airport and is not connected to the water delivery system. Future Water Demand Factoring potential variations in future land use and growth forecasts into demand projections for the Coachella Valley, CVWD estimates that total water demand in 2045 could range from 793,600 acre-feet per year (AFY) to 971,500 AFY with a mid-range planning value of 885,400 AFY (CVWD 2010 Urban Water Management Plan). The population projection for Palm Desert in 2045 is 78,787. Using the city’s current annual water demand of 0.57 AF per person (current annual demand divided by current population), this would result in a total demand of approximately 44,908 AFY for Palm Desert in 2045. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-9 Wastewater and Sewers CVWD also provides wastewater and sewage collection and treatment services within the city and SOI. The only outlets for groundwater in the Coachella Valley are through subsurface outflow under the Salton Sea or through collection in drains and transport to the Salton Sea via the Coachella Valley Storm Channel (CVSC). There are five stormwater channels in the city: Whitewater River Stormwater Channel, and its tributaries: Dead Indian Creek, the Deep Canyon Channel, the Palm Valley System, and the East Magnesia Channel. Wastewater is conveyed through sewer trunk lines generally ranging in size from 4 to 24 inches, relying primarily on gravity flow. CVWD maintains five sewer lift stations in city boundaries. Effluent from the city is conveyed to CVWD’s Cook Street treatment plant (Water Reclamation Plant No. 10), which treats an average of 10 mgd and has a current (2014) capacity of 18 mgd. Effluent from Bermuda Dunes, Del Webb’s Sun City, and other development north of Miles Avenue is conveyed to the treatment plant located at Madison Street and Avenue 38 (Water Reclamation Plant No. 7). This plant treats approximately 2.5 mgd of wastewater, and has a capacity of 5 mgd. Wastewater Reclamation CVWD, recognizing the need for other sources of water to reduce demand on groundwater, entered the water reclamation field in 1967 and currently operates six water reclamation plants (WRPs) in the Valley. Recycled water from two of these facilities (WRP 9 and WRP 10) has been used for golf course and greenbelt irrigation in the Palm Desert area for many years, thereby reducing demand on the groundwater basin. A third facility (WRP 7), located north of Indio, began providing recycled water for golf course and greenbelt irrigation in 1997. Wastewater is typically treated to secondary levels and reintroduced into the groundwater table through percolation ponds, with passage through sands and soils providing a final stage of filtration. Tertiary treated water undergoes an additional stage of treatment, making it immediately suitable for irrigation purposes and decreasing the demand for groundwater resources. The Cook Street, No. 10 Wastewater Treatment Plant currently has a tertiary water capacity of 15 mgd. The Cook Street plant generates approximately 8.5 to 9.5 mgd of tertiary treated water during summer months and 5 to 6 mgd during winter months, averaging approximately 7.25 mgd. The treatment plant at Madison Street and Avenue 38 has a maximum current capacity of 2.5 mgd. In the West Coachella Valley, the demand for non-potable water typically exceeds the available recycled water supply, especially in the summer months. Golf courses using recycled water currently must supplement that supply with local groundwater to meet their demands. The Mid-Valley Pipeline (MVP) delivers Colorado River water to the Mid-Valley area for use with CVWD’s recycled water for golf course and open space irrigation, in lieu of their pumping groundwater. Construction of the first phase of the MVP from the Coachella Canal in Indio to CVWD’s WRP 10 (6.6 miles in length) was completed in 2009. At WRP 10, canal water supplements recycled water for delivery to large irrigators. There are eight golf courses and five other users in the West Valley currently connected to the WRP 10 recycled water system that can receive both recycled water and canal water via the MVP. If these courses meet at least 90 percent of their irrigation needs with non- potable water, 2,700 AFY of additional groundwater pumping will be eliminated. There are four golf City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-10 courses adjacent to the MVP that can be connected to the system with minimal construction, thus making them ideal candidates to receive canal water through the MVP. Construction of Phase 1 of the MVP included outlets along the pipeline to serve these courses. However, pipeline connections to deliver canal water from the MVP to each course have yet to be constructed. At least 10 additional courses can be connected to the MVP downstream of WRP 10 with relatively simple pipeline connections. When fully implemented, the MVP system will be capable of eliminating about 50,000 AFY of groundwater pumping. TABLE 15.5: PALM DESERT GOLF COURSE IRRIGATION WATER USAGE (2013–2014) Recycled Canal Non-Potable Non-Potable Ground Total (AC FT) (AC FT) (recycled + canal) (recycled + canal) (AC FT) (AC FT) 5,631.019 665.184 6,296.203 6,296.203 2,931.9 9,228.103 Recycled Canal Non-Potable Non-Potable Ground Total % of Total % of Total (recycled + canal) % Total (recycled + canal) % Total % of Total 61.00% 7.20% 68.20% 68.20% 31.80% 100.00% Source: Meza 2014 Energy Southern California Edison (SCE) provides electricity to most of Palm Desert, except for a small portion of the city just south of Interstate 10. SCE’s facilities include high-voltage transmission lines, which range up to 115 kilovolts (kv) in Palm Desert. Lower voltage distribution lines, which are typically gauged at about 12 kv in the city and SOI, provide electricity to individual residences and other users. Four substations are located in Palm Desert and are used to step down voltage for local distribution. The substations include (1) Silver Spur Substation, located south of Haystack Road and west of Portola Avenue; (2) Palm Village Substation, located south of Highway 111 and east of Deep Canyon Road; (3) Concho Substation, located south of Country Club Drive and east of Cook Street, near the Indian Ridge Country Club, and (4) Indian Wells Substation, located just north of Fred Waring Drive along the border with the City of Indian Wells. In addition, some circuits from the Santa Rosa Substation, located west of Monterey Avenue and north of Clancy Lane in Rancho Mirage, feed into Palm Desert. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-11 The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is a nonprofit, community-owned utility district that serves customers in Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Diego counties. The IID provides electric service to a limited portion of the city and SOI just south of Interstate 10. IID facilities in the city and SOI include 230 kv, 161 kv, and 92 kv transmission lines, as well as 34.5 kv and 12 kv distribution lines. The IID operates several substations, all outside of the city and SOI, north of Interstate 10. The IID obtains its power from a combination of hydroelectric, diesel, thermal, and geothermal generation sources. Solid Waste Solid waste disposal services in Palm Desert are provided by the commercial vendor, Burrtec, which provides the following services:  Residential: o Weekly waste pickup o Annual cleanups o Bulky item pickup o Christmas tree recycling o Electronic waste o Household hazardous waste o Sharps disposal o Shredding events o Used motor oil collection  Commercial: o Weekly waste pickup o Business hazardous waste  Roll-off services  Construction/demolition  Portable restrooms  Special events  Temporary bin rentals  Temporary roll-offs  Concrete washout Solid waste collected from Palm Desert residents and businesses is hauled to the Edom Hill Transfer Station in Cathedral City, Calif., and is then transported to Lambs Canyon in Beaumont, Calif. Commingled recyclable materials (e.g., paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, aluminum) are transported to Burrtec’s material recovery facility in Escondido, Calif. Table 15-6 lists 2013 disposal numbers from Burrtec. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-12 TABLE 15.6: PALM DESERT SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL (2013) Description 2013 Totals (Tons) Refuse (net of residual) Residential Trash 12,982.55 Commercial Trash 39,945.15 Roll-Off Trash 0.00 Refuse (net of residual) Totals 52,927.70 Refuse (residual) Residential (residual) 1,599.85 Commercial (residual) 1,218.10 Refuse (residual) Totals 2,817.95 School Trash 942.38 Refuse Totals 56,688.03 Recycling (net of residual) Residential Curbside 4,149.09 Buy-Back 222.78 Commercial 2,637.41 Roll-Off 774.52 Recycling (net of residual) Totals 7,783.80 School 521.08 Recycling (net of residual) Totals 8,304.88 Greenwaste Residential Curbside 3,602.76 Residential Self Haul 200.20 Roll-Off 11,216.01 Food Waste Composting 235.82 Greenwaste Totals 15,254.79 School 38.13 Greenwaste Totals 15,292.92 Special Waste (Roll-Off) Ash 0.00 Sludge 0.00 Tires 0.00 White Goods 0.00 Scrap Metal 0.00 Wood Waste 0.00 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-13 Concrete/Asphalt/Rubble 2,456.35 Disaster Debris 0.00 Shingles 0.00 Rendering 0.00 Other Special Waste 0.00 Special Waste (Roll-Off) Totals 2,456.35 Household Hazardous Waste Permanent Facility 0.00 Mobile/Periodic Facility 0.00 Curbside Collection 0.00 Waste Exchange 0.00 Education Programs 0.00 Other HHW 30.59 Special Waste (Roll-Off) Totals 30.59 COMBINED RECYCLING TOTALS 26,084.74 Source: Ream 2014 The City provides residents with an At-Home Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection program. Residents are allowed four pickups per year at no charge through Burrtec. The waste is processed through the City’s Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Facility (PHHWF) by Clean Harbors. The facility also accepts hazardous waste from Conditional Exempt Small Quantity Generators at no charge for up to $300 in disposal costs per year. During 2013, the PHHWF collected 5.26 tons and the At-Home HHW Collection program collected 22.1 tons of hazardous waste. Schools Public education services and facilities are provided to Palm Desert by the Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) and the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD). The DSUSD operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in the city, shown in Figure 15.1. The PSUSD provides education services to areas in the far north and south of the city and SOI. Areas of the city north of Frank Sinatra drive are located within the PSUSD territory. In addition, the PSUSD owns property south and east of Dick Kelly Drive and Gateway Drive, and plans to construct an elementary or K-8 school on the property. Table 15.7 provides grade and enrollment information for each school. Public schools are supplemented by numerous private schools that provide early education to children of residents. In addition, Palm Desert is home to four colleges and universities that provide a variety of vocational and advanced education opportunities. Private schools and institutions for higher education are listed in Tables 15.8 and 15.9. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-14 FIGURE 15.1: PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-15 TABLE 15.7: DSUSD PUBLIC SCHOOLS – PALM DESERT SCHOOL ENROLLMENT (2012–2013) Palm Desert Public Schools (Early Education) Grades Total Enrollment Abraham Lincoln Elementary K–5 737 George Washington Charter Elementary K–5 835 Ronald Reagan Elementary K–5 877 Gerald Ford Elementary K–5 776 James Earl Carter Elementary K–5 668 Palm Desert Middle School 6–8 1,339 Palm Desert High School 9–12 1,979 Source: Desert Sands Unified School District 2014 TABLE 15.8: PALM DESERT AND SOI PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private Schools (Early Education) Grades Desert Adventist Academy Preschool–8 Sacred Heart Catholic School K–8 K–8 St. Margaret's Episcopal School Preschool–8 Montessori School of the Valley Preschool–3 Montessori School of the Desert Preschool–K Desert Torah Academy 1–8 Education Station Preschool–6 Hope Lutheran School Preschool–K King's Schools Preschool–8 Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Preschool–K The Learning Tree Preschool–5 Xavier College Preparatory High School 9–12 Hope Lutheran School Preschool–K Temple Sinai Tikvah Preschool Preschool Source: Palm Springs Regional Association of Realtors 2014 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-16 TABLE 15.9: PALM DESERT – INSTITUTIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education Degrees College of the Desert Associate, transferable degrees, certificate programs California State University-San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus Undergraduate and graduate degrees University of California-Riverside Extension Program Professional degrees and certificate programs Brandman University (Chapman University System) Undergraduate and graduate degrees, teaching credentials, certificate programs Source: City of Palm Desert 2014d Parks and Recreation Park Facilities The City owns, operates, and maintains several developed park and recreation facilities providing green space, playgrounds, trails, picnic facilities, community gardens, dog parks, and space for sporting events. Figure 15.2 shows the locations of parks and recreational facilities in the city and SOI. The City partners with the Desert Recreation District to provide recreational programs and activities year-round, and rents City park facilities for private events. In addition to City parks, other recreational facilities in Palm Desert include three municipally owned golf courses, and the Family YMCA located in Civic Center Park. In addition, to these publicly owned facilities there are numerous privately owned golf courses throughout the planning that are open to the public. The city and SOI include approximately 163 acres of parkland, 23,060 acres of open space, and 6,834 acres of golf courses (see Table 15.10). The City of Palm Desert’s established goals and standards for parkland identified in the 2004 General Plan are 0.25 acres per 1,000 residents for mini parks, 1 acre per 1,000 residents for neighborhood parks, and 5 acres per 1,000 residents for community parks. Although the City has not reached these standards for each park type, with 50,417 residents in 2014 and 163 acres of accessible parkland in Palm Desert, the City provides an average of 3.23 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. TABLE 15.10: PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE IN PALM DESERT – TOTAL ACREAGE Type Total Acreage Existing parks 163 Future parks 56 Open space 23,060 Private golf courses 6,287* Public golf courses 547 Source: City of Palm Desert GIS data, 2014, Includes residential properties within country club City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-17 FIGURE 15.2: PARKS AND RECREATION City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-18 TABLE 15.11: PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES IN PALM DESERT Park Name Classification Size (acres) Owner/Administrator Amenities Current Parks Cahuilla Hills Park Open Space 26 +/- City 5,6,14,16,20,23 Cap Homme / Ralph Adams Park Open Space 27 +/- City 14,16,20,23 Civic Center Park Regional 70 +/- City 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,11,12,13, 14,15,17,18,19,22 Community Gardens Neighborhood .66 +/- City 11 Freedom Park Regional 26 +/- City/School District 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,11,13,1 4,15,17,18 Hovley Soccer Park Community 21 +/- City 2,7,8,9,10,11,13,14,15, 21 Ironwood Park Community 14.5 +/- City 8,11,14,15,20 Joe Mann Park Neighborhood 2.5 +/- City 2,4,8,11,14,15,17 Magnesia Falls Park Neighborhood 6 +/- City/School District 1,7,8,11,14,15 Palma Village Park Neighborhood 2.5 +/- City 2,4,8,11,14,15 University Dog Park Neighborhood 2.4 +/- City 8,11,14,17 University Park East Neighborhood 2.5 +/- City 2,8,11,14,15 Washington Charter School Park Neighborhood 2.5 +/- School District 2,7,8,14,15 Active Open Space Parcels Open Space 357 +/- City 20,23 Future Parks Portola & I-10 Park Regional 20 +/- City TBD University Park Central Neighborhood 4.2 +/- City TBD University Park West Neighborhood 2.1 +/- City TBD Amenities 1=Baseball 6=Pickleball 11=Restrooms 16=Hiking Trails 21=Frisbee Golf 2=Basketball 7=Soccer 12=Amphitheater 17=Dog Park 22=Community Center 3=Football 8=Open Grass /Turf 13=Concessions 18=Skate/BMX 23=Hiking Trails 4=Volleyball 9=Horseshoes 14=Picnic Area 19=Aquatic Center 5=Tennis 10=Petanque 15=Playground 20=Native Open Space Source: City of Palm Desert 2014b City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-19 Open Space Several large open space preserves surround Palm Desert to the south and southwest. These include the Living Desert, Coachella Valley Preserve, Fox Canyon, and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Park. In addition, the City owns an extensive amount of land within the hillsides, some of which have conservation easements placed upon them. The Living Desert, a wildlife and botanical park located east of Portola Avenue and south of Highway 111, was established as a wilderness preserve around 1970. The Living Desert covers about 1,200 acres and includes a zoo, wildlife exhibits, and botanical garden. The Coachella Valley Preserve abuts the northern boundary of the city and SOI. This 20,114-acre preserve was established in 1985 to protect critical habitat for the survival of the federally threatened Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard. The preserve features a visitor center, picnic areas, and hiking trails open to the public. The City of Palm Desert, the Friends of the Desert Mountains Conservancy, and the Bureau of Land Management purchased 98 acres of mostly mountainous land as an open preserve known as Fox Canyon in 2005. Fox Canyon is located north of the Cahuilla Hills Park tennis courts, forming the city boundary on the west. The recently dedicated Herb Jeffries Trail runs on a ridge through the middle of the canyon. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, established by Congress in October 2000, encompasses 440 square miles from the San Gorgonio Pass southeast into Imperial Valley. This designation recognizes this land as a nationally important scenic and resource area for its biological, cultural, and geological diversity. The Santa Rosa Mountains National Scenic Area Visitors Center is located on State Route 74 just south of Palm Desert and provides information, exhibits, and gardens. The monument features hiking and equestrian trails, numerous palm oases, waterfalls, and an aerial tramway. Conservation easements within the city include 9 acres located within Bighorn development and 57.2 acres within the Stone Eagle development. These mountainside preserved areas contain hiking trails for recreation. Trails Palm Desert offers a variety of trails for hiking enthusiasts as well as those who simply love the outdoors; most of these trails are part of the open space preserves outlined in the previous section. The trails serve a variety of purposes within the community. Trails on the urban edge are often used by city dwellers for daily workouts and other exercise. Trails farther away from the urban center are used for more traditional hiking and by outdoor enthusiasts seeking to immerse themselves in nature. Other uses include mountain biking and equestrian recreation. Mountain biking has a strong presence in Palm Desert in comparison to equestrian uses. The four main hiking trails located within (or partially within) city boundaries include the Hopalong Cassidy Trail, the Art Smith Trail, the Randall Henderson Trial, and the Herb Jeffries Trail. These four trails are all located in the Santa Rosa Mountains. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-20 The Art Smith Trail is one of the signature trails in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, offering scenic views across the Coachella Valley to the Little San Bernardino Mountains and Joshua Tree National Park, and over the cities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage. This 8.4-mile trail, named after longtime trail boss of the Desert Riders equestrian club, starts at SR 74 near the visitor center. The Hopalong Cassidy Trail, named after the American movie and television cowboy icon from the 1940s and 1950s, can be accessed from several of Palm Desert’s parks, including Homme-Adams Park and Cahuilla Hills Park. This 8.3-mile hiking trail runs north–south through the mountains, parallel to State Route 74. An easier trail, the Randall Henderson Trail is good for the novice hiker. Starting at the National Monument Visitor Center on SR 74, this loop trail—named for a founder of Palm Desert—gently rises about 400 feet over its 2.4-mile route. Lastly, the Herb Jeffries Trail, named for the film star and recording artist who created a cowboy hero for African Americans, is a steep and challenging hiking path through Fox Canyon. This trail is accessible from Cahuilla Hills Park. Additional hiking trails exist north of the city in the Coachella Valley Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park, and just east of Portola Avenue in the Living Desert park. Other Services and Facilities Many other services are needed and used by Palm Desert residents, but not all are within the jurisdiction of the City. Examples of non-City services with increased demands as a result of increased population include medical services, such as hospitals and emergency care centers, and adult day care services. Although the allocation of these services is not within the control of the City, medical facilities and community services that serve the greater Palm Desert area are listed in Table 15.12. TABLE 15.12: MEDICAL FACILITIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES Medical Services Address Betty Ford Center at Eisenhower 39-000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Braille Institute 70-251 Ramon Road Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Barbara Sinatra Children's Center 39-000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Desert Regional Medical Center 1150 N. Indian Canyon Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 Desert Orthopedic Center 39-000 Bob Hope Drive Lakeview Building Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Eisenhower Medical Center 39000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 EMC Immediate Care Center 78-822 Highway 111 La Quinta, CA 92253 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-21 EMC Immediate Care Center 67-780 E. Palm Canyon Drive Cathedral City, CA Hearing Institute of the Desert 39-000 Bob Hope Drive Suite W-301-A Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 John F. Kennedy Hospital 47111 Monroe Indio, CA 92201 Palm Desert Urgent Care 73-345 Highway 111 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Desert Urgent Care 74990 Country Club Ste. 310 Palm Desert, CA 92211 Parkinson's Resource Organization 74-090 El Paseo, Suite 104 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Veterans Administration Medical Center Palm Desert CBOC 41-865 Boardwalk Suite 103 Palm Desert, CA 92211 Community Services Address Joslyn Cove Senior Center 73750 Catalina Way Palm Desert, CA 92260 Palm Desert Community Center 43-900 San Pablo Avenue Palm Desert, CA 92260 Portola Community Center 45480 Portola Avenue Palm Desert, CA 92260 Family YMCA of the Desert 43-930 San Pablo Avenue Palm Desert, CA 92260 Visitor Information Center 73-470 El Paseo Palm Desert, CA 92260 Source: City of Palm Desert 2014e 15.3 Regulatory Setting The following federal, state, and local plans, policies, regulations, and laws pertain to public services, utilities, and recreation in the city and SOI. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Federal Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Authorized by the Clean Water Act in 1972, the NPDES permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Any industrial, municipal, or other facility which discharges directly to surface waters must obtain permits through the authorized states. In California, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) serves as the authorized agency to issue NPDES permits. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-22 State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws Water Supply and Management Senate Bill 610 Senate Bill (SB) 610 (Section 21151.9 of the Public Resources Code and Section 10910 et seq. of the Water Code) requires the preparation of “water supply assessments” (WSA) for large developments (e.g., for projects of 500 or more residential units; 500,000 square feet of retail commercial space; or 250,000 square feet of office commercial space). These assessments, prepared by “public water systems” responsible for service, address whether adequate existing or projected water supplies are available to serve proposed projects, in addition to urban and agricultural demands and other anticipated development in the service area in which the project is located. Where a WSA concludes that insufficient supplies are available, the WSA must describe steps that would be required to obtain the necessary supply. The content requirements for the assessment include identification of the existing and future water suppliers and quantification of water demand and supply by source in five-year increments over a 20-year time frame. This information must be provided for average normal, single-dry, and multiple-dry years. The absence of an adequate current water supply does not preclude project approval, but does require a lead agency to address a water supply shortfall in its project approval findings. Groundwater Management Act The Groundwater Management Act, Assembly Bill (AB) 3030, signed into law in 1992, provides a systematic procedure for, but does not require, an existing local agency to develop a groundwater management plan. This section of the code provides such an agency with the powers of a water replenishment district to raise revenue to pay for facilities to manage the basin (extraction, recharge, conveyance, and quality). In some basins, groundwater is managed under other statutory or juridical authority (such as adjudicated groundwater basins) and is not subject to the provisions of this act for groundwater management plans. Urban Water Management Act The California Urban Water Management Planning Act of 1983 requires that each urban water supplier, providing water for municipal purposes either directly or indirectly to more than 3,000 customers or supplying more than 3,000 AF of water annually, shall prepare, update, and adopt its Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) at least once every five years on or before December 31, in years ending in 5 and 0. The plan describes and evaluates sources of water supply, projected water needs, conservation, implementation strategy, and schedule. The Coachella Valley Water District, the city’s water supplier, last prepared a UWMP in 2010. Water Conservation Act of 2009 (20x2020 Water Conservation Plan) The Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SB X7-7) affects urban water and agricultural water. The 20x2020 Water Conservation Plan sets forth a statewide road map to maximize the state’s urban water efficiency and conservation opportunities between 2009 and 2020 and beyond for urban water. It aims to set in motion a range of activities designed to achieve the 20 percent per capita reduction in urban water demand by 2020. These activities include improving an understanding of City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-23 the variation in water use across California, promoting legislative initiatives that incentivize water agencies to promote water conservation, and creating evaluation and enforcement mechanisms to ensure regional and statewide goals are met. The City is required to establish water conservation targets for the years 2015 and 2020. Alternative approaches are also specified in the law (Division 6 Part 2.55 of Water Code Sections 10608–10631.5). Waste Management Sewer System Management Plan The SWRCB adopted new policies in December 2004 requiring wastewater collection providers to report sanitary sewer overflows and to prepare and implement Sewer System Management Plans (SSMP). SSMP requirements are modeled on proposed federal capacity, management, operations, and maintenance plans. The SSMP policy requires dischargers to provide adequate capacity in the sewer collection system, take feasible steps to stop sewer overflows, identify and prioritize system deficiencies, and develop a plan for disposal of grease, among other requirements. CVWD last prepared an SSMP in 2014. California Integrated Waste Management Act To minimize the amount of solid waste that must be disposed of by transformation and land disposal, the California Legislature passed the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939, Statutes of 1989), effective January 1990. According to this act, all cities and counties were required to divert 25 percent of all solid waste from landfill facilities by January 1, 1995, and 50 percent by January 1, 2000. To help in the increase of diversion rates, each jurisdiction is required to create an integrated waste management plan. Each city plan must demonstrate integration with the relevant county plan. The plans must promote (in order of priority) source reduction, recycling and composting, and environmentally safe transformation and land disposal. Elements of the plans must be updated every five years. AB 939 established the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to oversee integrated waste management planning and compliance. The bill’s passage led to the refinement of a statewide system of permitting, inspections, maintenance, and enforcement for waste facilities in California, and also required the CIWMB to adopt minimum standards for waste handling and disposal to protect public health and safety and the environment. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), formerly CIWMB, is responsible for approving permits for waste facilities, approving local agencies’ diversion rates, and enforcing the planning requirements of the law through local enforcement agencies. Local enforcement agencies are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations related to solid waste management, issuing permits to solid waste facilities, ensuring compliance with state-mandated requirements, coordinating with other government agencies on solid waste-related issues, and overseeing corrective actions at solid waste facilities. These agencies inspect facilities, respond to complaints, and conduct investigations into various aspects of solid waste management. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-24 Schools California Department of Education Facilities and Planning Division The California Education Code contains various provisions governing the siting, design, and construction of new public schools (e.g., Education Code Sections 17211, 17212, and 17212.5). In addition, to help focus and manage the site selection process, the California Department of Education School Facilities and Planning Division has developed screening and ranking procedures based on criteria commonly affecting school selection (Education Code Section 17251[b], Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 14001[c]). The foremost consideration in the selection of school sites is safety. Certain health and safety requirements are governed by state statute and California Department of Education regulations. In selecting a school site, a school district should consider factors such as proximity to airports and railroads, proximity to high-voltage power transmission lines, presence of toxic and hazardous substances, and hazardous air emissions within one-quarter mile. School Facility Fees Education Code Section 17620 authorizes school districts to levy a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement against any development project for the construction or reconstruction of school facilities, provided that the district can show justification for levying of fees. Government Code 65995 limits the fee to be collected to the statutory fee (Level I) unless a school district conducts a Facility Needs Assessment (Government Code Section 65995.6) and meets certain conditions. These fees are adjusted every two years in accordance with the statewide cost index for Class B construction, as determined by the State Allocation Board. SB 50 (1998) instituted a new school facility program by which school districts can apply for state construction and modernization funds. This legislation imposed limitations on the power of cities and counties to require mitigation for school facility impacts as a condition of approving new development. Proposition 1A/SB 50 prohibits local agencies from using the inadequacy of school facilities as a basis for denying or conditioning approvals of any “legislative or adjudicative act, or both, involving, but not limited to, the planning, use, or development of real property” (Government Code Section 65996[b]). Additionally, a local agency cannot require participation in a Mello-Roos district for school facilities; however, the statutory fee is reduced by the amount of any voluntary participation in a Mello-Roos district. Satisfaction of the Proposition 1A/SB 50 statutory requirements by a developer is deemed to be “full and complete mitigation.” State Service Standards Affecting All Districts California Education Code Section 41402 states that unified school districts are required to have eight administrative employees per 100 teachers. State standards for the number of students per classroom pursuant to Chapter 407, Statutes of 1998 (loading standards), require a maximum of 25 students per classroom in elementary schools and 27 students per classroom in middle and high schools. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-25 PARKS Quimby Act As part of approval of a final tract or parcel map, the California Quimby Act allows a city to require dedication of land, the payment of in-lieu fees, or a combination of both to be used for the provision of parks and recreational services. Cities can require land or in-lieu fees for a minimum of 3 acres per 1,000 residents, with the possibility of increasing the requirement to a maximum of 5 acres per 1,000 residents if the city already provides more than 3 acres per 1,000 residents. Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws County Water District Act The California Water District was formed in Coachella Valley in 1918. Special legislation (Water Code Sections 33100–33106) in 1937 allowed the California Water District to merge with the Coachella Valley Storm Water District and the successor CVWD assumed the powers and duties of both former districts. A governing board of five members is elected from five general divisions for terms of four years each. CVWD boundaries encompass an area of nearly 1,000 square miles in the Coachella Valley. Most of this land is in Riverside County, but CVWD also extends into Imperial and San Diego counties. Communities served include Cathedral City, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Mecca, North Shore, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Thermal, and Thousand Palms in Riverside County as well as the communities of Bombay Beach, Desert Shores, Hot Mineral Spa, Salton Sea Beach, and Salton City in Imperial County. Coachella Valley Water District Valley-Wide Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance No. 1302 The CVWD Board of Directors adopted Ordinance No. 1302 in March 2003 and amended it in November 2009. The purpose of the Valley-wide Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance is to establish effective water-efficient landscape requirements for newly installed and rehabilitated landscapes and to implement the requirements of the State of California Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, Statutes of 1990, Chapter 1145 (AB 325). Through this ordinance, CVWD intends to promote water conservation through climate-appropriate plant material and efficient irrigation design and implementation. Palm Desert Municipal Code The Palm Desert Municipal Code provides regulations and standards related to development and operations within the planning area. The relevant sections to public services, utilities, and recreation include:  Chapter 2 – Administration and Personnel – contains bylaws and administration procedures for City commissions (including Planning Commission and Public Safety Commission)  Chapter 8 – Health and Safety – includes standards and procedures to protect the health and safety of residents, businesses, and visitors regarding garbage collection and disposal, hazardous materials, public nuisances, and sewage City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-26  Chapter 9 – Public Peace, Morals and Welfare – identifies expectations for public conduct within the planning area, enforced by the police department  Chapter 12 – Street and Sidewalks – establishes development and operations standards for streets and sidewalks within the planning area, including regulations and procedures for underground utility lines and establishing underground utility districts  Chapter 15 – Buildings and Construction – establishes building and construction standards to protect public health, safety, and welfare through fire prevention, abatement of dangerous buildings, seismic strengthening, and enforcement of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical codes  Chapter 16 – Fire Protection and Prevention – establishes administrative procedures for the City’s Fire Protection and Prevention tax  Chapter 23 – Municipal Utility – establishes requirements that utility distribution facilities built or structurally rehabilitated after 2003 be dedicated to the City of Palm Desert  Chapter 24 – Environment and Conservation – includes regulations and requirements for water-efficient landscaping and stormwater management and discharge control  Chapter 25 – Zoning – identifies and defines appropriate activities and operations through the establishment of zoning districts within the planning area  Chapter 26 – Subdivisions – identifies standards and procedures for subdividing land within the planning area consistent with the Subdivision Map Act, including park and recreation area dedication and fees  Chapter 28 – Flood Damage Prevention – includes standards and procedures to promote public health and safety and minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas 15.4 References Aryan, Stephen. 2014. Risk Manager, City of Palm Desert. E-mail to Alessandra Lundin, PMC Associate Planner. July 9. City of Palm Desert. 2004. City of Palm Desert Comprehensive General Plan. 2014a. Parks and Recreation. Accessed July 16. http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=174. 2014b. Our Parks. Accessed July 16. http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=175. 2014c. Hiking Trails. Accessed July 17. http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/index.aspx?page=179. 2014d. Palm Desert Schools and Colleges. http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=450. 2014e. Medical Services. http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=451. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-27 Coachella Valley Water District. 2003. Ordinance No. 1302 – An Ordinance of the Coachella Valley Water District Establishing Valley-Wide Water Efficient Landscaping Model Ordinance. 2012a. Coachella Valley Water District Water Management Plan 2010 Update – Final Report. 2012b. Engineer’s Report on Water Supply and Replenishment Assessment – Upper Whitewater River Subbasin Area of Benefit (2012–2013). 2014. Coachella Valley Water District 2011–2012 Annual Review. Desert Sands Unified School District. 2014. 2012–2013 School Quality Snapshots. Accessed July 14. http://web1.dsusd.k12.ca.us/EducationalServices/Pages/Snapshots.aspx. FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations). 2014a. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Accessed July 10. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in- the-u.s.-2011/aboutucrmain. 2014b. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Online Data Tool. Accessed July 10. http://www.ucrdatatool.gov/. Meza, Jorge. 2014. Project Engineer, Coachella Valley Water District. E-mail to Alessandra Lundin, PMC Associate Planner. July 16. Palm Desert Police Department. 2013. Palm Desert Police Department 2013 Annual Report. Palm Desert Visitor Center. 2014. Palm Desert Dedicates Fox Canyon. Accessed July 17. http://www.palm-desert.org/about-palm-desert/press-room/press-releases/press- release?id=142 Palm Springs Life. 2014. Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Accessed July 17. http://www.palmspringslife.com/santarosa/. Palm Springs Regional Association of Realtors. 2014. Private Schools. Accessed July 14. http://palmspringsregionalmls.com/private-schools/. Ream, Lisa. 2014. Recycling Technician, City of Palm Desert. E-mail to Alessandra Lundin, PMC Associate Planner. July 22. Riverside County Fire Department. 2013. Annual Report 2013. Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Central Crime & Intelligence Analysis Unit. 2014. Crime Analysis Data Reports. June 2013 – May 2014. San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission. 2010. Coachella Valley (County) Water District Profile. Accessed July 17, 2014. http://www.sdlafco.org/images/Profiles/Profile_WD_CoachellaValley.pdf. Southern California Edison. 2014. SCE Interconnection Map. https://www.sce.com/wps/wcm/connect/3025afc6-0483-4979-87b4- 2be56b759e5a/SCEGenerationInterconnectionMaps2014-07-15.kmz?MOD=AJPERES. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 15-28 US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 2014. Trails and Trailhead Locations at the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Accessed July 17. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/santarosa/trailheadsb.html. US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Accessed July 17, 2014. http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Coachella_Valley/what_we_do/partnerships.html. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-1 16. Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change 16.1 Introduction This section presents an overview of the existing state, regional, and citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and regulations. This section also presents an overview of energy demand, potential effects of climate change, and related regulations that affect the city and SOI. Climate change refers to any significant change in climate measurements, such as temperature, precipitation, or wind, lasting for an extended period (i.e., decades or longer).1 This report includes an overview of GHG emissions, California GHG inventory, Coachella Valley regional GHG emissions, Palm Desert GHG inventory, Palm Desert energy use, and adaptation. 16.2 Environmental Setting Scientific Basis During the past several decades, an extensive and scrutinized body of scientific evidence has demonstrated that human activity is altering the earth’s climate by increasing the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere. While there will always be some uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the earth, the scientific evidence has been carefully examined and withstood serious evaluation and debate. As a result of this inquiry, there is a recognition that climate change poses significant risks for, and may already be affecting, human and natural systems, including coastal infrastructure, human health, energy sources, agriculture, and freshwater resources2. Greenhouse Gases Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and re-emit infrared radiation are called GHGs. The following compounds are GHGs subject to control under California state law3.  Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is produced through the burning of fossil fuels, solid waste, and wood products and is generated through certain chemical reactions, such as the manufacture of cement.  Methane (CH4). Methane is produced during the production and transportation of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil. It also results from organic decay in landfills, livestock, and other agricultural processes. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-2  Nitrous Oxide (N2O). Nitrous oxide is generated during agricultural and industrial activities, combustion of fossil fuels, and solid waste.  Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are used as refrigerants in both stationary refrigeration and mobile air conditioning.  Perfluorocarbons (PFCs). Perfluorocarbons are created as a byproduct of aluminum production and semiconductor manufacturing.  Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6). Sulfur hexafluoride is a colorless, odorless, nontoxic, nonflammable gas. It is most commonly used as an electrical insulator in high voltage equipment that transmits and distributes electricity. Carbon dioxide is the most widely emitted GHG and is the reference gas for determining the global warming potential (GWP) of other GHGs. GHG emissions are converted to metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) units. As shown in Table 16.1, gases such as methane and nitrous oxide are more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat and have higher GWP. GWPs are published by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and are periodically updated. Until recently, the standard has been to use the IPCC’s Second Assessment Report (SAR) GWP. Recently, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other organizations have switched to IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) GWP. Table 16.1 shows both SAR and AR4 GWPs. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-3 TABLE 16.1: GREENHOUSE GASES 4 5  Gas Activity Atmospheric Lifetime (years)* Global Warming Potential (SAR) Global Warming Potential (AR4) Carbon Dioxide Combustion 50–200 1 1 Methane Combustion, Anaerobic Decomposition of Organic Waste (Landfills, Wastewater), Fuel Handling 12 21 25 Nitrous Oxide Combustion, Wastewater Treatment 114 310 298 HFC-23 Leaked Refrigerants, Fire Suppressants 270 11,700 14,800 HFC-134a Leaked Refrigerants, Fire Suppressants 14 1,300 1,430 HFC-152a Leaked Refrigerants, Fire Suppressants 1.4 140 124 PFC: Tetrafluoromethane (CF4) Aluminum Production, Semiconductor Manufacturing, HVAC equipment, 50,000 6,500 7,390 PFC: Hexafluoroethane (C2F6) Aluminum Production, Semiconductor Manufacturing, HVAC equipment, 10,000 9,200 12,200 Sulfur Hexafluoride Transmission and Distribution of Power 3,200 23,900 22,800 Note: All GWPs are given as 100-year GWP GHGs have always been present in the earth’s atmosphere, keeping surface temperatures warm enough to sustain human, plant, and animal life. GHGs absorb heat radiated from the earth’s surface and then radiate the energy back toward the surface, a process called the “greenhouse effect,” which is shown in Figure 16.1. Without the greenhouse effect, it is estimated that the earth’s average surface temperature would be approximately 60°F colder.6 Human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and land use changes, have increased the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere, intensified the greenhouse effect, and caused changes to the earth’s climate. Since the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gas concentrations have risen 40 percent in the earth’s atmosphere and are at a level unequaled during the last 800,000 years. *Atmospheric lifetimes were taken from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) which made slight changes to previous values. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-4 California Greenhouse Gas Emissions CARB inventories GHG emissions each year. The inventory, which spans the years 2000–2012, includes estimates for carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons. California total emissions of GHGs were 459 million metric tons of CO2e (MMTCO2e) in 2012, declining 1.6 percent from 466 MMTCO2e in 2000. Emissions peaked in 2004 and reached 493 MMTCO2e. California’s per capita GHG emissions decreased by 12 percent from 2000 to 2012 despite an 11.4 percent increase in population. Per capita emissions from the energy sector have declined by 22 percent from 2000–2012.7 The 2012 inventory of 459 MMTCO2e is approximately 2 percent higher than the 2011 inventory prepared by CARB due to increased natural gas electricity generation compensating for (1) the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and (2) a drop in hydropower resulting from a drier than average winter. The statewide inventory and forecast data are also expressed as MMTCO2e. Figure 16.2 shows each year of measured GHG emissions as well as forecasted emissions for the state out to 2020. FIGURE 16.1: THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT  Solar radiation or light passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed, strikes the earth, and is absorbed or re-radiated as heat. Some of the re-radiated heat is absorbed by GHGs and re-emitted toward the surface, while some of the heat escapes into space. Human activities that emit additional GHGs to the atmosphere increase the amount of heat that gets absorbed before escaping to space, enhancing the greenhouse effect, and amplifying the warming of the earth. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-5 FIGURE 16.2: CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE EMISSIONS, BAU FORECAST, AND REDUCTION GOAL, 2005–20208  The transportation sector was the largest source of emissions in 2012 (167.4 MMTCO2e), representing roughly 37 percent of California’s GHG emissions. Transportation sector emissions include on-road vehicles, such as passenger vehicles, motorcycles, heavy duty trucks, and buses, ships and commercial boats, aviation, and rail. In recent years, industrial emissions from refineries, oil and gas extraction, cement plants, and other stationary sources have increased their share of total emissions relative to electric power. Industrial sources produced 89.2 MMTCO2e in 2012. In particular, refineries produce approximately one-third of the sector’s emissions. The electric power sector generated 95.1 MMTCO2e in 2012, approximately 21 percent of California’s GHG emissions. Commercial and residential sector emissions generated 42.3 MMTCO2e in 2012. This sector’s emissions are driven by the combustion of natural gas and other fuels for residential use and commercial businesses. Emissions from the commercial and residential sectors are roughly the same as they were in 2000. Additionally in 2012, agriculture (livestock, harvesting, and fuel use) contributed 37.9 MMTCO2e, Recycling and waste generated 8.3 MMTCO2e, and high-GWP gases contributed 18.4 MMTCO2e9 Table 16.2 contains emissions by sector for California for the selected years of 2005, 2008, and 2012. TABLE 16.2: CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE GHG EMISSIONS,   2005, 2008, AND 201210, 11  Sector 2005 MMTCO2e 2008 MMTCO2e 2012 MMTCO2e Transportation 189.08 178.02 167.38 Electric power 107.86 120.15 95.09 Commercial and residential 41.24 42.44 42.28 Industrial 92.29 87.54 89.16 Recycling and waste 7.75 8.09 8.49 High Global Warming Potential 10.36 12.87 18.41 Agriculture 36.54 37.99 37.86 Total 485.13 487.10 458.68 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 20 0 5 20 0 6 20 0 7 20 0 8 20 0 9 20 1 0 20 1 1 20 1 2 20 1 3 20 1 4 20 1 5 20 1 6 20 1 7 20 1 8 20 1 9 20 2 0 MM T C O 2e Actual Emissions BAU Forecast AB 32 Reduction Goal City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-6 Coachella Valley Regional GHG Inventory The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), in partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, prepared a 2005 GHG inventory for the Coachella Valley and a forecast of 2020 emissions. In 2005, GHG emissions in the Coachella Valley were found to be 4.31 MMTCO2e. By 2020, emissions are expected to increase approximately 29 percent to 5.58 MMTCO2e.12 The areas included in the inventory are: Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and the eastern portion of Riverside County within the CVAG boundary (unincorporated areas). In addition, emissions from tribal lands for the Agua Caliente, Cabazon and Torrez Martinez, are included to some extent. TABLE 16.3: COACHELLA VALLEY GHG EMISSIONS 200513  Source Category Million Metric Tons (MMT) Percent of Total Emissions (%) Fuel Combustion 0.28 6% Waste Disposal 0.15 3% Cleaning and Surface Coatings 0.00 0% Petroleum Production and Marketing 0.00 0% Industrial Processes 0.00 0% Solvent Evaporation 0.04 1% Miscellaneous Processes 0.28 6% On-Road Motor Vehicles 3.26 76% Other Mobile Sources 0.30 7% Total 4.31 Note: Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of the individual parts. The average per capita emissions rate for the Coachella Valley in 2005 was 10.42 MTCO2e. In 2020, Coachella Valley per capita emissions are expected to decrease to 9.00 MTCO2e. In 2005, per capita GHG emissions in Palm Desert were 7.70 MTCO2e based on a population of 49,843. 2020 Palm Desert emissions are projected to be reduced to a level of 6.01 MTCO2e per person, a decrease of roughly 22 percent from 2005.† Comparisons of state, regional, and local per capita emissions should consider variations in the methodologies, emission factors, global warming potentials‡ and forecast indicators for the CARB, CVAG, and Palm Desert GHG inventories. † Note that per capita emissions from the Coachella Valley Regional GHG Inventory differ from other inventories due to methods and sectors included. ‡ CARB used IPCC AR4 GWPs while CVAG and Palm Desert used SAR GWPs. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-7 Palm Desert Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory The City has community-wide inventories for the 2005 and 2008 calendar years. In 2011 the City of Palm Desert completed the Palm Desert Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the 2008 baseline year.14 As summarized in the previous section, CVAG completed a regional GHG inventory in 2011 for the baseline year of 2005. CVAG is currently in the process of conducting a follow-up GHG inventory specifically for Palm Desert with a baseline year of 2012 or 2013. This inventory is expected to be completed by the end of 2014 and was not available for this report. The energy use and GHG emissions data presented in this report are from the 2008 GHG inventory except where noted. The inventory and forecast includes activities occurring within the Palm Desert city limits by both private and public sectors. In some instances, GHGs generated by these activities may be emitted in Palm Desert, such as an individual driving a car within the city limits. In other cases, the emissions may occur elsewhere but are included because the activity responsible for generating the emissions is in Palm Desert, such as a community member using electricity generated by a power plant in another part of the state. Methodology To calculate GHGs, the 2008 GHG inventory utilized electricity and natural gas usage data from Southern California Edison (SCE), the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas). Emission quantification followed best available methods at the time, utilizing ICLEI-Local Government for Sustainability’s (ICLEI) Clean Air and Climate Protection software and methodologies available in the Local Government Operations Protocol15 and electricity emission factors from SCE. These protocols are not regulatory, but provide guidance on how to measure and report community-wide GHG emissions, including identification of relevant sources or activities, methods to estimate GHG emissions from each source, and consistency in the identification, assessment, and presentation of emissions results across multiple jurisdictions. ICLEI published the Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories16 in 2012, after completion of the 2008 GHG inventory. This protocol gives communities improved guidance and updated methodologies for completing community-level GHG inventories. This protocol was not used in the development of the GHG inventory. The inventory and forecast address activities and GHG emissions referred to throughout this report as sectors. These sectors include:  Residential – Electricity and natural gas used in residential settings  Commercial – Electricity and natural gas used in commercial settings  Industry (Resorts and Golf Courses) – Electricity, natural gas, and fertilizer used in resorts and golf courses that reside in Palm Desert  Transportation – Vehicle miles travelled within the Palm Desert community border  Solid Waste – Materials deposited in landfills City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-8 The inventory does not include emissions related to:  Interstate 10 traffic  Union Pacific Railroad traffic  Palm Springs or Bermuda Dunes Airports The community inventory estimates emissions based on the city’s boundaries and quantifies emissions from the end-use of electricity and natural gas as well as emissions related to fertilizer application on resorts and golf courses. Transportation sector emissions were estimated based on a 2008 Coachella Valley Transportation Report. Emissions were attributed based on the population of Palm Desert relative to the population of the Coachella Valley. Solid waste data was collected from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) and entered into the Clean Air and Climate Protection software. Natural gas data from resorts and golf courses was provided by the SoCal Gas Company by NAICS code. Electricity usage was estimated by assuming the proportion of commercial-to-industry use was the same as the proportion of natural gas commercial-to-industry use. Fugitive emissions from fertilizer application in the form of nitrous oxide were also estimated. Key Findings from the Community Emissions Inventory  In 2008, the community of Palm Desert emitted 610,447 MTCO2e.  2008 emissions were 53 percent above 1990 levels based on a “backcast” estimate of major emitting sectors from Palm Desert. This increase is due largely to the 119 percent increase in population from 23,252 in 1990 to 50,907 in 2008.  Palm Desert has a GHG emissions reduction goal of 7 percent below 1990 levels. Although total emissions have been increasing, per capita emissions have decreased by roughly one- third.  In 2008 the transportation sector was the largest emitter and accounted for 36.9 percent of GHG emissions (225,083 MTCO2e) in the community. Vehicle miles traveled on Interstate 10, which falls outside of Palm Desert boundaries, were not included.  The residential sector was the second highest total emitter, accounting for 28.1 percent of emissions (171,714 MTCO2e) from the use of energy and combustion of natural gas.  The commercial sector was the third highest total emitter, accounting for 14.7 percent of emissions (90,010 MTCO2e) from the use of energy and combustion of natural gas.  The industrial sector, made up of resorts and golf courses, accounted for 10.5 percent of total emissions (64,152 MTCO2e). This sector includes electricity use, natural gas use, and fertilizer application. Electricity use accounted for approximately 79 percent of the emissions from this sector; natural gas, 19 percent; and fertilizer application, 2 percent. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-9  Solid waste contributed 9.7 percent of total emissions (59,489 MTCO2e); 74,992 tons of waste were deposited in a managed landfill while 166,918 tons of waste were diverted. In 2008 Palm Desert’s waste diversion rate was 69 percent. Palm Desert Energy Use Existing Energy Use As of 2007, California ranked second in total energy consumption of natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales, following only Texas in each category17. Despite being a large consumer of energy, in particular transportation energy, California’s per-capita consumption rate for all these energy sources combined is one of the lowest in the country (49th). This is largely because of California’s proactive energy-efficiency programs and mild weather, which reduces energy demands for heating and cooling.18 The transportation sector makes up the single largest consumer of energy in California, accounting for 41 percent of the state’s total energy demand, and nearly all of this energy is provided by petroleum. Several factors make the state’s energy demand for transportation high. For example, Californians have a large number of registered vehicles (the highest in the nation), long average commute times, and a high average rate of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). California also has major transportation fuel consumers (i.e., major airports and military installations). In addition, water treatment and distribution are related to the amount of energy produced and used. Large amounts of water are needed to produce energy at power plants, and significant energy is used to treat and transport water to consumers. Energy Sources Overall, energy is generated over large areas from many different sources, so tracking the specific source of energy used in any one place can be difficult. Energy that is not generated at a facility by an energy provider can be purchased from other producers and transmitted to the energy user through transmission networks. Energy sources used in Palm Desert include hydroelectric, transformation, geothermal, solar, wind, coal, natural gas, and nuclear. The following sections describe the existing sources of electricity and natural gas energy for Palm Desert. Electricity Over the past 15 years, electricity generation in California has undergone a transition. Historically, California has relied heavily on nuclear power, hydro electricity, and gas-fired plants to generate electricity.19 Spurred by regulatory measures and tax incentives, California’s electrical system has become more reliant on renewable energy sources, including cogeneration, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass conversion, transformation plants, and small hydroelectric plants. Unlike petroleum production, generation of electricity is usually not tied to the location of the fuel source and can be delivered great distances via the electrical grid. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-10 SCE and IID supply electricity to customers in Palm Desert. Additional information on SCE’s and IID’s electricity sources and the annual amount of electricity delivered is provided below under “Energy Service Providers.” The generating capacity of a unit of electricity is expressed in megawatts (MW). One MW provides enough energy to power 1,000 average California homes per day. Net generation refers to the gross amount of energy produced by a unit, minus the amount of energy the unit consumes. Generation is typically measured in megawatt-hours (MWh), kilowatt-hours (kWh), or gigawatt-hours (GWh). Natural Gas Natural gas is a hydrocarbon fuel found in reservoirs beneath the earth’s surface and is composed primarily of methane (CH4). It is used for space and water heating, process heating (e.g., smelting, metal melting, creating polymers), and electricity generation, and as transportation fuel. SoCal Gas supplies natural gas in Palm Desert. Use of natural gas is expected to increase in coming years because it is a relatively clean alternative to other fossil fuels like oil and coal. In California and throughout the western United Sates, many new electrical generation plants that are fired by natural gas are being brought online. Thus, there is great interest in importing liquefied natural gas from other parts of the world. As of 2010, 53.4 percent of the electricity consumed in California was generated using natural gas.20 However, it is anticipated that the world’s supplies of natural gas are only expected to last about another 50 years, at which time another fuel type will be required. Additional information on the amount of natural gas delivered to SoCal Gas customers in Palm Desert is provided below under “Energy Service Providers.” Alternative Renewable Energy Sources Wind Energy Wind energy systems convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for practical purposes. Wind electric turbines generate electricity for homes and businesses and for sale to utilities. Wind electricity can be generated on a small residential scale with small turbines (typically a few kW or less in capacity, but some as large as 30 kW), or on a utility scale via large wind farms. Wind energy plays an integral role in California’s electricity portfolio. According to the California Energy Commission (CEC),21 in 2000, turbines in wind farms in California generated about 1.27 percent of the state’s total electricity resource, enough to light a city the size of San Francisco. Additionally, hundreds of people are using smaller wind turbines to produce electricity for their homes and businesses; however, this amount of energy is not easily quantified. Solar Energy Solar power can be harnessed for several applications, including heating and electricity generation. A common method of generation is to use photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity. Large-scale use of solar energy represents a major potential energy resource in the Southern California climate. In general, large-scale solar power plants are more land intensive than conventional power plants, requiring acres of reflectors, pipelines, and transmission lines. No large- City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-11 scale solar power plants exist in Palm Desert, although small-scale solar generation facilities are used on individual buildings. According to the CEC, roughly 7 acres are required to produce one MW of solar capacity for decentralized systems in desert climates.22 The National Renewable Energy Lab has found the required acreage to produce 1 MW to be higher, from 7.6 to 13 acres.23 The state of California has emphasized developing solar-produced energy by developing the California Solar Initiative in 2006. The California Solar Initiative provides incentives to help increase the amount of solar energy generated in California. One such incentive is to encourage solar energy to be used in new homes. The incentive program is known as the New Solar Homes Partnership. Overall, the California Solar Initiative has a goal to provide 1,940 MW of solar-generated energy by 2016.24 As shown in Table 16.4, residents and businesses in Palm Desert have invested nearly $55 million (not including the nearly $13 million in incentives paid) to install approximately 15,970 kW of solar through this program, consisting of 807 residential PV systems and 34 nonresidential PV systems. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-12 TABLE 16.4 – SOLAR PV INSTALLATIONS THROUGH CALIFORNIA SOLAR INITIATIVE25 Sector Number of Systems kW Installed Incentives Paid Total Cost Nonresidential 34 9,714 $6,864,612 $32,552,692 Residential 807 6,256 $6,017,662 $35,905,554 Total 841 15,970 12,882,273 $68,458,246 Geothermal Energy Geothermal power uses heat from below the earth’s surface to produce electricity or heat buildings and water systems. Geothermal power produces little to no air pollution and is extremely reliable during the lifetime of the power plant. Geothermal applications cover a range of uses, from small- scale geothermal heat pumps used in homes to large-scale power plants that provide electricity. As of 2013, California’s capacity to generate geothermal energy is approximately 2,703 MW from resources using predominantly dry steam and liquid26. In California, 46 geothermal power plants are widely dispersed from north to south. Most development of these plants has occurred in The Geysers (Lake and Sonoma counties), the Salton Sea (Imperial County), and Coso Hot Springs (Inyo County) Known Geothermal Resource Areas. Geothermal direct use projects generally have less intensive environmental effects than electrical-generating projects. Transformation Transformation projects (also known as resource recovery or “waste-to-energy” projects or bioenergy and biomass projects) convert agricultural and municipal wastes, respectively, to fuel or electricity. The primary reason for most transformation projects is to dispose of wastes, and the energy produced is a useful byproduct to offset disposal costs. Systems to recover landfill gas and methane fermentation projects both produce methane gas, which can be burned in a gas turbine to generate electricity. Methane gas can be recovered from landfills and sewage treatment plants and converted to electricity. Direct combustion projects, where agricultural refuse or municipal solid waste is burned to generate electricity, have greater environmental impacts and are usually more controversial than methane- producing projects. Transformation technologies are still relatively new to California. Transformation plants have been proposed statewide as a solution to the state’s diminishing landfill capacity. Proposals throughout the state have sparked public opposition over issues regarding odor, toxic wastes, air pollutant emissions, noise, and traffic. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-13 Energy Service Providers Southern California Edison SCE is an investor-owned utility with operating revenue of $12,562 million in 201327. In 2012 SCE supplied 82,069 GWh of electricity to its customers.28 SCE serves sections of Southern California and is the primary energy provider in Palm Desert. Its service area includes all but a small portion of the incorporated city. SCE service territory includes large sections of Southern California including Mono County, Fresno County, Tulare County, San Bernardino County, Orange County and most of Riverside County, and more. In 2010, SCE received 18 percent of its power from eligible renewable sources (biomass and waste, geothermal, small hydroelectric, solar, wind), 7 percent from coal, 6 percent from large hydroelectric, 37 percent from natural gas, 19 percent from nuclear and 13 percent from unspecified sources of power.29 Imperial Irrigation District The IID is a nonprofit community-owned utility that serves customers in Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Diego counties. Within the city and SOI, IID provides electric services to Avondale Country Club, Bermuda Dunes, Del Webb Sun City, Thousand Palms, and the eastern portion of Sky Valley. Due to its organization, IID is able to offer electric power rates that are significantly less than those of SCE. Southern California Gas Company In Palm Desert, natural gas is provided by SoCal Gas, which is owned by Sempra Energy. Sempra Energy also owns San Diego Gas & Electric. The SoCal Gas territory covers approximately 20,000 square miles from San Luis Obispo and Visalia in the north to the Mexican border, with the exception of San Diego County. Natural gas services are provided to residential, commercial, industrial, utility electric generation companies, and wholesale customers. In 2008, SoCal Gas had 344 billion cubic feet in natural gas sales: 240 billion cubic feet for residential customers and 104 billion cubic feet for commercial and industrial customers.30 Table 16.5 shows electricity and natural gas consumption for Palm Desert in 2008. TABLE 16.5 – PALM DESERT ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION (2008)31 Sector Electricity (kWh) Natural Gas Use (Therms) Residential 336,791,782 13,749,419 Commercial 249,556,770 3,187,971 Industrial (Resorts and golf courses) 173,427,756 2,254,595 Total 759,776,308 19,191,985 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-14 Adaptation Climate Change Impacts Climate change describes the long-term shift in global and regional weather patterns. This includes average annual temperatures and the timing and amount of local precipitation, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, sea level changes, and other aspects of weather. Depending on the extent of these changes, climate change may result in significant social, economic, and environmental consequences for residents and businesses. Temperature Since the early 20th century, average surface temperature worldwide has risen at an average rate of 0.15°F per decade (1.5°F per century). Average surface temperatures across the lower 48 states have risen at an average rate of 0.14°F per decade (1.4°F per century). In the US, average surface temperatures have risen more quickly since the late 1970s (0.36 to 0.55°F per decade), with seven of the top ten warmest years on record occurring since 1998.32 Scientists predict that over the next century, global temperatures will increase between 2.5°F and 10.4°F, depending upon the amount of future emissions and how the earth responds to those emissions.33 For California, the average annual temperature is expected to rise 1.8°F to 5.4°F by 2050 and 3.6°F to 9°F by the end of the century.34 For the Palm Desert area, scientists expect average temperatures to increase between 3.8°F and 6.8°F as shown in Figure 16.3.35 FIGURE 16.1: TEMPERATURE: DEGREES OF CHANGE MAP (1960–2080)36 These long-term temperature increases will be experienced along with short-term variation (daily, annual, and multi-year) in temperature related to earth system changes such as El Niño, La Niña, or City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-15 volcanic eruptions. As a result, temperatures for a single day or year may be higher or lower than the long-term average.37 Precipitation Research suggests that in California, climate change is likely to decrease annual precipitation amounts by more than 15 percent by the end of the 21st century.38 In Palm Desert, precipitation is expected to decline over the next century, falling from around 6.5 inches per year to approximately 5.5 inches per year. Seasonal precipitation will change more significantly with March and April receiving less rainfall than in the past. As a result of the seasonal change, Palm Desert will likely experience longer periods of drought, as the summer dry season starts earlier in the spring and extends later into the fall.39 Extreme Heat Events Climate change presents serious health risks to California’s most vulnerable populations, particularly extreme heat events. The effects of extreme heat on human health are well documented.40 Increased temperature or extended periods of elevated temperatures can increase heat-related mortality,41 cardiovascular-related mortality,42 respiratory mortality,43 and heart attacks,44 while increasing hospital admissions45 and emergency department visits.46 Extreme heat can also affect a person’s ability to thermo-regulate, causing heat stress and sometimes leading to death.47 Exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy is related to lower birth weight, especially in the second and third trimesters.48 A number of factors contribute to the vulnerability of an individual to extreme heat. Intrinsic factors that contribute to heat-related risk include age (over 65 and infants and children)49, 50 and medical conditions (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental illness).51, 52 Extrinsic factors, or those external to an individual, include neighborhoods with high levels of impervious surfaces and low tree cover,53 housing units that lack air conditioning,54 or household access to a vehicle.55 As well, intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as race and ethnicity, education level, poverty, immigration status, and profession (particularly individuals who work outside, such as farm and construction workers) may contribute to an individual’s vulnerability to heat events.56, 57, 58 Palm Desert is likely to see a significant increase in the number of days when temperature exceeds the extreme heat threshold of 112°F. Between 1950 and 2011, the average number of extreme heat days was four. Under the lower emissions scenario by 2050, the number of extreme heat days could increase to more than 40 per year, and by the end of the century, the number of extreme heat days could exceed 60 per year.59 Warmer days will also be accompanied by warmer nights, which could have a significant, negative effect on public health. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-16 FIGURE 16.2: NUMBER OF EXTREME HEAT DAYS BY YEAR60 Other Potential Changes Climate change may also create a variety of changes for California and Palm Desert including:  Snowpack: At least a quarter of the Sierra snowpack will be lost by 2050.61 The snowpack provides natural water storage for the state.  Biological resources: Two-thirds of California’s native flora will experience a greater than 80 percent reduction in suitable climate range within a century.62  Agriculture: May very likely see significantly declining yields due to warming.63  Emergency management: More extreme weather events, changing temperature and precipitation patterns, and more severe and frequent wildfires present new risks and uncertainties that will affect emergency management. In California, studies predict that conditions will become hotter and drier, with decreased snow levels and accelerating rates of sea level rise.64 California should also expect an increase in the intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and floods. California’s extreme warm temperatures, which have historically occurred in July and August, will most likely extend into June and September.65 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-17 16.3 Regulatory Setting The following federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies pertain to energy in the city and SOI. Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws US Congress Beginning in the late 1990s, Congress introduced a tax subsidy on the production of renewable wind-generated electricity. The availability, the expiration, and the potential extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) caused the boom and bust production of energy that typifies wind development in the US. The PTC’s limitations have determined the role of the wind energy industry in the US and contributed to the dominance of electric utility subsidies. Congress also periodically directs federal agencies to use increasing amounts of renewable energy or otherwise aid private companies in developing wind energy. One example is the Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America initiative which, among other tasks, has created Wind Working Groups in each state with a wind resource. National Energy Act The National Energy Act of 1978 was a legislative response by the US Congress to the 1973 energy crisis. It includes the following statutes:  Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (Public Law 95-617)  Energy Tax Act (Public Law 95-318)  National Energy Conservation Policy Act (Public Law 95-619)  Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act (Public Law 95-620)  Natural Gas Policy Act (Public Law 95-621). Some of the more notable legislative acts are discussed below. Energy Tax Act The Energy Tax Act (Public Law 95-318) was passed by Congress in 1978 as part of the National Energy Act. It was a response to the 1973 oil crisis and promoted fuel efficiency and renewable energy through taxes and tax credits. National Energy Conservation Policy Act The National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) of 1978 (Public Law 95-619) is a US statute signed into law as part of the National Energy Act. NECPA requires utilities to provide residential consumers with energy conservation audits and other services to encourage slower growth of electricity demand. NECPA was amended in 1985 by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act Amendments of 1985 (Public Law 99-58). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-18 US Department of Energy The US Department of Energy is responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. Its purview includes the nation’s nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the US Navy, energy conservation, energy-related research, radioactive waste disposal, and domestic energy production. Many of these activities are funded through the Department of Energy’s system of national laboratories. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates and oversees energy industries in the economic, environmental, and safety interests of the American public. FERC is the US federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates. FERC also reviews and authorizes liquefied natural gas terminals, interstate natural gas pipelines, and nonfederal hydropower projects. Electricity is run by the states; however, FERC has jurisdiction over certain matters.66 US Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act In 2007, the US Supreme Court held that the EPA has the statutory authority to regulate GHG emissions from the transportation sector. In Massachusetts v. EPA, Massachusetts, 11 other states, and several local governments and non-governmental organizations sued the EPA for not regulating the emission of GHGs. The court ruled that GHG emissions fit within the Clean Air Act’s definition of a pollutant, and the EPA’s rationale for not regulating GHG emissions was not adequate. After the court decision, President Obama signed Executive Order 13432 directing the EPA, along with the Departments of Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture, to initiate a regulatory process that responds to the Supreme Court’s decision. In December 2007, the president signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which sets a mandatory renewable fuel standard requiring fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel in 2022 and sets a national fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The act also contains provisions for energy efficiency in lighting and appliances and for the implementation of green building technologies in federal buildings. On July 11, 2008, the EPA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act. The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking reviews the various Clean Air Act provisions that may be applicable to the regulation of GHGs and presents potential regulatory approaches and technologies for reducing GHG emissions. In the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the EPA seeks further public comment on the regulation of GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. Mandatory Reporting Rule In 2009, the EPA adopted a mandatory GHG reporting rule for suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial GHGs, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions. These businesses and facilities began submitting annual reports to the City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-19 EPA in 2011 (covering the 2010 calendar year emissions). Vehicle and engine manufacturers began reporting GHG emissions for model year 2011. Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act In 2009, the EPA Administrator issued a final endangerment finding and final cause finding for light duty vehicles under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. The findings include:  Endangerment finding: The EPA found that current and projected concentrations of the six GHG emissions in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.  Cause or contribute finding: The EPA found that the combined emissions of these GHGs from new motor vehicles and new motor engines contribute to the GHG pollution which threatens public health and welfare. These findings do not impose any requirements on industry or other entities. However, this action was a prerequisite to finalizing the EPA’s proposed GHG emission standards for light-duty vehicles, which were jointly proposed by the EPA and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On April 1, 2012, the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued final rules requiring that by the 2016 model-year, manufacturers must achieve a combined average vehicle emission level of 250 grams of CO2 per mile, which is equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon as measured by EPA standards. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws California Energy Commission Established in 1974 by the Warren-Alquist Act (Public Resources Code Section 25000 et seq.), the CEC is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. The CEC has five major responsibilities:  Forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical energy data.  Licensing thermal power plants 50 MW or larger.  Promoting energy efficiency through appliance and building standards.  Developing energy technologies and supporting renewable energy.  Planning for and directing the state response to an energy emergency. California Public Utilities Commission The California Public Utilities Commission has authority to set electric rates, regulate natural gas utility service, protect consumers, promote energy efficiency, and ensure electric system reliability. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-20 California Public Utilities Commission General Order 131-D (adopted by Decision 94-06-014 and modified by Decision 95-08-038) contains the rules for the planning and construction of new transmission facilities, distribution facilities, and substations. This decision requires utility companies to obtain permits to construct certain power line facilities or substations if the voltage would exceed 50 kV or if the substation would require the acquisition of land or an increase in voltage rating above 50 kV. Utilities do not need to comply with this decision for distribution lines and substations with voltage less than 50 kV; however, they must obtain any nondiscretionary local permits required for the construction and operation of these projects. Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is required for construction of facilities. The California Public Utilities Commission also has jurisdiction over the siting of natural gas transmission lines. Renewables Portfolio Standard California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), established in 2002 by Senate Bill 1078 (Sher, Chapter 516, Statutes of 2002), originally required retail electricity providers to procure at least 1 percent of their electricity supplies from renewable resources to achieve a 20 percent renewable mix by no later than 2017. Since then, the CEC, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the California Power Authority approved the first energy action plan (EAP) in 2003, which accelerated the 20 percent target date to 2010. A second EAP was adopted in 2005, which provided updates in energy policy. Senate Bill 107 (Smitian and Perata, Chapter 464, Statutes of 2006) adopted the revised 2010 target date into law. A third EAP update was adopted in 2008, which “examines the state’s ongoing actions in the context of global climate change.”67 Executive Order S-14-08 expands the state's renewable energy standard to 33 percent renewable power by 2020. Title 24: California Green Building Code – (2007) The California Building Standards Commission and other state agencies developed green building standards for residential, commercial, and public building construction. Part 6 (the California Energy Code) and Part 11 (the California Green Building Standards Code) include prescriptive and performance-based standards to reduce electricity and natural gas use in every new building constructed in California. The “CALGreen Code” is the first statewide green building standards code in the United States. The code attempts to achieve reductions in GHG emissions and water and energy use.68 Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations mandates how each new home and business is built in California. It includes requirements for the structural, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems of buildings, and for fire and life safety, energy conservation, green design, and accessibility in and around buildings. Title 24’s Energy Efficiency Standards are updated approximately every three years. The 2013 Standards went into effect on July 1, 2014. A list of the major changes from the 2008 Standards is available on the CEC website.69 Executive Order S-3-05 In 2005, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-3-05, declaring that California is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change through reductions in the Sierra Nevada snowpack (a major source of water for the state), reduced air quality, and rising sea levels. Executive Order S-3-05 also sets the following GHG reduction goals for the state: City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-21  Reduce emissions to 2000 levels by 2010  Reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020  Reduce emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, contained in sections 38500 – 38599 of the Health and Safety Code and known as Assembly Bill (AB) 32, codifies the goals set in Executive Order S-3-05 and sets a target for the state to reduce its total GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 through a series of market-based and regulatory mechanisms. The AB 32 Scoping Plan outlines a combination of policies, programs, and practices needed to reduce statewide emissions by 15 percent below current levels (the equivalent of 1990 levels) by 2020. Given projected trends, this would be approximately 30 percent below business-as-usual levels anticipated for 2020. Actions in the 2008 Scoping Plan include producing 33 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020, implementing clean car standards, and developing a cap- and-trade program for major stationary sources of GHGs. The Scoping Plan establishes a statewide carbon budget that will allow the state to grow while still meeting its emissions reduction targets. The Scoping Plan strategies include energy efficiency measures, regional transportation-related GHG emissions targets, a renewable portfolio standard, a cap-and-trade program, a light duty vehicle GHG standard, and a low carbon fuel standard. The Scoping Plan recognizes the essential partnership between state, regional, and local governments to reduce GHG emissions. Local governments have authority over activities that produce both direct and indirect GHG emissions through land use planning and zoning, general permitting, local ordinances, and municipal operations. Therefore, many of the strategies outlined in the Scoping Plan need local governments to take action. The Scoping Plan also encourages local governments to inventory GHG emissions, adopt GHG emissions reduction targets, and develop local action plans to lower emissions. The Scoping Plan also identifies a GHG emissions reduction of 15 percent below existing levels as being comparable to a return to 1990 levels. Agencies throughout California have generally interpreted “existing emissions levels” as emissions levels between 2005 and 2008. AB 32 requires CARB to update the Scoping Plan at least once every five years. The first major update to the Scoping Plan was adopted by CARB on May 22, 2014. The updated Scoping Plan summarizes the most recent science related to climate change, including anticipated impacts to California and the levels of GHG reduction necessary to likely avoid risking irreparable damage. It identifies the actions California has already taken to reduce GHG emissions and focuses on areas where further reductions could be achieved to help meet the 2020 target established by AB 32. The Scoping Plan update also looks beyond 2020 toward the 2050 goal established in Executive Order S- 3-05, though not yet adopted as state law, and observes that “a mid-term statewide emission limit will ensure that the State stays on course to meet our long-term goal.” The Scoping Plan update does not establish or propose any specific post-2020 goals, but identifies such goals adopted by other governments or recommended by various scientific and policy organizations. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-22 2007 Amendments to the State CEQA Guidelines (SB 97) Senate Bill (SB) 97, codified in Public Resource Code section 21083.05, which was signed in 2007 and went into effect in 2010, requires that projects estimate the GHG emissions associated with project-related vehicle traffic, energy use, water use, and construction activities as part of the environmental review process under CEQA. Projects located in jurisdictions with a Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy can streamline their GHG evaluation under CEQA by showing compliance with the strategy. A Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy must satisfy the following six requirements identified in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b): a) Quantify GHG emissions, both existing and forecast over a set time period, from activities within a defined geographic area. b) Establish a level below which GHG emissions from activities covered by the plan are not cumulatively considerable, based on substantive evidence. c) Identify and analyze the GHG emissions as a result of specific actions or categories of actions anticipated within the defined geographic area. d) Specific measures or a group of measures, including performance standards, which would collectively achieve the specified emissions level if implemented on a project-by-project basis, as demonstrated by substantive evidence. e) Establish a mechanism to monitor the plan’s progress toward achieving the level and to require revisions to the plan if it is not achieving the specified levels. f) Be adopted in a public process following environmental review. This technical report addresses the first two requirements. Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375) SB 375, signed in September 2008, links regional transportation planning efforts, GHG reduction targets, and land use and housing allocations. It requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to adopt a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) or Alternative Planning Strategy as part of the land use and housing allocation in their Regional Transportation Plan. CARB will work with the MPOs to set reduction targets for passenger cars and light trucks in the area of the MPO’s jurisdiction, to be updated every four to eight years. The MPO for the area that includes Palm Desert, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), released its Regional Transportation Plan/SCS in April 2012. The SCS is designed to reduce GHG emissions from passenger vehicles by 8 percent per capita by 2020, and by 13 percent per capita by 2035 compared to 2005, consistent with regional targets set by CARB. One aspect of SB 375 that is unique to the SCAG region is that subregions within SCAG have the option of creating their own subregional SCSs. Of SCAG’s 15 subregions, two accepted this option; Palm Desert did not accept this option. The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 amended sections 65080, 65400, 65583, 65584.01, 65584.02, 65584.04, 65587, and 65588 of, and added sections 14522.1, 14522.2, and 65080.01 to, the Government Code. It also amended section City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-23 21061.3, added section 21159.28, and added Chapter 4.2 (commencing with Section 21155) to Division 13 of the Public Resource Code. Cap-and-Trade Program The Scoping Plan identifies a cap-and-trade program as a means to reduce GHG emissions that cause climate change. The cap-and-trade program places a cap on GHG emissions from specific sectors, and facilities subject to the rules are allowed to trade permits or allowances to emit GHG emissions. Program rules were adopted into Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.70 The cap-and-trade program started on January 1, 2012, and with a compliance obligation beginning with 2013 GHG emissions. A covered entity is defined as an entity in California that has one or more of the processes or operations and has a compliance obligation and that has emitted, produced, imported, manufactured, or delivered in 2009 or any subsequent year more than the applicable threshold level. In 2012, major GHG sources, such as electricity generation and large stationary sources that emit more than 25,000 MTCO2e per year, will have to comply with the Cap-and-Trade Program. Starting in 2015, the program will expand to include fuel distributors to address emissions from transportation fuels, and from combustion of other fossil fuels.71 Clean Car Standards – Pavley, AB 1493 In 2002, Clean Car Standards, also known as California AB 1493 (Pavley) directed CARB to set more stringent vehicle fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. AB 1493 required approval from the federal government, and in 2009, the EPA granted California a waiver that enabled the state to enforce stricter tailpipe emissions limits on new passenger vehicles. In 2010, the EPA and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration announced new vehicle GHG emissions standards and corporate average fuel economy standards that reinforced California’s standard. The standards would reduce emissions from passenger vehicles by approximately 30 percent in 2016, aiding local government efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Low Carbon Fuel Standard – Executive Order S-1-07 (2007) Executive Order S‐1‐07 established a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) for transportation fuels in California, which CARB included in the Scoping Plan. The Executive Order requires that the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels be reduced at least 10 percent by 2020.72 CARB expects the LCFS to achieve the minimum 10 percent reduction goal; however, many of the early action items outlined in the Scoping Plan work in tandem with one another. To avoid the potential for double‐counting emissions reductions associated with AB 1493, the Scoping Plan has modified the aggregate transportation sector reduction expected from the LCFS to 6.7 percent for 2020.73 In May 2014, supplemental information for the 2013 reports for residential and public electric vehicle charging were posted to the CARB website. In June 2014, CARB extended the deadline for the submission of alternatives relating to economic impacts in the LCFS Standardized Regulatory Impact Analysis and CEQA. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-24 California Renewable Portfolio Standard – Senate Bills 1078 (2002) and 107 (2006) and Executive Order S-21-09 Executive Order S-21-09 directed CARB to adopt regulations increasing California’s RPS to 33 percent by 2020. These rules apply to investor‐owned utilities, such as SCE. These standards will reduce GHG emissions from electricity purchased by local governments.74 CARB’s adopted Scoping Plan makes it clear that implementation of the RPS is a foundational element of California’s emissions reduction plan. In 2002, SB 1078 established the California RPS program, requiring 20 percent renewable energy by 2017. In 2006, SB 107 advanced the 20 percent deadline to 2010. The 2005 Energy Action Plan II goal that set the 33 percent by 2020 goal remained in place. On September 15, 2009, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-21-09 directing CARB to adopt regulations increasing RPS to 33 percent by 2020. Emission Performance Standards – Senate Bill 1368 (2006) Signed in 2006, SB 1368 limits the ability of California’s utilities to make long-term investments in carbon‐intensive electricity generation. The bill enables utilities to make capital investments in baseload power plants if their emissions are as low as or lower than emissions from a new, combined‐cycle natural gas power plant. The bill makes certain that the standards will not degrade the reliability of California’s energy services. Property Assessed Clean Energy – AB 811 AB 811 allows local governments to define areas where property owners can receive long-term, low- interest loans for energy and water efficiency improvements. Improvements financed through AB 811 are fixed to the property and repaid through property tax bills. Local governments can participate in a state-wide program called CaliforniaFIRST, or they can establish their own AB 811 programs, called Property Assessed Clean Energy programs. California Climate Adaptation Strategy – Executive Order S-13-08 In 2008, then-Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-13-08, which directed the California Natural Resources Agency to lead a statewide effort to develop a climate adaptation strategy. Published in 2009, the statewide plan describes climate trends and the potential impacts of climate change on key sectors, and it outlines short- and long-term actions that state and local governments can take to address future climate impacts.75 Over the last couple years, numerous tools and guides have been published to support the climate adaptation strategy. These include76:  Cal-Adapt – a web based climate adaptation planning tool  California Adaptation Planning Guide – Step-by-step process for vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy development  California Local Energy Assurance Planning Tool – Assists local governments to develop energy assurance plans  MyPlan – A California Office of Emergency Service’s map service that interfaces California natural hazard data from the California Natural Resources Agency and other agencies  MyHazards – A California Office of Emergency Service’s website helps to identify local earthquake, flood, fire and tsunami hazards. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-25 Regional Standards Sustainable Communities Strategy – SB 375 (2008) In California, the transportation sector produces between 35 percent and 40 percent of the state’s GHG emissions, and the Scoping Plan includes a number of measures for the sector. In 2008 California adopted SB 375, the Sustainable Communities Strategy. SB 375 attempts to integrate regional land use, transportation, and housing planning in order to reduce GHG emissions from cars and trucks. SB 375 directs CARB to set regional GHG reductions targets for cars and trucks, to assign each MPO a target, and to require each MPO to create a plan (an SCS) to achieve that target. The law provides relief from specific CEQA requirements for infill development projects that are consistent with the SCS. SB 375 provides one method for local governments to achieve regional transportation-related GHG emissions targets described in the Scoping Plan. SCAG is the largest MPO in California, representing six counties and over 180 cities, including Palm Desert. SCAG completed its SCS in 2012, tailoring the strategies to meet the needs of individual communities. The regional SCS describes the goals and benefits of the SCS, the process used to create the SCS, SCS requirements, and next steps. SCS strategies are organized into land use strategies, transportation supply management, transportation demand management, vehicle technology, and other areas. The SCS builds on local strategies that communities have pursued over the past decade. This portfolio of strategies was combined with regional and subregional transportation projects to provide a roadmap for local governments to reduce emissions. If implemented, the SCS estimates that strategies and transportation projects would reduce GHG emissions per capita from the 2005 benchmark. South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) began a process of providing guidance to local lead agencies on determining the significance of GHG emissions identified in CEQA documents. The SCAQMD established a working group to develop CEQA significance thresholds for GHG emissions. These thresholds would be used as interim guidance until CARB, or the created statewide guidance on assessing the significance of GHG emissions under CEQA, are updated. Currently, the SCAQMD has not adopted thresholds of significance for GHG emissions. The working group released several documents refining a series of thresholds that could be applied to residential, commercial, and industrial projects. These thresholds use a tiered approach to determine a project’s significance. The Tier 3 threshold requires that a project’s incremental increase in GHG emissions should be below or mitigated to less than the significance screening level (10,000 MTCO2e per year for industrial projects; 3,500 MTCO2e for residential projects; 1,400 MTCO2e for commercial projects; 3,000 MTCO2e for mixed-use or all land use projects). The Tier 4 threshold requires that projects achieve a 28 percent reduction from a base case scenario, including land use sector reductions from AB 32 (total emissions not to exceed 25,000 MTCO2e) or achieve a project- level efficiency target. The working group also recommended a project-level efficiency target of 4.8 MTCO2e per service population as a 2020 target and 3.0 MTCO2e per service population as a 2035 target. The working group recommended a plan-level target of 6.6 MTCO2e for 2020 and a plan- level target of 4.1 MTCO2e for 2035. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-26 City of Palm Desert Sustainability Actions GHG Reduction Efforts The City of Palm Desert is involved in a number of efforts to reduce its GHG emissions. These programs include: Palm Desert Strategic Plan: The City Council adopted a Strategic Plan in 2014. This plan outlined four priorities energy and sustainability areas for the next 20 years. Palm Desert Environmental Sustainability Plan: The city completed an environmental sustainability plan on February 11, 2010. This plan presents three phases of planned activities that deliver the greatest energy, consumer and carbon savings set to take place over 10 years. Green Buildings: The City built the Henderson Community Building (certified Gold) and Palm Springs Art Museum (certified Silver) to LEED specifications Community Energy Efficiency: Partnered with SCE, the Energy Coalition, and SoCal Gas for the “Set to Save” program to reduce energy consumption by businesses and residents by 30 percent. This effort is established the City’s Department of Energy Management. Clean Energy Financing: Palm Desert established the Clean Energy CV Upgrade program in partnership with Ygrene Energy and CVAG to give residential and commercial property owners access to 100 percent energy financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements. Plastic Bag Ban: The Palm Desert City Council approved a single-use plastic bag ban on May 8, 2014. The ban is set to go into effect for large retailers on April 1, 2015 and is set to go into effect for small retailers on October 1, 2015. The City Council left open the possibility of requiring a 10- cent charge for each paper bag given to customers in lieu of a complete ban. Water Conservation: In partnership with the Coachella Valley Water District, the City has provided the Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Program, Turf Buyback Program, and the Curbside Conservation Buffer Demonstration Program to save water throughout the community. Waste: Palm Desert established the first voluntary curbside recycling program in Riverside County and provides free, environmentally safe methods of disposing of hazardous and electronic waste. Palm Desert Strategic Plan In February 2014, the Palm Desert City Council approved the Envision Palm Desert Forward Together 2013–2033 Strategic Plan. This plan outlines the City’s goals and objectives for the next 20 years including a set of energy and sustainability priorities. Each priority contains a rationale, strategy, action steps, and measures of success. Although precise GHG savings from actions are not quantified against the GHG target set in the 2008 GHG inventory, each priority describes the type of energy reduction benefits that will be achieved from each action. Energy and sustainability priorities in the Strategic Plan include: Priority 1: Reduce per capita consumption of energy and water. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-27 Priority 2: Promote greater usage of more sustainable materials. Priority 3: Encourage all new construction to be zero net energy in design and exceed the current Coachella Valley Water District efficiency standards. Priority 4: Encourage owners of all existing properties to voluntarily retrofit them to obtain reductions in energy and water usage. 16.4 References 1 US Environmental Protection Agency. 2014. Climate Change: Basic Information. Accessed July 2014. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics. 2 National Research Council. 2011. Advancing the Science of Climate Change. Washington, DC: The National Academic Press. 3 California Air Resources Board. 2006. Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Accessed July 2014. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm. 4 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007. IPCC Fourth Assessment on Climate Change, Working Group I: Physical Science Basis, 2.10.1 Direct Global Warming Potentials. Accessed July 2014. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch2s2-10-2.html. 5 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 1995. IPCC Second Assessment on Climate Change. https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/climate-changes-1995/ipcc-2nd-assessment/2nd-assessment- en.pdf. 6 Karl, T. R., Melillo, J.M., Peterson, T.C. (eds). 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Cambridge University Press. 7 California Air Resources Board. 2014. California Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory: 2000–2012. Accessed July 2014. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/ghg_inventory_00- 12_report.pdf. 8 California Air Resources Board. 2014. California Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory: 2000–2012. Accessed July 2014. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/ghg_inventory_00- 12_report.pdf. 9California Air Resources Board. 2014. California Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory: 2000–2012. Accessed July 2014. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/ghg_inventory_00- 12_report.pdf. 10 California Energy Commission. 2009. State of California Energy Action Plan. 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Palm Desert Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 2008: Citywide Emissions and Strategies to Achieve Palm Desert Emissions Reductions Targets. 15 California Air Resources Board, California Climate Action Registry, ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability, The Climate Registry. 2010. Local Government Operations Protocol for the Quantification and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories. Version 1.1. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/protocols/localgov/pubs/lgo_protocol_v1_1_2010-05-03.pdf. 16 ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. 2012. U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Version 1.0. http://www.icleiusa.org/tools/ghg- protocol/community-protocol/us-community-protocol-for-accounting-and-reporting-of- greenhouse-gas-emissions. 17 Energy Information Administration. 2007. Table R2, Energy Consumption by Source and Total Consumption per Capita, Ranked by State, 2007. 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City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-30 40 Duffy, P. B. and C. Tebaldi. 2012. Increasing Prevalence of Extreme Summer Temperatures in the U.S. Climate Change 111: 487–495. 41 Chestnut, L. G., K. L. Ebi, J. Furlow, and J. D. Sheraga. 1998. “Analysis of Differences in Hot- Weather-Related Mortality Across 44 U.S. Metropolitan Areas.” Environmental Science Policy 1 (1): 59–70. 42 Medina-Ramon, M., A. Zanobetti, D.P. Cavanagh, and J. Schwartz. 2006. “Extreme Temperatures and Mortality: Assessing Effect Modification by Personal Characteristics and Specific Cause of Death in a Multi-City Case-Only Analysis.” Environmental Health Perspectives 114: 1331–1336. 43 Mastrangelo, G., U. Fedeli, M. Fadda, P. Spolaore, and C. Visentin. 2007. “Pattern and Determinants of Hospitalization During Heat Waves: An Ecologic Study.” BMC Public Health, 7: 200. 44 Braga, A., A. Zanobetti, and J. Schwartz. 2002. “The Effect of Weather on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Deaths in 12 U.S. Cities.” Environmental Health Perspectives 110: 859–863. 45 Ostro, B. D., R. Basu, R. S. Green, and L. A. Roth. 2009. “Estimating the Mortality Effect of the July 2006 California Heat Wave.” Environmental Research 109: 106–112. 46 Dolney, T., and S. Sheridan. 2007. “The Relationship between Extreme Heat and Ambulance Response Calls for the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.” Environmental Resources 101 (1): 94–103. 47 Luber, G., C. Sanchez, and L. Conklin. 2006. “Heat-Related Deaths—United States, 1999–2003.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 55 (29): 796–798. 48 Deschênes, O., M. Greenstone, and J. Guryan. 2009. “Climate Change and Birth Weight.” American Economic Review 99: 211–217. 49 Knowlton, K., P. English, H. G. Margolis, G. King, M. Rotkin-Ellman, D. Smith, G. Solomon, and R. Trent. 2009. “The 2006 California Heat Wave: Impacts on Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits.” Environmental Health Perspectives 117 (1): 61–67. 50 Basu, R. and B. Ostro. 2009. A Multi-County Analysis Identifying the Vulnerable Populations for Mortality Associated with High Ambient Temperatures in California. White Paper for the California Climate Change Center. 51 Reid, C., D.G Brown, S. J. Brines, A. V. Diez-Roux, C. J. Gronlund, M. S. O’Neill, and J. D. Schwartz. 2009. “Mapping Community Determinants of Heat Vulnerability.” Environmental Health Perspectives 117 (11): 1730–1736. 52 Poumadere, M., R. Blong, C. Mays, and S. Le Mer. 2005. “The 2003 Heat Wave in France: Dangerous Climate Change Here and Now.” Risk Analysis 25 (6): 1483–1493. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-31 53 Shonkoff, S., R. Morello-Frosch, M. Pastor, and J. Sadd. 2009. “Minding the Climate Gap: Environmental Health and Equity Implications of Climate Change Mitigation Policies in California.” Environmental Justice 2 (4), 173–177. 54 Reid, C., D.G Brown, S. J. Brines, A. V. Diez-Roux, C. J. Gronlund, M. S. O’Neill, and J. D. Schwartz. 2009. “Mapping Community Determinants of Heat Vulnerability.” Environmental Health Perspectives, 117 (11): 1730–1736. 55 Shonkoff, S., R. Morello-Frosch, M. Pastor, and J. Sadd. “Minding the Climate Gap: Environmental Health and Equity Implications of Climate Change Mitigation Policies in California.” Environmental Justice 2(4), 173–177. 56 Reid, C., D.G Brown, S. J. Brines, A. V. Diez-Roux, C. J. Gronlund, M. S. O’Neill, and J. D. Schwartz. 2009. “Mapping Community Determinants of Heat Vulnerability.” Environmental Health Perspectives 117 (11): 1730–1736. 57 Poumadere, M., C. Mays, S. Le Mer, and R. Blong. 2005. “The 2003 Heat Wave in France: Dangerous Climate Change Here and Now.” Risk Analysis 25 (6): 1483–1493. 58 Shonkoff, S., R. Morello-Frosch, M. Pastor, and J. Sadd. 2009. “Minding the Climate Gap: Environmental Health and Equity Implications of Climate Change Mitigation Policies in California.” Environmental Justice 2 (4): 173–177. 59 Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 2009. Projected Daily Temperature Data Set. http://cal- adapt.org/temperature/heat/#. 60 Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 2009. Projected Daily Temperature Data Set. http://cal- adapt.org/temperature/heat/#. 61California Department of Water Resources. 2008. Managing an Uncertain Future: Climate Adaptation Strategies for California’s Water. http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChangeWhitePaper.pdf. 62 Loarie, S. R., D. A. Ackerly, B. E. Carter, K. Hayhoe, S. McMahon, R. Moe, and C. A. Knight. 2008. “Climate Change and the Future of California’s Endemic Flora.” PLoS ONE v.3 (6), e2502. 63 Deschenes, O., and C. Kolstad. 2011. “Economic Impacts of Climate Change on California Agriculture.” Climatic Change 109 (S1), 365–386. 64 Moser, S., G. Franco, S. Pittiglio, W. Chou, and D. Cayan. 2008. The Future is Now: An Update on Climate Change Science Impacts and Response Options for California. 2008 Climate Change Impacts Assessment Project – Second Biennial Science Report to the California Climate Action Team, CEC-500-2008-071. 65 California Climate Action Team. 2009. Draft Biennial Climate Action Report. http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CAT-1000-2009-003/CAT-1000-2009-003- D.PDF. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 16-32 66 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 2009. About FERC, What FERC Does. Accessed July 2014. http://www.ferc.gov/about/ferc-does.asp. 67 California Energy Commission. 2009. State of California Energy Action Plan. Accessed July 2014. http://www.energy.ca.gov/energy_action_plan/. 68 California Building Standards Commission. 2010. CALGreen. Accessed May 21. http://www.bsc.ca.gov/CALGreen/default.htm. 69 California Energy Commission. 2014. 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards: Summary of Major Changes from 2008. Accessed July 2014. http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2013standards/2013-03- 12_Changes_for_the_2013_Update_to_Building_Energy_Efficiency_Standards.pdf. 70 State of California. 2013. Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5, Sections 95800 to 96023, Title 17, California Code of Regulations. Accessed July 2013. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/ctlinkqc.pdf. 71 California Air Resources Board. 2013. California Cap-and-Trade Program Implementation Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/implementation/faq_5_24_2013.pdf. 72 California Low Carbon Fuel Standard. 2014. http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs.htm. 73 Scoping Plan. 2013. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/scopingplan/document/scopingplandocument.htm. 74 SCE Renewable Energy. 2014. http://www.sce.com/PowerandEnvironment/renewables/. 75 California Department of Natural Resources. 2009. California Climate Adaptation Strategy. http://resources.ca.gov/climate_adaptation/statewide_adaptation/californias_adaptation_st rategy.html. 76 California Climate Change Portal. 2014. California Climate Adaptation Strategy. Accessed July 2014. http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation/strategy/indexp.html. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-1 Appendix A. Real Estate Market Conditions Introduction This section presents the existing real estate market conditions in the city of Palm Desert in support of the general plan update process. The basic population, housing, and employment information that describes the overall structure of the community and informs the real estate market is described in Section 13: Population Housing and Employment. This real estate market analysis section builds upon basic demographic trends to assess current real estate values and provide estimates of long- term demand that can be used to inform land use planning decisions. Market Conditions This section considers office, industrial, retail, and land categories of the commercial real estate market. In addition, this analysis forecasts future demand for residential dwelling units and commercial development. Office Market demand for office space is closely tied to professional and service industry jobs in the market and the overall unemployment rate. As Figure A-1 shows, Riverside County is beginning to recover from a severe contraction in its regional economy, which began with the recession of 2007 and the financial crisis of 2008. The financial crisis severely constricted the residential construction market, both nationally and in Riverside County. As a result, the unemployment rate in Riverside County accelerated sharply, peaking at 14.7% in October 2010. With low interest rates and the absorption of the available housing inventory, the local and national economies have begun to improve. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-2 Figure 1A: Riverside County Unemployment Rate Prior to the 2007 recession, Riverside County generally had an unemployment rate at or below the State of California. With the onset of the recession, Riverside County’s unemployment rate diverged from the statewide median. While Riverside County’s unemployment rate has begun to revert back to the state unemployment rates, the county’s unemployment rate has been decreasing at a rate faster than has been experienced statewide. Because of the city’s strong dependence on the hospitality industry, factors affecting employment in Palm Desert are somewhat different from Riverside County and are more influenced by national and nonlocal conditions. While the national recession was certainly felt in Palm Desert, the city’s unemployment rate stayed considerably below both the state’s and the county’s unemployment rates through the course of the recession. The city’s character as a retirement destination also helped to stabilize its economy and buffered it somewhat from regional factors. Palm Desert’s annual average unemployment rate peaked at 8.7% in 2010 compared to 14.7% for Riverside County and 12.1% for California. Table A-1 shows the annual average unemployment rate for California, Riverside County, and Palm Desert. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-3 TABLE A-1: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ANNUAL AVERAGE PERCENTAGE Year Palm Desert Riverside County California 2013 6.1 10.3 8.9 2012 7.2 12.2 10.5 2011 8.2 13.7 11.8 2010 8.7 14. 12.1 2009 8.0 13.4 12.0 2008 5.0 8.5 9.0 2007 3.5 6.0 5.4 2006 2.9 5.0 4.9 2005 3.1 5.4 5.4 2004 3.5 6.0 6.2 2003 3.8 6.5 6.8 2002 3.7 6.5 6.7 2001 3.2 5.5 5.4 2000 3.1 5.4 4.9 Current demand for office space in the Inland Empire region is shown in Table A-2. In the second quarter of 2014, the Coachella Valley submarket had approximately 1 million sq. ft. of office space, with an average asking rent of $1.55 per square foot compared to an average asking rate of $1.65 per square foot in the Inland Empire. The Coachella Valley submarket is experiencing a 12.6% vacancy rate, which is lower than the Inland Empire vacancy rate of 18.5%. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-4 TABLE A-2: OFFICE LEASE RATES: INLAND EMPIRE QUARTER 2 2014 Total Inventory Total Vacancy Vacancy Prior Qtr. Net Absorption YTD Avg. Asking Rents Chino/Chino Hills 345,852 14.00% 14.70% 14,600 $2.29 Coachella Valley 1,003,715 12.60% 13.50% 23,500 $1.55 Corona 1,683,183 18.70% 18.40% -4,500 $1.76 Murrieta/Temecula 1,391,857 20.30% 20.80% 87,500 $1.41 Ontario 3,585,643 23.50% 23.60% 93,500 $1.69 Rancho Cucamonga 2,916,656 12.60% 13.20% 5,200 $1.61 Riverside/Moreno Valley 4,805,685 16.10% 16.70% -7,600 $1.87 San Bernardino 4,783,551 21.60% 22.40% 2,600 $1.47 TOTAL 20,516,142 18.50% 19.00% 214,800 $1.65 Source: Colliers and MR+E Office lease rates in Palm Desert have been declining annually since the first quarter of 2006 (See Table A-3). Prior to the recession, Palm Desert offices were commanding lease rates significantly higher than the Coachella Valley or Riverside County markets. With the onset of the recession, the price premium experienced by Palm Desert properties evaporated and by the second quarter of 2012, lease rates in Palm Desert slipped below the Coachella Valley or Riverside County average rates. This lower value has persisted through the second quarter of 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-5 TABLE A-3: OFFICE LEASE RATE ($/SQ. FT./YEAR) *Partial Year Declining lease rates are reflected in the available inventory of office space currently listed in the city. Table A-4 lists the currently available office properties for sale and the average price per square foot. Currently, sales are achieving a cost of approximately $167 per square foot. This rate is lower than the replacement cost, which is a signal that large scale office development is unlikely to occur until higher values are posted. $- $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014* Palm Desert Coachella Valley Riverside Co. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-6 TABLE A-4: OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE: PALM DESERT Property Address Sq. Ft. Price $/sf Cook Square Business Park 42-600 Caroline Court, Palm Desert, CA 92211 6,000 $780,000 $130 Office Condo at I-10 & Dinah Shore 73850 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 1,501 $255,000 $170 74200 Highway 111 74200 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 2,500 $500,000 $200 73700 Dinah Shore Drive 73700 Dinah Shore Drive, Ste 202, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,541 $349,000 $99 43725 Monterey Avenue 43725 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260 9,145 1,525,000 $167 73400 Highway 111, 73400 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 4,700 $829,000 $176 Alessandro Plaza 73726 Alessandro Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 18,182 $2,370,000 $130 42635 Melanie Place 42635 Melanie Place, Palm Desert, CA 92260 17,000 $5,100,000 $300 Business Park of the Desert 41-990 Cook Street, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,034 $409,590 $135 Average $167 Source: LoopNet and MR+E As employment grows in both the local and regional economies, an increase in the demand for office space will be experienced and existing inventory will be absorbed. In the near term, new demand for office space will be driven by build-to-suit projects for specific employers as well as the inclusion of offices for ancillary use as part of mixed use and other commercial development. Industrial The demand for industrial space in the Coachella Valley is heavily influenced by the patterns of supply and demand in the Inland Empire. International trade and several large, multi-national companies utilize industrial space in the Inland Empire as a connection between western ports and the rest of the continental U.S. Available development sites and vacant high quality spaces are becoming increasingly scarce in Western Riverside County, build-to-suit construction is increasing in the eastern Inland Empire market. The Inland Empire industrial market comprises 433.5 million sq. ft. and represents 27% of the total industrial space in the Southern California region for buildings 10,000 sq. ft. and greater. Approximately 71% of the space in this market is contained in buildings 100,000 sq. ft. and greater. The vast majority (88%) of this space was built in the past 20 years. Currently, there is 13.7 million sq. ft. of space under construction, with approximately 4.3 million sq. ft. of it pre-leased. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-7 The Inland Empire continues to attract large distributors, warehouses, e-commerce companies, and logistics firms seeking to consolidate their operations into large, state-of-the-art facilities. Vacancy remains tight for the largest size segment, buildings over 500,000 sq. ft., which currently stands at 5.2%. While this size segment makes up less than a third of the base for the Inland Empire, it accounts for roughly 50% of the net absorption and is the size segment most sought after for large national tenants. Table A-5 shows the industrial lease rates for Palm Desert in comparison to those for Coachella Valley and Riverside County. As with office lease rates, industrial lease rates in Palm Desert have experienced a declining premium in value since the onset of the 2007 recession. However, unlike with office real estate, Palm Desert’s industrial real estate has retained a price premium through the entire time period. The factors behind this include the relative scarcity of industrial space in Palm Desert combined with its recent development. In general, Palm Desert has higher quality, though smaller, industrial spaces available. Table A-6 shows the current inventory of for-sale industrial space in the city. Most of the spaces are in smaller buildings under 10,000 sq. ft., with one larger 32,000 sq. ft. property available. The median asking price is $166.95 per square foot. TABLE A-5: INDUSTRIAL LEASE RATES ($/SQ. FT./YEAR) *Partial Year $- $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00 $10.00 $12.00 $14.00 $16.00 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014* Palm Desert Coachella Valley Riverside Co. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-8 TABLE A-6: INDUSTRIAL SPACE FOR SALE: PALM DESERT Property Address Sq. Ft. Price $/sf Dinah Shore Crossings: Building 1300 73-605 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 10,165 $1,525,000 $150.02 Venture Commerce Center 73-700 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,043 $449,500 $147.72 Gateway Industrial Park 34801 Spyder Circle, Palm Desert, CA 92211 10,207 $1,250,000 $122.46 74842 Velie Way 74842 Velie Way, Palm Desert, CA 92260 10,762 $990,000 $91.99 74991 Joni Street, 74991 Joni Street, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,500 $320,000 $91.43 77550 Enfeild Lane, 77550 Enfeild Lane, Palm Desert, CA 92211 32,250 $3,700,000 $114.73 Monterey Shore Business Park - Bldg 1 73850 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,238 $592,554 $183.00 Monterey Shore Business Park - Bldg 3 73950 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,594 $672,342 $187.07 Monterey Shore Business Park - Bldg 2 73900 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 1,188 $434,808 $366.00 Monterey Shore Business Park 73900 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,674 $672,342 $183.00 Monterey Shore Business Park 73900 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 2,376 434,808 $183.00 Monterey Shore Business Park 73900 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 3,238 $592,554 $183.00 Average $166.95 Source: LoopNet and MR+E City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-9 Retail Many of the factors influencing the high volumes of retail sales that occur in Palm Desert are independent of the conditions in the local marketplace or are tied to the hospitality industry and expenditures by seasonal residents. In terms of the larger market, Table A-7 shows the current conditions across all Inland Empire markets. TABLE A-7: RETAIL MARKET: RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, QUARTER 2 2014 Total Total Vacancy YTD Average Type Inventory Vacancy Prior Qtr. Net Absorption Lease Rates Super Regional and Regional Malls 10,740,900 7.80% 7.10% -146,600 $2.40 Power Centers 10,167,700 9.30% 9.30% 21,400 $1.98 Lifestyle Centers 2,330,600 7.80% 9.50% -19,700 $2.08 Community Centers 51,678,600 14.50% 14.60% -11,800 $1.45 Strip Centers 12,214,800 11.90% 12.20% 198,400 $1.19 Single Tenant Buildings 42,580,300 4.60% 4.50% 86,100 $1.34 Total 129,713,100 10.00% 9.90% 127,800 $1.51 Source: Colliers and MR+E Retail lease rates for Palm Desert in comparison with the Coachella Valley submarket and Riverside County as a whole are shown in Table A-8. As with the other classes of commercial property, Palm Desert has achieved premium rents for retail properties since 2006. Retail rents peaked in 2008 with the onset of the national recession, and they have not bounced back as of the second quarter of 2014. On average, the retail lease rates in Palm Desert were significantly higher than the Coachella Valley market as a whole. Palm Desert is likely to maintain this cost advantage due to the heavy concentration of hotel rooms and seasonal residents, which drive retail sales above their expected per capita rates. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-10 TABLE A-8: RETAIL LEASE RATES ($/SQ. FT./YEAR) *Partial year The price premium for retail space in Palm Desert is reflected in the prices associated with retail space currently for sale in the city. Table A-9 shows that there is a limited inventory of available space. Most of the currently available space is in smaller properties, ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 sq. ft. The variation in price per square foot can, in some cases, be attributed to the fact that the spaces are being sold with operating businesses. TABLE A-9: RETAIL SPACE FOR SALE: PALM DESERT Property Address Type Sq. Ft. Price $/sq. ft. Sandpiper Properties, 72245 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Retail/Office 1,200 $179,000 $149.17 42215 Washington Street, 42215 Washington Street, Palm Desert, CA 92210 Retail 1,581 $85,000 $53.76 74200 Highway 111 74200 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Retail 2,500 $500,000 $200.00 Bella Vita 74970 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Retail w/ Business 1,875 $599,000 $319.47 Washington Square 39-155 Washington Street, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Development Pad 16,117 $241,755 $15.00 74214/74220 Highway 111 74214/74220 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Retail 8,000 $1,200,000 $150.00 Kabobz Mediterranean 77932 Country Club Drive Ste 2-4, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Retail 1,863 $159,000 $85.35 Retail Building Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Retail w/ Liquor Lic. 2,700 $1,199,000 $444.07 $- $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014* Palm Desert Coachella Valley Riverside Co. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-11 Land Palm Desert contains a considerable amount of undeveloped land within its boundaries. Land currently for sale ranges in size from one third of an acre up to 186 acres. Valuation of this land varies based on its designated use, with residential multifamily land selling for over $300,000 per acre, single-family residential land selling at approximately $115,000 an acre, and land with commercial and retail land use designations yielding an average price per acre of $609,000. TableA- 10 shows the inventory of currently available land for sale in Palm Desert. TABLE A-10: LAND FOR SALE: PALM DESERT Address Use Acres Cost $/acre Dinah Shore Drive & Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92211 MF Residential 75 $25,356,000 $338,080 SEC Gateway Drive&35th Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260 MF Residential 11.74 $4,000,000 $340,716 Enfield Lane, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Industrial 0.46 $199,000 $432,609 Varner Road & Avenue 38th, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Mixed/Specific Plan 186 $15,000,000 $80,645 Dinah Shore Drive/E. of Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Commercial 4.35 $2,960,000 $680,460 35900 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Retail 6.87 $3,591,084 $522,720 Gateway Drive/35th Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260 MF Residential 6 $3,600,000 $600,000 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Commercial 4.35 $2,960,000 $680,460 Hwy 111 & San Luis Rey, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Commercial 0.39 $1,100,000 $2,820,513 Average $712,800 Source: LoopNet and MR+E City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-12 Former Redevelopment Agency Land The City of Palm Desert, through the successor agency to the City’s former redevelopment agency, is a significant land holder. At present the successor agency owns over 414.4 acres of land at the following sites:  Alessandro Alley 1.96 acres  San Pablo/Fred Waring 1.44 acres  Larkspur Site 2.10 acres  Entrada Del Paseo Lot Pad 0.68 acres  170 Acre Frank Sinatra Dr./Portola Ave. 169.55 acres  132 Acre Site (Ford / Portola) 128.95 acres  Desert Willow Lot Pads 108.13 acres  Casey's Restaurant 1.64 acres These properties are anticipated to enter the development market over time in accordance with the successor agency’s long range property management plan. Current Developments The economy of Palm Desert is continuing recover along with improving national and regional conditions. After seeing a severe contraction in building permits from 2008 to 2012, several new projects are in the planning phases or are under consideration. Examples include:  Quicksilver resort. This is a proposal a for 79 acre resort project at Desert Willow Golf Resort. The details of the project are still being determined but the concept for the resort is centered around a wave pool and a surf theme. Initial reports indicate that the developer is considering a development program with a $350 Million capital cost.  El Paseo Hotel. Located on a 2.1 acre lot at El Paseo and Larkspur on land owned by the former redevelopment agency.  University Village: Located on Cook St., south of I-10, this is an integrated mixed-use project 111,000 sq. ft. of retail space, a 140 room hotel, and 122,000 sq. ft. of office space. In addition to these private investments, Cal State University and the University of California Riverside are continuing their master plans for additional capacity at the Palm Desert campus located on Cook Street between Gerald Ford and Frank Sinatra Drive. This activity is indicative of an expanding nonresidential real estate market that is likely to experience additional growth as the national economy improves and as demand for second homes and hospitality services, particularly on the high-end of the market, continues to rebound. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-13 Long-Term Demand Long-term demand for real estate products is tied to a variety of structural economic issues. Most forecasts start with the assumption that the structure of the local economy will remain the same. This is a necessary assumption as there are often a variety of unknown future conditions that are either unanticipated or cannot be forecasted to occur at a specific point in time. In examining Palm Desert, there are a number of factors that have the ability to significantly influence the trajectory of development in the city. Some of these key drivers include: California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) Master Plans A joint-use educational facility for Cal State and UC Riverside has been in development in Palm Desert for over a decade. The CSU system has made physical infrastructure investments on the site and is advancing with the execution of its master plan, which will result in a full CSU campus in Palm Desert. As this occurs, the demand for housing and retail services will expand as the number of students attending the university in Palm Desert increases. A commitment by UC Riverside to locate a branch campus in Palm Desert is less well developed. At present, the university offers a creative writing program in Palm Desert. As UC Riverside adds a new medical school at its main campus, it will need clinic facilities, some of which are likely to be located in Palm Desert. The ability for the CSU and the UC system to grow and expand is largely dependent on the conditions of the California state budget as well as the revenue and fundraising ability of each institution to support expansion. While both of these institutions have the ability to change the industrial structure of Palm Desert, note that the city has a relatively low concentration of employment for both educational and health services. The timing and the full extent of these investments have yet to be determined. Demographics and Retirement Palm Desert has enjoyed a reputation as a premier second home and retirement destination. As the baby boom generation enters retirement age, the demand for resort-like retirement locations is likely to continue in the near future. In the longer term, generational shifts, the elimination of private pensions, and changes in retirement savings are likely to lead a decreased demand for residential retirement development into the future. As fewer Americans are able to afford retirement, the age of retirement is being pushed up, leading to the production of fewer active, young seniors who are able to take advantage of the recreational amenities in Palm Desert. This may result in a shift in residential demand over time. The Future of Golf Golf experienced a tremendous surge in popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, supported by increased participation by young people and minorities. The rise of prominent golfers like Tiger Woods helped to support a tremendous growth in the game nationally. However, changing tastes combined with difficult economic circumstances and increased work pressure have reduced overall leisure time and led to a precipitous decline in golf patronage in the U.S. While the game remains popular with certain key demographics, the average age of golfers is increasing, and fewer young people are picking up the game. Over the long term, this represents a City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-14 serious threat to the viability of golf as an industry and is likely to impact specific golf courses as well. The land use plan for Palm Desert should anticipate the need to adaptively reuse existing golf courses, and economic development strategies should anticipate a need to diversify the recreational offerings available in Palm Desert. Finally, long-term demands on water are likely to drive up the cost of maintaining and operating golf courses in the foreseeable future. Water costs are currently impacting golf course operations. Industrial Build-out in the Inland Empire Throughout the Inland Empire, industrial locations with easy access to major interstate freeways are becoming increasingly scarce. As the Inland Empire approaches build-out for large-scale industrial development, pressure to site new facilities further to the east in the Coachella Valley is likely to emerge. At present, the logistics industry is aggressively seeking to expand in the eastern Inland Empire, including communities like Moreno Valley, Beaumont, and Banning. The demand for available industrial development sites it is likely to make the Coachella Valley, especially areas north of I-10, an increasingly attractive location for industrial development. Forecast of Demand As indicated in the analysis of current market conditions, Palm Desert is currently in the process of recovering from a prolonged economic recession. While the effects of the recession were felt in the city’s real estate market, Palm Desert was not as adversely affected as California or Riverside County. As the economy moves into an expansionary mode, Palm Desert can be anticipated to retain its premium real estate value. At the same time, Palm Desert’s economy is heavily influenced by macro- economic conditions that drive expenditures by visitors and seasonal residents. These larger scale economic trends are likely to have a significant effect on the long-range performance of the real estate market in Palm Desert. In preparing analyses for the general plan update, it is important to look beyond the immediate market performance and use input from long-range plans that consider macro-economic trends as the basis for forecasting future demand for various real estate products. In this case, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which uses data from the 2010 Census, served as the basis for forecasting long-term growth in population, dwelling units, and employment. Population Working off of the base population of 48,445 people, Palm Desert can be expected to grow to a population of 57,312 people by 2035, based on an application of the percentage growth rates included in the SCAG RTP. The RTP and the actual 2010 census counts were reconciled for these forecasts. The use of the RTP numbers as a baseline for growth can be justified by SCAG’s analysis of the internal dynamics of the Southern California economy that are implied in their long-range forecast. Assuming no structural change in either the local or regional economy, it is reasonable to expect that the rate of growth identified in the RTP process would occur from the observed 2010 base. Table A11 below shows the adjusted population forecast for Palm Desert out to 2035. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-15 TABLE A-11: POPULATION FORECAST 2010-2035 SCAG Census Forecast Adjusted From Census 2008 Population 47,100 2010 Population 48,445 48,445 2020 Population 52,100 52,612 2035 Population 56,800 57,312 Source: SCAG and MR+E Households Growth in households can be expected to co-vary with population; using the same adjustment approach, the forecast of total households in Palm Desert is adjusted as shown in Table A12. TABLE A-12: HOUSEHOLD FORECAST 2010-2035 SCAG Census Forecast Adjusted From Census 2008 Households 23,000 2010 Households 23,117 23,117 2020 Households 25,800 25,450 2035 Households 28,000 27,650 Source: SCAG and MR+E Household formation does not have a direct one-to-one relationship with demand for new dwelling units. Dwelling units can be occupied by more than one household, as is the case in Palm Desert for 4% of the existing housing stock. In addition, 28% of the dwelling units in Palm Desert are occupied by seasonal residents. Using the same ratios and again assuming no structural change on a macro-economic level, the forecast for demand for dwelling units can be produced (See Table A13). TABLE A-13: DEMAND FOR NEW DWELLING UNITS 2010 TO 2035 2010 to 2020 2021 to 2035 Total Residential Dwelling units 3,351 2,288 5,639 Seasonal Dwelling units 938 641 1,579 Total DU 4,290 2,929 7,218 Annual Average DU 429 195 289 Source: MR+E Employment SCAG RTP data was used as the baseline for forecasting employment demand for Palm Desert. The RTP provides a forecast of the total number of jobs at the end of each forecast period in the model. The total number was adjusted based on the census reported values in 2011 and is further split by major economic sector to determine the forecasted demand of new jobs by industrial and economic activity. As with population and housing, the employment analysis assumes that there is not a structural modification to Palm Desert’s economy over the course of the forecast time period. As with any forecast, the confidence interval decreases as values are estimated for the future. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | A-16 Decomposing the total topline employment figure into economic activity sectors allows for the preparation of forecasts for real estate demand. Net new job growth is multiplied by a factor for each type of economic activity based on the average assumption of gross building area (GBA) per job. Technological change and shifts in business practices can affect these ratios over time. For instance, a measurable decline in employment density has been measured for industrial use, particularly in the warehouse and industrial sector in the Inland Empire, as more capital intensive operational approaches replace labor demands in the facilities. At the same time, increasing employment density has been observed in office use as more businesses shift to open floor plan and flexible workspace environments, yielding a reduction in the number of square feet allocated per employee Table A14 provides a forecast of employment growth by economic activity and translates that demand into an estimate of the square feet of GBA that will be required to meet the forecasted growth and employment anticipated to occur in Palm Desert. TABLE A-14: PALM DESERT FORECAST OF NON RESIDENTIAL DEMAND New Jobs Sq. Ft. GBA Net New Demand (sq. ft.) Total Jobs 2011 to 2020 2021 to 2035 Total New Jobs Per Job 2011 to 2020 2021 to 2035 Total to 2035 Retail 22% 715 638 1,353 325 232,375 207,350 439,725 Accommodation 22% 715 638 1,353 840 600,600 535,920 1,136,520 Other Service 48% 1,560 1,392 2,952 228 354,900 316,680 671,580 Goods Producing 8% 260 232 492 1,440 374,400 334,080 708,480 Total Growth 100% 3,250 2,900 6,150 1,562,275 1,394,030 2,956,305 Source: MR+E City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-1 Appendix B. Highway 111 Existing Conditions Introduction This summary is focused on the City Center area, so for brevity many of Palm Desert’s amenities that are located in other parts of town are not discussed. Strengths  The city of Palm Desert in general and Highway 111 and El Paseo in particular are located at the middle of the Coachella Valley, with easy driving access from a large market area.  Palm Desert has a wide range of retail offerings, many of which are located along El Paseo and Highway 111.  Palm Desert is the cultural core of the Coachella Valley, with abundant arts venues and events in Palm Desert and in surrounding communities. Many art galleries are located along El Paseo – in addition to other arts districts in town – with sculptures and other public art installations along El Paseo and throughout City parks and public spaces. Palm Desert is also home to the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert and the McCallum Theater.  The retail and cultural amenities of central Palm Desert – together with resorts, hotels and restaurants throughout the city, have built a very strong visitor and tourist economy that supports a high and rising level of amenities for residents.  The historic city center – centered on El Paseo and including the Highway 111 Corridor, has a traditional urban structure of interconnected streets, buildings that face and are accessed from the street, on-street parking and parking located within the centers of the blocks. This is a very solid foundation upon which the City can build a more complete, vibrant city center.  Palm Desert has four colleges with growth ambitions, offering the strong potential to grow Palm Desert’s well-educated work force. Weaknesses  Highway 111 in its current condition is not inviting to pedestrians. It is wide and caters to fast moving vehicular traffic. Sidewalks along the building side of the frontage roads are narrow and lack street trees and streetscape amenities such as pedestrian-scaled lights and street furniture.  The existing “retail downtown” is limited to El Paseo, which is not easily perceptible from Highway 111. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-2  The “civic heart” of Palm Desert is just a few blocks north of El Paseo, but with no clear connection, image or synergy with the Highway 111 Corridor or El Paseo.  Highway 111 is the “front door” to central Palm Desert, but in its current form it cuts central Palm Desert in half and does not reflect the character and quality of the community. It is a typical highway strip with an outdated image, lacking cohesive development or a unique Palm Desert image.  There are limited activities for people in the 20-30 year old age group and a lack of affordable work/live space for aspiring artists and others. This undermines the community’s ability to attract or retain the next generation of entrepreneurs, creative professionals and workers.  Relatively few hotel rooms are within walking distance of the El Paseo shopping district.  The slope on the north side of Highway 111 inhibits visibility from Highway 111 to stores and businesses below. Opportunities  Develop a more vibrant city center, with a stronger downtown presence for El Paseo and the portion of Highway 111 that runs adjacent to El Paseo.  Ensure that all public spaces – streets, plazas, paseos, promenades – are comfortable, attractive spaces for walking and biking, and capable of double-functioning as additional venues for special community events and festivals.  Transform the Highway 111 Corridor from a “downtown bypass highway” to a center city boulevard by introducing a unique streetscape, rehabilitating old buildings, and infilling with new buildings.  Re-envision and convert Highway 111 into a “zipper” that connects the north and south sides, rather than divide the city, as it currently does.  Update zoning to encourage mixed-use, live/work, residential, and hotel uses near El Paseo and the portion of Highway 111 that runs adjacent to El Paseo.  Improve walking and biking connections from adjacent neighborhoods to city center retail, restaurant and cultural offerings.  Create a stronger connection along San Pablo Avenue and Monterey Avenue between the City Center and the Civic Center, College of the Desert and the McCallum Theater. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-3 This page intentionally left blank City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-4 5.2 Study Area Context The Study Area is centered on Highway 111 and is roughly bounded to the west by Parkview Drive and the western city limit line, to the south by Shadow Mountain Drive, to the east by the eastern city limit line, and to the north by Alessandro Drive. It also extends up San Pablo Avenue to potentially connect the “downtown” to Civic Center Park and related civic and cultural venues. The Study Area is comprised of parcels or groups of parcels that abut Highway 111 and El Paseo and are generally zoned to accommodate commercial and office uses. These parcels will be considered for rezoning as part of the visioning process. The Study Area is surrounded no the north and to the south by parcels that are generally zoned single-family residential and multi-family. These neighborhoods will be studied primarily in terms of how they might potentially provide better walking and biking connections to the Highway 111/El Paseo city center. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-5 The Study Area can be divided roughly into two areas: west of Monterey Avenue and east of Monterey Avenue. West of Monterey Avenue, the existing development pattern is automobile- oriented with very large blocks, no on-street parking, and the primary buildings are separated from the street by large surface parking lots. East of Monterey Avenue, the existing development pattern is more pedestrian-oriented, with smaller blocks, more connecting streets, buildings located close to and facing the street, and many streets have on-street parking for convenient customer and visitor access. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-6 5.3 Existing Street Network & Block Structure Streets Highway 111. The principal thoroughfare and focus of this Study is Highway 111. It consists of three travel lanes in each direction, separated by a center median, and for much of its length is flanked on both sides by frontage roads: Palm Desert Drive North and Palm Desert Drive South. There are no bike lanes along Highway 111 and parking is not permitted on the highway, but is allowed on the frontage roads. Palm Desert Drive North runs virtually uninterrupted between Monterey Avenue/Highway 74 to the west and Deep Canyon Road to the east and is lower in elevation than Highway 111. Palm Desert Drive South runs between Monterey Avenue/Highway 74 to the west and the eastern city boundary to the east, but is interrupted in several locations. The Highway 111 right-of-way – measuring from building to building and including the frontage roads – is 200 feet wide and is lined primarily by one-story buildings, with occasional 2-story buildings. The result is good views of surrounding hills, but no sense that one is in or near the center of a city. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-7 Currently Highway 111 does not convey to motorists passing through the western and eastern City limits that they have “arrived in Palm Desert,” and as they continue along there is no indication that they have “arrived in Downtown Palm Desert” nor that the El Paseo Shopping District is a short block away. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-8 Primary Cross Streets. Major streets crossing Highway 111 include Fred Waring Drive (three lanes in each direction), Town Center Way (two lanes in each direction), Monterey Avenue (three lanes in each direction)/Highway 74 (two lanes in each direction), San Pablo Avenue, Portola Avenue, and Deep Canyon Road (all two lanes in each direction). Class II Bike Routes – on-street dedicated bike lanes – are provided on San Pablo Avenue and Deep Canyon Road. El Paseo. El Paseo is Palm Desert’s premier shopping street and consists of two travel lanes and a parallel parking lane in each direction, separated by a center median. El Paseo also accommodates a Class III Bike route (an unstriped bike lane where bikes share the roadway with motor vehicles). El Paseo is also lined with one- and two-story buildings built at or close to the front property line. Block Structure There are three basic block types that front Highway 111:  West of Monterey Avenue/Highway 74. Very large blocks ranging in size from around 1,000 to 2,000 feet long that accommodate big box retail and the Westfield Palm Desert Shopping Mall. These blocks are automobile-oriented with large parking lots separating the buildings from the street.  East of Monterey Avenue/Highway 74 and south of Highway 111, between Highway 111 and El Paseo. These blocks are around 1,000 feet long along Highway 111 and about 450 feet deep at the western end of El Paseo and about 380 feet deep at the eastern end. They are lined along most of their Highway 111 and El Paseo frontages with buildings built at or close to the sidewalk.  East of Monterey Avenue/Highway 74 and north of Highway 111. These blocks are also around 1,000 feet long, but are shallower than those between Highway 111 and El Paseo, ranging in depth from around 115 feet to around 140 feet. This block and building pattern provides a buffer between Highway 111 and the neighborhoods to the north, but also forms a barrier that limits walking or biking connectivity between these neighborhoods and Highway 111’s and El Paseo’s retail, restaurant, and cultural offerings. Between Monterey Avenue and San Pablo Avenue, the commercial buildings facing Highway 111 are separated from the neighborhood to the north by an alley and backyard walls. Between San Pablo Avenue and Deep Canyon Road, the commercial buildings facing Highway 111 are separated from the neighborhoods to the north by Alessandro Drive. The neighborhood blocks to the north are oriented north-south providing a block face to Alessandro drive that is around 200 - 300 feet wide. Opportunities  Create a true City Center: By rehabilitating and replacing aging buildings along Highway 111, by redesigning and renovating the frontage roads in new forms, by introducing new City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-9 streetscape, and by adding new branding and wayfinding signage and monumentation within the corridor, Highway 111 can be transformed from a “rip” through the middle of central Palm Desert to a “zipper” that connects the El Paseo environment to the south to the Civic Center amenities to the north.  Enhance Streetscape West of Monterey Avenue: Improving the streetscape along Highway 111 between Park View Drive and Town Center Way alerts motorists that they are entering Palm Desert and then approaching and passing by the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert as well as helps to differentiate the experience of Highway 111 in Palm Desert from Highway 111 in other Coachella Valley cities.  Improve Streetscape East of Monterey Avenue/Highway 74: Building upon and enhancing the traditional urban fabric that is already in place will improve Highway 111’s identity and better announce Downtown’s presence.  Create smaller, more walkable, Downtown blocks. Downtown’s presence from a redesigned Highway 111 can be strengthened by providing new streets (with or without cars) or pedestrian-only paseos within the large existing blocks bounded by El Paseo, Monterey Avenue/Highway 74, and Highway 111. This would have the effect of forming smaller, more walkable, more “downtown-like” blocks that provide visitors with the clear sense that both Highway 111 and El Paseo are important city center streets. A similar approach – new streets or pedestrian-only paseos – can also be applied to the blocks along the north side of Highway 111 between Highway 111 and Alessandro Drive to connect north-south running residential streets such as San Pasqual Avenue, San Jose Avenue, and Santa Anita Avenue to Highway 111. This would provide residents living in these neighborhoods with easier, more direct access to Highway 111. Finally, pedestrian-only paseos could be introduced within some of the longer blocks along the south side of Highway 111 between Highway 111 and El Paseo. In addition, working with the Westfield Palm Desert Mall to introduce more “pad” buildings along the southern edge of the Mall and to detail some of the drive aisles as streets would create a more “city center” edge along the Mall’s Highway 111 frontage without impairing the functionality of the existing retail center. This strategy could also be applied to the reminder of the blocks between Highway 111 and El Paseo by introducing streets and/or pedestrian passages that split each 1,000 foot long block into two, more walkable, 500 foot long blocks.  Take advantage of elevation difference between Highway 111 and Palm Desert Drive North. This provides an opportunity to introduce tuck under or podium parking that is below Highway 111’s street level, ensuring that active ground floor uses, not parking, face Highway 111.  Introduce Downtown gateway buildings at key intersections. Building two-story or taller urban buildings where Highway 111 intersects the main cross streets will alert motorists, transit riders, and cyclists that they are entering Downtown Palm Desert and approaching the El Paseo Shopping District. Landscaping and wayfinding and identity signage at these intersections can also play a role, especially in the short term. In the long term, though a vibrant, successful, and popular City Center will be more effective than City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-10 signage at letting travelers know that they have arrived in the City Center and that El Paeso is nearby.  Assess whether any Frontage Roads should be removed. A range of possibilities can be considered, including: o Removing the segments of frontage roads at major intersections to help reduce the complexity of these intersections, provide easier ingress and egress to the remaining frontage roads, and provide larger building sites for “gateway” buildings. o Replacing some segments of frontage roads – particularly along the north side where residential and/or office uses may be more viable than retail – with high quality pedestrian/bike promenades. Such promenades have the potential to connect to neighborhood streets to the north, and into the City Center core to the south. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-11 This page intentionally left blank City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-12 5.4 Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Existing bicycle facilities within and providing access to the Study Area are comprised primarily of Class II Bike Routes – where the bike (and golf cart) lane is striped within the paved area of the roadway – and Class III Bike routes – where bikes share the curbside vehicular travel lane with motor vehicles. Class II Bike Routes run along San Pablo Avenue north of Highway 111 to Civic Center Park and College of the Desert, along Highway 74 south of Highway 111, along Portola Avenue south of Shadow Mountain Drive, and along Deep Canyon Road north of Highway 111. Class III Bike Routes run along Highway 111 from Deep Canyon Road to El Paseo, along El Paseo, and up Town Center Way to Fred Waring Drive; along San Pablo Avenue between Highway 111 and El Paseo; from the Westfield Palm Desert Mall along San Gorgonio Way, De Anza Way, and Ramona Avenue to Highway 111; and along Deep Canyon Drive south of Highway 111. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-13 Planned bicycle facilities include Class I Bike Routes – where bike paths have their own exclusive right-of-way completely separate from the vehicular travel lanes – along Town Center Way between Fred Waring Drive and Highway 111 and along Portola Avenue. Additionally, the CV Link trail, which connects Coachella Valley communities, is planned to run along Magnesia Falls Drive, with a hub at San Pablo Avenue, providing a natural linkage into the City Center via bicycle facilities along San Pablo Avenue. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-14 5.5 Building Frontages West of Monterey Avenue, buildings within planned commercial developments tend to be separated from the street by large surface parking lots. Many of these developments also provide “pad” buildings located close to Highway 111, which help to screen the large parking lots and provide a more active face and City Center image toward Highway 111. East of Monterey Avenue, Highway 111 is lined almost exclusively by relatively small footprint retail, restaurant, and office buildings that in almost all cases face and are accessed from Highway 111’s frontage roads. Most buildings are located at or near the front property line and provide a pedestrian-friendly face – and town center or City Center image – toward Highway 111 with street- facing windows, shopfronts, and entries. Many buildings also have additional entrances at the rear of the building, providing access to rear parking lots. Parking is provided on the frontage road, where present, and behind the buildings at the center of the block. Gas station parcels (at Larkspur Lane, San Luis Rey Avenue, Portola Avenue, and Deep Canyon Road) extend all the way to Highway 111 with no frontage road between them and Highway 111. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-15 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-16 5.6 Ownership and Vacant Parcels Most of the parcels within the Study Area are privately owned, although there are a few City-owned parcels (on Portola Avenue, Shadow Mountain Drive, Town Center Way, and Monterey Avenue). The City also owns the site where the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is located. There are also a number of vacant parcels scattered throughout and near the Study Area, a few of which are also owned by the City. Opportunities The City-owned and vacant parcels offer sites for introducing development that can help to catalyze the transformation of the Highway 111/El Paseo area into a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use City Center. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-17 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-18 5.7 Existing Zoning Between Parkview Drive at the city’s western boundary and Monterey Avenue/Highway 74, parcels fronting Highway 111 are zoned primarily Planned Commercial (P.C.). Exceptions include the parcels that house the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert (the “Entrado del Paseo” site), which are zoned Office Professional (O.P.) and the parcels at the western city boundary, which are zoned General Commercial (C-1) and Hillside Planned Residential (H.P.R.). East of Monterey Avenue, almost all parcels fronting Highway 111 are zoned General Commercial (C-1), with the exception of the parcels at the very eastern edge of the Study Area, which are zoned Planned Commercial (P.C.). Parcels fronting El Paseo are almost all zoned General Commercial (C-1), with the exception of the parcels southwest of El Paseo and Highway 74 (the “Sandpiper” site), which are zoned Planned Residential (P.R.-6) and the parcel at the southeast corner of El Paseo and Portola Avenue, currently occupied by the United States Post Office, which is zoned Public Institution (P). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-19 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-20 Parcels to the north of Alessandro Drive are zoned Residential Single Family (R-1), Residential Multiple Family (R-3) and Office Professional (O.P.), while parcels to the south of El Paseo along Shadow Mountain Drive are zoned primarily Residential Multiple Family (R-3) and Planned Residential (P.R.). . Opportunities  Parcels on the north side of Highway 111 between Monterey Avenue and eastern city boundary. Consider allowing office use, mixed-use, flex-use and residential-only buildings north of Highway 111. This could be accomplished by creating one or more new mixed-use zones for these properties.  Parcels between Highway 111 and El Paseo. New mixed-use zone(s) for this area might allow for a flexible mixture of retail, restaurant, office and residential uses, likely not including ground floor residential use along Highway 111, to help project the retail/restaurant/art gallery identity of the El Paseo environment toward Highway 111. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-21 This page intentionally left blank City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-22 5.8 2000 General Plan Land Uses General Plan land uses currently coincide with the zoning land uses. Because the General Plan is being updated concurrently with any changes to the zoning of these areas, the General Plan designations and zoning would both be updated to achieve consistency and to reflect the new community consensus regarding the nature of Palm Desert’s City Center. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-23 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-24 5.9 Existing Transit Sunline Transit is the main bus transit service provider in Palm Desert. The Study Area is served by the following five lines:  Line 32, which provides north-south service between Highway 111 and Palm Springs through Palm Desert along Monterey Avenue and Bob Hope Drive.  Line 53, which provides service along much of Highway 111 to areas north via Cook Street and Portola Avenue. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-25  Line 54, which provides east-west service between Palm Desert and Indio along Fred Waring Drive.  Line 111, which provides east-west service along Highway 111 between Downtown Palm Springs and Indio.  Commuter Link 220, which provides commuter service between Palm Desert and Riverside. Designated Park and Ride areas are located at Town Center Way at Hahn Road. Covered bus shelters are provided at all bus stops along Highway 111, and present an opportunity for additional design enhancement and branding. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | 26 5.10 Parking Parking is provided both in surface parking lots and on the street. West of Monterey Avenue, large surface lots are located between the principal buildings and the street. East of Monterey Avenue, parking lots are mostly located at the center of the block, which results in the more pedestrian-and bicycle-friendly streets that are needed for a successful Downtown environment. With the exception of the City-owned Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert parking lot, all parking lots are privately owned, and many of the lots between Highway 111 and El paseo are located within a business improvement district that maintains the lots. In addition, these private lots have public parking easements applied to them to accommodate local patrons. West of Monterey Avenue, on-street parking is completely absent from all streets, including Highway 111. East of Monterey Avenue, on-street parking is provided along Highway 111’s frontage roads, along both sides of El Paseo, as well as along some of the smaller streets that branch off of Highway 111. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-27 Estimated parking inventory is 17,500 spaces, organized as follows:  Approximately 230 City-owned spaces at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert.  Approximately 7,500 spaces in Private/shared Lots west of Monterey Avenue.  Approximately 2,200 spaces in shared lots north of Highway 111, east of Monterey Avenue.  Approximately 5,900 spaces in shared lots south of Highway 111, east of Monterey Avenue, including 1,000 in structured parking behind Sacks 5th Avenue.  Approximately 300 on-street spaces on streets north of Highway 111, and 560 on streets south of Highway 111.  Approximately 780 spaces on frontage roads north and south of Highway 111. 5.10 Parking City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-28 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | B-29 5.11 Historic Structures The study area includes much of the area where Palm Desert began back in the 1940s. Consequently, there are many buildings over 50 years old within the Study Area, including many notable ones shown on the below diagram. The selective rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of such structures – in combination with appropriate infill development – has the potential to imbue Palm Desert’s new City Center with a strong sense of place and connection to its desert roadside commercial heritage. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-30 City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report |B-31 This page intentionally left blank City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-1 Appendix C. Health Conditions Introduction While healthcare, physical activity, and eating well contribute to a person’s overall health, the circumstances in which we live can also have a significant impact on health and well-being. The social determinants of health go beyond genetic makeup and healthcare; they are the conditions in which people are born, develop, live, work, and age. Social determinants of health include social status, income and wealth, access to nutritious foods, and opportunities for quality education, all of which are highly dependent on where a person lives. Often disparities among these conditions lead to inequities in health that are both avoidable and unfair. Health policies and practices around the world are beginning to address the social determinants of health by investing in “upstream” interventions that promote health and seek to eliminate health disparities. Upstream solutions address these issues before they result in adverse health outcomes, which are addressed through “downstream” interventions. By focusing on systematic changes in policy, community design, and education we can start to address the conditions and decisions that created the inequities in the first place. Downstream solutions are often reactionary and address poor health, while upstream or preventative solutions invest resources into keeping people healthy. Shifting the focus from individual intervention to broader institutional change addresses the root cause of disease and will lead to health equality. Environmental Setting This section describes the social and environmental factors that affect overall public health in Palm Desert and the region. Note that many other social and physical factors that relate to health outcomes such as demographics, school population, parks and open space, etc. are described in other sections of the Existing Conditions Report. Life Expectancy at Birth The World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and other health agencies track life expectancy as an overall indicator of health. Riverside County’s average life expectancy at birth (79.2 years) is slightly higher than the national average (78.9 years), though lower than the California average of 80.8 years (see Table AC-1). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-2 Table AC-1: Life Expectancy at Birth Place Life Expectancy (at Birth) in Years United States 78.9 California 80.8 Riverside County 79.2 Source: Measure of America of the Social Science Research Council Senior Health Status The Health Assessment Resource Center (HARC) prepares periodic reports on the Health status of the Coachella Valley, including special populations, such as seniors. Overall, more than 83% of those age 55 or older, are in good, very good, or excellent overall health for their age (see Table AC- 2). TABLE AC-2: SENIOR GENERAL HEALTH STATUS Other senior specific health information includes an assessment of the barriers to care. In the Coachella Valley, the most frequent barriers include understanding what is covered, and provider’s office hours (See Table AC-3). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-3 TABLE AC-3: BARRIERS TO CARE Health Insurance Coverage Health insurance is the primary means for obtaining needed medical care and for reimbursing providers who deliver that care. Access to healthcare allows for patients to have a medical provider who is able to monitor their health and it is important to eliminate health disparities and increase the quality and years of healthy life for all people. In 2010, 106,652 adults in Eastern Riverside County reported they did not have any kind of health care coverage, approximately 21% of the adults. Over 50% reported not having vision or dental insurance, and 45% reported not having mental health coverage. As shown in table AC-4, Palm Desert had a lower proportion of uninsured residents than Riverside County (13% compared to 20%). The 18-64 age group was more likely to be without health care coverage than other age groups (See Table AC-5). In Riverside County, those indicating “some other race” were two times more likely than the overall population to be uninsured (see Table AC-6). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-4 TABLE AC-4: UNINSURED POPULATION BY PLACE Population for Whom Insurance Status is Determined Total Population Total Uninsured Population Percent Uninsured Population Palm Desert, CA 48,989 6,376 13.02% Riverside County, CA 2,169,023 434,493 20.03% California 36,783,532 6,536,932 17.77% United States 303,984,256 45,206,152 14.87% TABLE AC-5: UNINSURED POPULATION BY AGE Under Age 18 Age 18 - 64 Age 65 + Riverside County, CA 11.20% 27.97% 1.47% California 8.83% 24.22% 1.69% United States 8.06% 20.38% 0.94% TABLE AC-6: UNINSURED POPULATION BY RACE ETHNICITY White (Non- Hispanic) Black or African American Hispanic/ Latino Other Total Riverside County, CA 18.5% 14.1% 26.3% 15.2% California 14.0% 19.0% 29.0% 17.0% 21.0% United States 13.0% 21.0% 31.0% 16.0% 18.0% Health Care Facilities In 2011, Palm Desert had a shortage of primary care providers and specialists compared to Riverside California. Twenty-one physicians housed their practices in Palm Desert, yielding a ratio of 42.55 physicians per 100,000 people. California had a ratio of 84.03 physicians per 100,000 people. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration designated the area a Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area. TABLE AC-7: PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN RATIOS Total Population, 2011 Total Primary Care Physicians, 2011 Primary Care Physicians, Rate per 100,000 Pop. Palm Desert, CA 49,555 21 42.6 Riverside County, CA 2,239,620 953 42.3 California 37,691,912 31,674 83.2 United States 311,591,917 267,437 85.8 Source: Community Commons. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-5 FIGURE AC-1: PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN RATIOS The regional hospital providers are Eisenhower Medical Center and Desert Regional Medical Center and JFK Hospital in Indio. Additional health care providers in Palm Desert include:  Manorcare Health Services  Monterey Palms Health Care Center  RAI Palm Desert  Home Health Angels  Nursefinders  Palm Springs HHS Food Assistance According to the Community Commons, approximately 2% of the households in the City were receiving SNAP or CalFresh benefits. This was significantly lower than the countywide (8%) and statewide (7%) averages. 42.6 44.8 42.3 83.2 85.8 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Palm Desert, CA Coachella Valley Service Area Riverside County, CA California United States City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-6 FIGURE AC-2: HOUSEHOLDS WITH PUBLIC ASSISTANCE INCOME OR SNAP/CALFRESH BENEFITS TABLE AC-8: HOUSEHOLDS WITH PUBLIC ASSISTANCE INCOME OR SNAP/CALFRESH BENEFITS Area Households with Public Assistance Income or Received SNAP Benefits Total Households Count Percent California 898,921 7% 12,466,331 Riverside County, CA 53,231 8% 676,618 City of Palm Desert, CA 564 2% 24,048 Source: Community Commons. Population Health Status Adult Obesity and Physical Activity 21% of adults aged 20 and older self-report that they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30.0 (obese) in the report area. Excess weight may indicate an unhealthy lifestyle and puts individuals at risk for further health issues. TABLE AC-9: ADULT OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY RATES (COACHELLA VALLEY) Percent of Adults (95% Confidence Interval) Adult Population Estimate Underweight 4.0% (2.8 - 5.7%) 13,563 Normal weight 36.5% (33.3 - 39.9%) 123,716 Overweight 38.2% (34.9 - 41.7%) 129,489 Obese 21.3% (18.7 - 24.1%) 72,031 Total 100% 338,799 7.2% 7.9% 2.4% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0% 9.0% California Riverside County, CA City of Palm Desert, CA City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-7 Youth Obesity and Physical Activity The Healthy Fitness Zone program uses standards established by the Copper Institute to measure the level of fitness by students in order to protect against diseases that result from sedentary living. The standards are organized by gender and age. The Body Composition Fitness Area is estimated for 5th, 7th, and 9th graders. In general, 7th and 9th graders in Desert Sands Unified School District schools were on par with the average Riverside County and California students. Of particular note, Abraham Lincoln Elementary reported the 41.1% of the 5th grade students were at risk for Body Composition measurements. Table AC-10: Desert Sands Unified Schools Health Fitness Palm Desert Public Schools Grades Total Enrollment Body Composition (% at risk) Abraham Lincoln Elementary K–5 737 41.1% George Washington Charter Elementary K–5 835 26.7% Ronald Reagan Elementary K–5 877 26.9% Gerald Ford Elementary K–5 776 26.4% James Earl Carter Elementary K–5 668 24.5% Palm Desert Middle School 6–8 1,339 27.4% Palm Desert High School 9–12 1,979 25.9% Source: CA Department of Education 2013. Asthma Rates and Hospitalizations Asthma affects adults and children in Riverside County, particularly children living in poverty. Asthma is triggered by a number of factors, including smog, dust, pollen, smoke, and cockroaches. In Riverside County, approximately 14% of children zero to 17-years-old have been diagnosed with asthma and many child asthma cases require trips to the emergency department and/or hospitalization. In Eastern Riverside County, asthma was cited as the one of the top ten reasons for emergency department visits for children 5- to 11-years-old and 12- to 14-years-old. Palm Desert’s asthma rates are slightly higher than the national average, and slightly lower than the California average (see Table AC-11). City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-8 TABLE AC-11: ASTHMA RATES Survey Population Total Adults with Asthma Percent of Adults with Asthma Palm Desert, CA 42,755 5,736 13.42% Riverside County, CA 1,640,079 220,060 13.42% California 28,274,454 4,019,037 14.21% United States 237,197,46 5 31,697,608 13.36% Source: Community Commons FIGURE AC-3: ASTHMA RATES Leading Causes of Death and Death Rates As shown in Table AC-12, the leading causes of death within Riverside County and the Eastern Riverside subregion, which includes the City of Palm Desert, are heart disease and cancer. Chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s are the third, fourth, and fifth leading causes of death in County. Research suggests that the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and Alzheimer’s can be decreased by avoiding obesity and or overweight conditions through increased physical activity and other lifestyle changes. 13.42%13.42% 14.21% 13.36% 12.80% 13.00% 13.20% 13.40% 13.60% 13.80% 14.00% 14.20% 14.40% Palm Desert, CA Riverside County, CA California United States City of Palm Desert General Plan Update Existing Conditions Report | C-9 TABLE AC-12: LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DEATH RATES FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY (2010-2012) County Rank (out of 58) Cause of Death Riverside Co. Annual Average Deaths Age-Adjusted Death Rate (Deaths per 10,000 residents) Riverside County California US National Objective 25 All Causes 14,449 672.8 641.5 741.1 - 31 All Cancers 3,383 157.0 153.3 173.2 160.6 50 Coronary Heart Disease 2,678 125.0 106.2 126.0 100.8 36 Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 976 46.1 36.2 42.3 - 26 Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke) 791 37.1 36.6 38.9 33.8 20 Accidents (Unintentional Injuries) 683 31.3 27.3 37.3 36.0 33 Alzheimer's Disease 642 30.5 30.5 23.5 - 35 Diabetes 411 19.1 20.4 20.9 - 14 Influenza/ Pneumonia 248 11.7 16.1 16.2 - 26 Drug Induced Deaths 272 12.4 10.8 12.6 11.3 25 Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes 209 9.4 7.3 11.7 12.4 26 Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis 262 11.8 11.5 9.2 8.2 15 Firearm-Related Deaths 153 7.0 7.7 10.1 9.2 16 Suicide 226 10.3 10.1 11.8 10.2 29 Homicide 92 4.2 5.2 5.5 5.5 Source: California State Department of Health. Riverside County’s Health Status Profile for 2014. City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | D‐1    Appendix D. Biological Resources City of Palm Desert General Plan Update    Existing Conditions Report | D‐2    This Page is Intentionally Left Blank. Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status State Status CNPS Rare Plant Rank General Habitat Characteristics Habitat Present/ Absent Covered by MSHCP Potential to Occur in the Planning Area Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena - -1B.1 Sandy soils in chaparral, coastal scrub and desert dunes. Elev: 246- 5,249 ft. (75-1,600 m.) Blooms: Jan- Sep (CNPS 2014).PNo Known to occur.CNDDB occurrence (#38). Desert dunes provide suitable habitat. Acmispon haydonii pygmy lotus - -1B.3 Rocky areas in Sonoran desert scrub and pinyon and juniper woodland. Elevation 1,706-3,937 ft. (520-1,200 m.). Blooms: Jan-Jun PNo May occur. One CNDDB occurrence (#26) immediately south of planning area. Suitable habitat present. Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk-vetch FE -1B.2 Desert dunes and Sonoran desert scrub in sandy soil. Elev: 131-2,148 ft. (40-655 m.) Blooms: Feb-May (CNPS 2014).P Yes Known to occur. Numerous recorded occurrences in and around the planning area. Astragalus leucolobus Big Bear Valley woollypod - -1B.2 Rocky areas in pebble (pavement) plains, pinyon and juniper woodland, and upper and lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 5,741-9,465 ft. (1,750-2,885 m.) Blooms: May-Jul (CNPS 2014).ANo Not expected to occur. Species elevation range does not overlap with planning area (~160-5,140 feet). Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Lancaster milk- vetch - -1B.1 Chenopod scrub. Known in CA only from near Lancaster and Edwards Airforce Base. Elev: UNK Blooms: Mar-May (CNPS 2014).ANo Not expected to occur. Suitable habitat not present. Known only from near Lancaster and Edwards AFB. Astragalus tricarinatus triple-ribbed milk-vetch FE -1B.2 Sandy or gravelly soils in Joshua Tree woodland and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 1,476-3,904 ft. (450- 1,190 m.) Blooms: Feb-May (CNPS 2014).P Yes Not expected to occur. Nearest historical occurrence in the Indio Hills (CNDDB #17). Planning area does not overlap woth CVMSHCP Ayenia compacta California ayenia - -2B.3 Rocky areas in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 492- 3,592 ft. (150-1,095 m.) Blooms: Mar-Apr (CNPS 2014).PNo Known to occur. CNDDB occurrence (#27 and #51). Suitable habitat present. Plants Brodiaea filifolia thread-leaved brodiaea FT SE 1B.1 Prefers clay soils in chaparral openings, cismontane woodland, coastal scrub, playas, vernal pools, valley and foothill grasslands. Elev: 82-3,937 ft. (25-1,120 m.) Blooms: Mar-June (CNPS 2014).ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. No known occurrences in vicinity of planning area. Bursera microphylla little-leaf elephant tree - -2B.3 Rocky Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 656-2,297 ft. (200-700 m.) Blooms: Jun-Jul (CNPS 2014).PNo Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in vicinity of planning area. Calochortus palmeri var. munzii San Jacinto mariposa lily - -1B.2 lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 3,937-7,218 ft. (1,200-2,200 m.) Blooms: May-Jul (CNPS A No Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Palmer's mariposa lily - -1B.2 Mesic areas in chaparral, meadows and seeps, and lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 3,281- 7,841 ft.(1,000-2,390 m.) Blooms: Apr-Jul (CNPS 2014).ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Chaenactis parishii Parish's chaenactis - -1B.3 Rocky chaparral. Elev: 4,265-8,202 ft. (1,300-2,500 m.) Blooms: May-ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge - -2B.2 Sandy soils in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: -16- 3,002 ft. (-5-915 m.) Blooms: Aug-PNo Known to occur (CNDDB Occurrences #13 and #53). Sonoran desert scrub provides Chamaesyce arizonica Arizona spurge - -2B.3 Sandy Sonoran desert scrub. Elevation: 164-984 ft. (50-300 m.) Blooms: Mar-Apr (CNPS 2014). P No May occur.Sonoran desert scrub provides suitable habitat. Nearest CNDDB occurrences are in the Indio Chamaesyce platysperma flat-seeded spurge - -1B.2 Desert dunes and Sonoran desert scrub in sandy soil. Elev: 213-328 ft. (65-100 m.) Blooms: Feb-Sep PNo May occur. Desert dunes and Sonoran desert scrub provide suitable habitat. Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca white-bracted spineflower - -1B.2 desert scrub, pinyon and juniper woodland, and coastal scrub on alluvial fans. Elev: 984-3,937 ft. (300-1,200 m.) Blooms: April-June P No present. Several CNDDB occurrence adjacent to planning area in San Jacinto Mountains. Dieteria canescens var. ziegleri Ziegler's aster - -1B.2 Upper and lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 4,500- 8,200 ft. (1,372-2,499 m.) Blooms: ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis - -2B.2 Sandy soils in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 0-1,526 ft. (0-465 m.) Blooms: Oct-Mar PNo May occur. Several historical occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Sonoran Draba saxosa Southern California rock draba - -1B.3 Rocky areas in alpine boulder and rock fields, upper montane coniferous forests, and subalpine coniferous forests. Elev: 8,005- 11,811 ft. (2,440-3,600 m.) ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Eremothera boothii ssp. boothii Booth's evening- primrose - -2B.3 Joshua tree woodland and pinyon and juniper woodland. Elev: 2,674- 7,874 ft. (815-2,400 m.) Blooms: PNo Not expected to occur. No known occurrences within the vicinity of the planning area. Galium angustifolium ssp. jacintium San Jacinto Mountains bedstraw - -1B.3 Lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 4,429-6,890 ft. (1,350-2,100 m.) Blooms: June-Aug (CNPS ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Heuchera hirsutissima shaggy-haired alumroot - -1B.3 Rocky, granitic substrates in upper montane coniferous forest and subalpine coniferous forest. Elev: 4,987-11,483 ft. (1,520-3,500 m.) ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Jaffueliobryum raui Rau's jaffueliobryum moss - -2B.3 Dry openings and rock crevices on carbonate in alpine dwarf scrub, chaparral, and Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 1,608-ANo Not expected to occur. Suitable substrate not present. No known occurrences within the vicinity of the planning Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon - -1B.3 Sonoran desert scrub and pinyon and juniper woodland. Elev: 3,281- 6,562 ft. (1,000-2,000 m.) Blooms: PNo May occur. Suitable habitat present. Nearest CNDDB occurrence is just south of the Lilium parryi lemon lily - -1B.2 Mesic areas in meadows, seeps, riparian forest, lower and upper montane coniferous forests. Elev: 4,003-9,006 ft. (1,220-2,745 m.) ANo Not expected to occur. Sutable habitat not present. Linanthus maculatus little San Bernardino Mountains linanthus - -1B.2 Sandy soils in desert dunes, Joshua tree woodland, Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrubs. Elevation 640-6,808 ft. (195-2,075 m.) PNo Not expected to occur. No known occurrences within the vicinity of the planning area. Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina - -1B.3 Rocky areas in chaparral, Sonoran desert scrub, and pinyon and juniper woodland. Elev: 3,445- 3,806 ft. (1,050-1,160 m.) Blooms: PNo Known to occur. (CNDDB occurrence #3) Matelea parvifolia spearleaf - -2B.3 Rocky areas in Mojavean and Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 1,444- 3,593 ft. (440-1,095 m.) Blooms: PNo Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #8). Sonoran desert scrub provides suitable Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads - -2B.2 Coastal and desert dunes, and Sonoran desert scrub. Elevation: 164-328 ft. (50-100 m.) Blooms: PNo May occur. Potentially extirpated occurrences adjacent to planning area (#6 Penstemon californicus California beardtongue - -1B.2 Sandy soils in chaparral, pinyon and juniper woodland, and lower montane coniferous forests. Elev: 3,839-7,546 ft. (1,170-2,300 m.) PNo Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in vicinity of planning area. Pseudorontium cyathiferum Deep Canyon snapdragon - -2B.3 Rocky Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 0-2,625 ft. (0-800 m.) Blooms: Feb-PNo Known to occur. CNDDB occurrence (#1). Sonoran Saltugilia latimeri Latimer's woodland gilia - -1B.2 Rocky or sandy, often granitic areas, sometimes in washes. In chaparral, Mojavean desert scrub, pinyon and juniper woodland. Elevation: 1,312-6,234 ft. (400-PNo May occur. CNDDB occurrence (#2) in San Jacinto Mountains near planning area. Pinyon/juniper woodland provides suitable habitat. Selaginella eremophila desert spike- moss - -2B.2 Chaparral, and gravelly or rocky Sonoran desert scrub. Elevation 656-2,953 ft. (200-900 m.) Blooms: PNo Known to occur.CNDDB occurrence (#20). Sonoran desert scrub provide suitable Senna covesii Cove's cassia - -2B.2 Sandy Sonoran desert scrub. Elev: 935-3,510 ft. (285-1,070 m.) Blooms: Mar-Jun (CNPS 2014).PNo Known to occur.CNDDB occurrence (#12). Sonoran desert scrub provide suitable Sidotheca emarginata white-margined oxytheca - -1B.3 Chaparral, lower montane coniferous forest, pinyon and juniper woodland. Elevation 3,937- 8,202 ft. (1,200-2,500 m.) Blooms: PNo May occur. Suitable habitat present. Several CNDDB occurrences in the San Jacinto Mountains in the vicinity of Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia - -2B.1 Often mesic, sandy Sonoran desert scrub. Elevation: 591-984 ft. (180- 300 m.) Blooms: Jan-Dec (CNPS PNo Known to occur.CNDDB occurrence (#20). Sonoran desert scrub provides suitable Streptanthus campestris southern jewel- flower - -1B.3 Rocky areas in chaparral, lower montane coniferous forest, pinyon and juniper woodland. Elev: 2,953- 7,546 ft. (900-2,300 m.) Blooms: PNo May occur.Suitable habitat present. Several CNDDB occurrences in the San Jacinto Mountains in the vicinity of Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis Sonoran maiden fern - -2B.2 Meadows, seeps and streams. Elevation: 164-2,001 ft. (50-610 m.) Blooms: Jan-Sep (CNPS PNo Not expected to occur.No known occurrences within the vicinity of the planning area. Thysanocarpus rigidus rigid fringepod - -1B.2 Dry rocky slopes in pinyon and juniper woodland. Elev: 1,969- 7,218 ft. (600-2,200 m.) Blooms: PNo May occur. Suitable habitat present. CNDDB occurrence (#3) in San Jacinto Mountains Xylorhiza cognata Mecca-aster - -1B.2 Sonoran desert scrub. Elevation 66- 1,312 ft. (20-400 m.) Blooms: Jan- Jun (CNPS 2014).P Yes May occur. Several occurrences in the Indio Hills. Sonoran desert scrub provides Invertebrates Dinacoma caseyi Casey's June beetle FE - Emergence holes have been observed in disturbed, sandy wash areas and semi-developed areas beneath nonnative vegetation. Soils that are modified or compacted are not likely to support persistant occupancy. Associated with alluvial P No May occur. Suitable habitat present. CNDDB occurrence (#4) adjacent to planning area in Indian Wells. Cyprinodon macularius desert pupfish FE SE Habitats include clear, shallow waters with soft substrates associated with cienagas, springs, streams, margins of lakes and rivers, shoreline pools, and irrigation drains and ditches below 5,200 feet (1,585 m.). In California, occurs only in two streams tributary P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #24). Batrachoseps aridus desert slender salamander FE SE Known from only two localities: Hidden Palm Canyon (tributary to Deep Canyon) and Guadalupe Canyon. Habitat is seeps, springs and oases surrounded by Sonoran P No Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrences #1 and #2). Both known localities are protected. Anniella pulchra pulchra silvery legless lizard - SSC Occurs in sparsely vegetated areas of beach dunes, chaparral, pine-oak woodland, desert scrub, sandy washes, and stream terraces (Nafis P No May occur.CNDDB occurrences (#2 and #3) in San Jacinto Mountains adjacent to planning area. Crotalus ruber red-diamond rattlesnake - SSC Inhabits arid scrub, coastal chaparral, oak and pine woodlands, rocky grassland and cultivated areas. Prefers rocky areas with P No Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #56). Gopherus agassizii desert tortoise FT ST Occupy a variety of habitat. Flats and slopes dominated by creosote bush scrub at lower elevations. Rocky slopes in blackbrush and juniper woodland at higher elevation. Like sandy-gravel P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrences #257 and #298). Amphibians Reptiles Fish Phrynosoma blainvillii coast horned lizard - SSC Occurs in valley-foothill hardwood, conifer and riparian habitats, as well as in pine-cypress, juniper and annual grassland habitats. Ranges up to 4,000 ft (1,219 m) in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and up to P No May occur. Several CNDDB occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard - SSC Sandy desert hardpan or gravel flats with scattered sparse vegetation of low species diversity. Most common in areas with high density of harvester ants and fine windblown sand. From below sea P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #80). Numerous occurrences in vicinity of planning area. Salvadora hexalepis virgultea coast patch- nosed snake - SSC Inhabits semi-arid brushy areas and chaparral in canyons, rocky hillsides, and plains at elevations from below sea level to around P No Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Nearest occurrence south of Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard FT SE Restricted ot wind blown sand deposits (dunes) on the floor of the Coachella Valley (USFWS 2010). P Yes Known to occur. Numerous recorded occurrences in and around the planning area. Athene cunicular burrowing owl - SSC Open areas with mammal burrows. Habitats include dry open rolling hills, grasslands, fallow fields, sparsely vegetated desert scrub with gullies, washes, arroyos, and edges of human disturbed lands. Inhabit golf courses, airports, cemeteries, P Yes Known to occur. Several recorded occurrences in and around the planning area. Aquila chrysaetosgolden eagle - FP Uncommon resident and migrant throughout California, except center of Central Valley. Habitat typically rolling foothills, mountain areas, sage-juniper flats, or desert P No Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #229) Chaetura vauxi Vaux's swift - SSC Prefers redwood and Douglas fir habitats with nest sites in large hollow trees and snags, especially A No Not expected to occur. Suitable habitat not present. Birds Circus cyaneus northern harrier - SSC Nest on the ground in patches of dense, tall vegetation in undisturbed areas. Breed and forage in variety of open habitats such as marshes, wet meadows, weedy borders of lakes, rivers and steams, grasslands, pastures, croplands, sagebrush flats P No Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Contopus cooper olive-sided flycatc -SSC Wide variety of forest and woodland habitats below 9,000 feet (2,800 m.). Preferred nesting habitats include mixed conifer, montane hardwood-conifer, A No Not expected to occur. Suitable habitat not present. Dendroica petechyellow warbler - SSC Riparian vegetation along streams and in wet meadows. Willow cover and Oregon ash important predictors of abundance in northern P Yes May occur. Desert fan palm oases and wash woodlands provide suitable habitat. CVMSHCP species model Empidonax traillisouthwestern willo FE SE Breeds in dense riparian tree and shrub habitats. Distributed throughout southern California and southwestern US (USFWS 2002). P Yes May occur. Desert fan palm oases and wash woodlands provide suitable habitat. Historical record adjacent ot Icteria virens yellow-breasted ch -SSC Nest in early-successional riparian habitats with a well-developed shrub layer and an open canopy. Restricted to narrow border of streams, creeks, sloughs and rivers. Often nest in dense thicket plants P Yes May occur. Desert fan palm oases and wash woodlands provide suitable habitat. CVMSHCP species model overlaps with planning area. Lanius ludovicianloggerhead shrike - SSC Breed in shrublands or open woodlands with a fair amount of grass cover and areas of bare P No Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #45). Passerculus sand Bryant's savannah -SSC Inhabits low tidally influences habitats, adjacent rural areas, and grasslands along the California A No Not expected to occur. Outside species range. Suitable habitat not present. Passerculus sand large-billed savan - SSC Open, low salt marsh vegetation, including grasses, pickleweed, Frankenia and iodine bush. Occurs in isolated patches along the coast and along the shore of the Salton A No Not expected to occur. Outside species range. Suitable habitat not present. Piranga rubra summer tanager - SSC Breed primarily in mature riparian woodland with extensive cottonwood canopy, some records of orchard nesting. Need tall, shady P Yes May occur.Desert fan palm oases and wash woodlands provide suitable habitat. CVMSHCP species model Pyrocephalus rubvermilion flycatch -SSC Scrub, desert, cultivated lands, and riparian woodlands (Cornell 2014). P No May occur.Historical CNDDB occurrence (#3) Toxostoma crissa Crissal thrasher - SSC Occupies dense thickets of shrubs or low trees in desert riparian and desert wash habitats (CDFW 2014c).P Yes May occur.Several historical occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. CVMSHCP species model adjacent to planning area . Toxostoma lecontLe Conte's thrashe - SSC Occurs primarily in open desert wash, desert scrub, alkali desert scrub and desert succulent shrub P Yes May occur.Several occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. CVMSHCP Vireo bellii pusill least Bell's vireo FE SE Obligate riparian breeder, preferring structurally diverse riaparian woodlands with a dense understory. Community structures typically utilized include cottonwood-willow woodlands, oak P Yes May occur. Desert fan palm oases and wash woodlands provide suitable habitat. CVMSHCP species model overlaps with planning area . Vireo vicinior gray vireo - SSC Breed in mature, arid chaparral, or open pinyon-juniper woodland mixed with chapparal, desert scrub, or sagebrush (Winter and Hargrove P No May occur. Suitable habitat present. CVMSHCP species model overlaps with planning area . Antrozous pallidupallid bat -SSC Day roosts are in caves, crevices, mines, and occasionally in hollow trees and buildings (CDFW 2014c). P No Not expected to occur.No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Chaetodipus califDulzura pocket m -SSC Variety of habitats including chaparral, grassland and coastal sage scrub (CDFW 2014d).A No Not expected to occur.No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Chaetodipus fallanorthwestern San -SSC Sandy herbaceous areas in coastal scrub, chaparral, sagebrush, deserts scrub and washes, and annual P No Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Chaetodipus fallapallid San Diego p -SSC Common resident of sandy herbaceous areas, usually in areas with rocks or course gravel. Habitats include coastal scrub, chaparral, sagebrush, desert wash, P No Known to occur. Several recorded occurrences in and around the planning area. Mammals Lasiurus xanthinuwestern yellow ba -SSC Roost in palm trees, including ornamentals, in desert regions (Bolster 1998).P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #25). Several recorded occurrences in the Macrotus californCalifornia leaf-no - SSC Completely dependent on caves or mines for roosting. Found in lowland Sonoran Desert habitat P No Not expected to occur. No known occurrences in the vicinity of the planning area. Neotoma lepida i San Diego desert w -SSC Most abundant in rocky areas with Joshua trees (CDFW 2014c).P No May occur.Several known occurrence immediately north Nyctinomops fem pocketed free-taile -SSC Associated with creosote scrub or chaparral, and large rock features such as boulder jumbles or rocky P No May occur. CNDDB occurrences in La Quinta (#19) and Palm Springs (#21). Nyctinomops macbig free-tailed bat - SSC Arroyo, shrub desert, woodland. Associated with crevices and narrow rocky canyons (Bolster P No May occur. CNDDB occurrence (#9) in Palm Springs. peninsular bighorn FE ST/FP P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #6). Critical habitat, pe X -P-Known to occur. Unit 2. Perognathus longPalm Springs pock -SSC Various communities including creosote scrub, desert scrub, and grasslands. Generally occurring on loosely packed or sandy soils with sparse to moderately dense P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #13). Perognathus longLos Angeles pock -SSC Low elevation grasslands, alluvial sage scrub, and coastal sage scrub P No Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #49). Xerospermophilu Palm Springs roun -SSC Sandy arid regions in scrub and wash habitats (Bolster 1998).P Yes Known to occur. (CNDDB Occurrence #5). Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Known to occur. Several recorded occurrences in and Ovis canadensis n (FT) Federal Threatened (FPE) Federally Proposed Endangered (FC) Federal Candidate (FD) Federally Delisted Key Occupies moderate to steep slopes from 100-1400m, uses alluvial fans, washes and valley floors (USFWS 2011b). Terrestrial Community Federal & State Status (FE) Federal Endangered USFWS. 2010. Desert Pupfish 5‐Year Review.  USFWS; Phoenix, AZ. Winter, K and L. Hargrove. 2004. Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior). In The Coastal Scrub and Chaparral Bird Conservation Plan: a strategy for protecting and  managing coastal scrub and chaparral habitats and associated birds in California. California Partners in Flight.  (SE) State Endangered Rareness Ranks (ST) State Threatened (SSC) State Species of Special Concern (SCT) State Candidate Threatened (FP) Fully Protected CNPS Rare Plant Rank (SCE) State Candidate Endangered (0.3) Not very threatened in California (1A) Presumed Extinct in California (1B) Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and Elsewhere (2) Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere Threat Ranks (0.1) Seriously threatened in California (0.2) Fairly threatened in California CNDDB Quad Species List 23 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Birds Falco mexicanus prairie falcon ABNKD06090 None None WL - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Falconidae - Falco mexicanus Animals - Birds Toxostoma lecontei Le Conte's thrasher ABPBK06100 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma lecontei Animals - Birds Athene cunicularia burrowing owl ABNSB10010 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Strigidae - Athene cunicularia Animals - Insects Macrobaenetes valgum Coachella giant sand treader cricket IIORT22020 None None - - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Animals - Insects - Rhaphidophoridae - Macrobaenetes valgum Animals - Insects Dinacoma caseyi Casey's June beetle IICOLX5010 Endangered None - - 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Animals - Insects - Scarabaeidae - Dinacoma caseyi Animals - Insects Stenopelmatus cahuilaensis Coachella Valley jerusalem cricket IIORT26010 None None - - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Animals - Insects - Stenopelmatidae - Stenopelmatus cahuilaensis Animals - Mammals Perognathus longimembris bangsi Palm Springs pocket mouse AMAFD01043 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Perognathus longimembris bangsi Animals - Mammals Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel AMAFB05161 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Animals - Mammals - Sciuridae - Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Animals - Mammals Lasiurus xanthinus western yellow bat AMACC05070 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Animals - Mammals - Vespertilionidae - Lasiurus xanthinus Animals - Reptiles Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard ARACF12040 None None SSC - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Phrynosoma mcallii Animals - Reptiles Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard ARACF15010 Threatened Endangered - - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Uma inornata Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Vascular Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha PDBOR0A0M0 None None - 4.3 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha costata Plants - Vascular Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha PDBOR0A180 None None - 4.3 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha holoptera Plants - Vascular Cuscuta californica var. apiculata pointed dodder PDCUS01071 None None - 3 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Cuscutaceae - Cuscuta californica var. apiculata Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce arizonica Arizona spurge PDEUP0D060 None None - 2B.3 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce arizonica Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce platysperma flat-seeded spurge PDEUP0D1X0 None None - 1B.2 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce platysperma Page 1 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk-vetch PDFAB0FB95 None None - 4.3 3311674 Cathedral City Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk- vetch PDFAB0FB97 Endangered None - 1B.2 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Plants - Vascular Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena PDNYC010P1 None None - 1B.1 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped and Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Nyctaginaceae - Abronia villosa var. aurita Plants - Vascular Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia PDSCR1U010 None None - 2B.1 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Plantaginaceae - Stemodia durantifolia Plants - Vascular Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads PDPGN0G012 None None - 2B.2 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis Plants - Vascular Selaginella eremophila desert spike-moss PPSEL010G0 None None - 2B.2 3311674 Cathedral City Mapped Plants - Vascular - Selaginellaceae - Selaginella eremophila Page 2 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Glossary Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Plant List 12 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116G4 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena Nyctaginaceae annual herb 1B.1 S2 G5T3T4 Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk-vetch Fabaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G5T4T5 Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk-vetch Fabaceae annual / perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G5T1 Chamaesyce arizonica Arizona spurge Euphorbiaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S2 G5 Chamaesyce platysperma flat-seeded spurge Euphorbiaceae annual herb 1B.2 S1 G3 Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G4G5 Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3? G3G4 Cuscuta californica var. apiculata pointed dodder Convolvulaceae annual vine (parasitic)3 S2S3 G5T3? Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads Polygonaceae annual herb 2B.2 S2 G3G4T3? Selaginella eremophila desert spike-moss Selaginellaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 2B.2 S2S3 G4 Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia Plantaginaceae perennial herb 2B.1 S2.1? G5 Xylorhiza cognata Mecca-aster Asteraceae perennial herb 1B.2 S2 G2 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 14 July 2014]. © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 1CNPS Inventory Results 7/14/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116G4:1 CNDDB Quad Species List 19 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Amphibians Batrachoseps major aridus desert slender salamander AAAAD02042 Endangered Endangered - - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Animals - Amphibians - Plethodontidae - Batrachoseps major aridus Animals - Birds Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle ABNKC22010 None None FP , WL - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Aquila chrysaetos Animals - Birds Falco mexicanus prairie falcon ABNKD06090 None None WL - 3311653 Martinez Mtn. Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Falconidae - Falco mexicanus Animals - Birds Toxostoma crissale Crissal thrasher ABPBK06090 None None SSC - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma crissale Animals - Birds Athene cunicularia burrowing owl ABNSB10010 None None SSC - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Strigidae - Athene cunicularia Animals - Mammals Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Peninsular bighorn sheep DPS AMALE04012 Endangered Threatened FP - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Animals - Mammals - Bovidae - Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus californicus femoralis Dulzura pocket mouse AMAFD05021 None None SSC - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus californicus femoralis Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax fallax northwestern San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05031 None None SSC - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax fallax Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05032 None None SSC - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax pallidus Animals - Reptiles Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe- toed lizard ARACF15010 Threatened Endangered - - 3311653 Martinez Mtn. Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Uma inornata Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Bryophytes Jaffueliobryum raui Rau's jaffueliobryum moss NBMUS97010 None None - 2B.3 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Bryophytes - Grimmiaceae - Jaffueliobryum raui Plants - Vascular Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha PDBOR0A0M0 None None - 4.3 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha costata Plants - Vascular Bursera microphylla little-leaf elephant tree PDBUR01020 None None - 2B.3 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Burseraceae - Bursera microphylla Plants - Vascular Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis PDEUP080L0 None None - 2B.2 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Ditaxis claryana Page 1 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plants - Vascular Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Lancaster milk-vetch PDFAB0F721 None None - 1B.1 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Plants - Vascular Astragalus tricarinatus triple-ribbed milk-vetch PDFAB0F920 Endangered None - 1B.2 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus tricarinatus Plants - Vascular Ayenia compacta California ayenia PDSTE01020 None None - 2B.3 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Malvaceae - Ayenia compacta Plants - Vascular Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon PDPLM090J3 None None - 1B.3 3311653 Martinez Mtn.Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polemoniaceae - Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Page 2 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Glossary Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Plant List 9 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116E3 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Astragalus tricarinatus triple-ribbed milk-vetch Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G1 Ayenia compacta California ayenia Malvaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S3? G4 Bursera microphylla little-leaf elephant tree Burseraceae perennial deciduous tree 2B.3 S2 G4 Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G4G5 Hecastocleis shockleyi prickle-leaf Asteraceae perennial evergreen shrub 3 S3S4 G4 Heuchera hirsutissima shaggy-haired alumroot Saxifragaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 1B.3 S3 G3 Jaffueliobryum raui Rau’s jaffueliobryum moss Grimmiaceae moss 2B.3 S2? G4? Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon Polemoniaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S1 G4T1 Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis Sonoran maiden fern Thelypteridaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 2B.2 S2.2? G5T3 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 15 July 2014]. © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 1CNPS Inventory Results 7/15/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116E3:1 CNDDB Quad Species List 38 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Birds Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle ABNKC22010 None None FP , WL - 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Aquila chrysaetos Animals - Birds Falco mexicanus prairie falcon ABNKD06090 None None WL - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Falconidae - Falco mexicanus Animals - Birds Toxostoma crissale Crissal thrasher ABPBK06090 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma crissale Animals - Birds Toxostoma lecontei Le Conte's thrasher ABPBK06100 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma lecontei Animals - Birds Athene cunicularia burrowing owl ABNSB10010 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Strigidae - Athene cunicularia Animals - Birds Polioptila melanura black-tailed gnatcatcher ABPBJ08030 None None - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Birds - Sylviidae - Polioptila melanura Animals - Birds Pyrocephalus rubinus vermilion flycatcher ABPAE36010 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Birds - Tyrannidae - Pyrocephalus rubinus Animals - Fish Cyprinodon macularius desert pupfish AFCNB02060 Endangered Endangered - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Fish - Cyprinodontidae - Cyprinodon macularius Animals - Insects Oliarces clara cheeseweed owlfly (cheeseweed moth lacewing) IINEU04010 None None - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Insects - Ithonidae - Oliarces clara Animals - Insects Macrobaenetes valgum Coachella giant sand treader cricket IIORT22020 None None - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Insects - Rhaphidophoridae - Macrobaenetes valgum Animals - Insects Dinacoma caseyi Casey's June beetle IICOLX5010 Endangered None - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Insects - Scarabaeidae - Dinacoma caseyi Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05032 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax pallidus Animals - Mammals Perognathus longimembris bangsi Palm Springs pocket mouse AMAFD01043 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Perognathus longimembris bangsi Animals - Mammals Nyctinomops femorosaccus pocketed free-tailed bat AMACD04010 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Mammals - Molossidae - Nyctinomops femorosaccus Animals - Mammals Macrotus californicus California leaf-nosed bat AMACB01010 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Phyllostomidae - Macrotus californicus Animals - Mammals Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel AMAFB05161 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Sciuridae - Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Page 1 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Animals - Mammals Antrozous pallidus pallid bat AMACC10010 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Vespertilionidae - Antrozous pallidus Animals - Mammals Lasiurus xanthinus western yellow bat AMACC05070 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Mammals - Vespertilionidae - Lasiurus xanthinus Animals - Reptiles Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard ARACF12040 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Phrynosoma mcallii Animals - Reptiles Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe- toed lizard ARACF15010 Threatened Endangered - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Uma inornata Animals - Reptiles Gopherus agassizii desert tortoise ARAAF01012 Threatened Threatened - - 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Testudinidae - Gopherus agassizii Animals - Reptiles Crotalus ruber red-diamond rattlesnake ARADE02090 None None SSC - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Animals - Reptiles - Viperidae - Crotalus ruber Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Vascular Matelea parvifolia spear-leaf matelea PDASC0A0J0 None None - 2B.3 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Apocynaceae - Matelea parvifolia Plants - Vascular Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha PDBOR0A0M0 None None - 4.3 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha costata Plants - Vascular Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha PDBOR0A180 None None - 4.3 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha holoptera Plants - Vascular Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis PDEUP080L0 None None - 2B.2 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Ditaxis claryana Plants - Vascular Ditaxis serrata var. californica California ditaxis PDEUP08050 None None - 3.2 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Ditaxis serrata var. californica Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk- vetch PDFAB0FB95 None None - 4.3 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk- vetch PDFAB0FB97 Endangered None - 1B.2 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Plants - Vascular Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Lancaster milk-vetch PDFAB0F721 None None - 1B.1 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Plants - Vascular Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina PDFAB2F031 None None - 1B.3 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii Plants - Vascular Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena PDNYC010P1 None None - 1B.1 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Nyctaginaceae - Abronia villosa var. aurita Plants - Vascular Pseudorontium cyathiferum Deep Canyon snapdragon PDSCR2R010 None None - 2B.3 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Plantaginaceae - Pseudorontium cyathiferum Plants - Vascular Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia PDSCR1U010 None None - 2B.1 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Plantaginaceae - Stemodia durantifolia Page 2 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plants - Vascular Chorizanthe leptotheca Peninsular spineflower PDPGN040D0 None None - 4.2 3311663 La Quinta Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Chorizanthe leptotheca Plants - Vascular Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads PDPGN0G012 None None - 2B.2 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis Plants - Vascular Selaginella eremophila desert spike- moss PPSEL010G0 None None - 2B.2 3311663 La Quinta Mapped Plants - Vascular - Selaginellaceae - Selaginella eremophila Page 3 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Plant List 14 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116F3 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena Nyctaginaceae annual herb 1B.1 S2 G5T3T4 Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk-vetch Fabaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G5T4T5 Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk-vetch Fabaceae annual / perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G5T1 Astragalus preussii var. laxiflorus Lancaster milk- vetch Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.1 S1 G4T2 Chorizanthe leptotheca Peninsular spineflower Polygonaceae annual herb 4.2 S3.2 G4 Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G4G5 Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3? G3G4 Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis Euphorbiaceae perennial herb 2B.2 S1 G4G5 Ditaxis serrata var. californica California ditaxis Euphorbiaceae perennial herb 3.2 S2 G5T2T3 Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2? G2G3T1T2 Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis slender cottonheads Polygonaceae annual herb 2B.2 S2 G3G4T3? Pseudorontium cyathiferum Deep Canyon snapdragon Plantaginaceae annual herb 2B.3 S1 G4? Selaginella eremophila desert spike-moss Selaginellaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 2B.2 S2S3 G4 Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia Plantaginaceae perennial herb 2B.1 S2.1? G5 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 14 July 2014]. Page 1 of 2CNPS Inventory Results 7/14/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116F3:1 Glossary CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 2CNPS Inventory Results 7/14/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116F3:1 CNDDB Quad Species List 51 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Birds Accipiter cooperii Cooper's hawk ABNKC12040 None None WL - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Accipiter cooperii Animals - Birds Accipiter striatus sharp- shinned hawk ABNKC12020 None None WL - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Accipiter striatus Animals - Birds Circus cyaneus northern harrier ABNKC11010 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Circus cyaneus Animals - Birds Eremophila alpestris actia California horned lark ABPAT02011 None None WL - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Alaudidae - Eremophila alpestris actia Animals - Birds Chaetura vauxi Vaux's swift ABNUA03020 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Apodidae - Chaetura vauxi Animals - Birds Ardea herodias great blue heron ABNGA04010 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Ardeidae - Ardea herodias Animals - Birds Botaurus lentiginosus American bittern ABNGA01020 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Ardeidae - Botaurus lentiginosus Animals - Birds Chondestes grammacus lark sparrow ABPBX96010 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Chondestes grammacus Animals - Birds Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus Bryant's savannah sparrow ABPBX99011 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus Animals - Birds Passerculus sandwichensis rostratus large-billed savannah sparrow ABPBX9901D None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Passerculus sandwichensis rostratus Animals - Birds Spizella breweri Brewer's sparrow ABPBX94040 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Spizella breweri Animals - Birds Spizella passerina chipping sparrow ABPBX94020 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Spizella passerina Animals - Birds Falco mexicanus prairie falcon ABNKD06090 None None WL - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Falconidae - Falco mexicanus Animals - Birds Spinus lawrencei Lawrence's goldfinch ABPBY06100 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Fringillidae - Spinus lawrencei Animals - Birds Lanius ludovicianus loggerhead shrike ABPBR01030 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Laniidae - Lanius ludovicianus Animals - Birds Toxostoma crissale Crissal thrasher ABPBK06090 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma crissale Animals - Birds Toxostoma lecontei Le Conte's thrasher ABPBK06100 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma lecontei Animals - Birds Dendroica occidentalis hermit warbler ABPBX03090 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Parulidae - Dendroica occidentalis Animals - Birds Dendroica petechia brewsteri yellow warbler ABPBX03018 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Parulidae - Dendroica petechia brewsteri Page 1 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Animals - Birds Icteria virens yellow- breasted chat ABPBX24010 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Parulidae - Icteria virens Animals - Birds Athene cunicularia burrowing owl ABNSB10010 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Strigidae - Athene cunicularia Animals - Birds Polioptila melanura black-tailed gnatcatcher ABPBJ08030 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Sylviidae - Polioptila melanura Animals - Birds Piranga rubra summer tanager ABPBX45030 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Thraupidae - Piranga rubra Animals - Birds Calypte costae Costa's hummingbird ABNUC47020 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Trochilidae - Calypte costae Animals - Birds Selasphorus rufus rufous hummingbird ABNUC51020 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Trochilidae - Selasphorus rufus Animals - Birds Contopus cooperi olive-sided flycatcher ABPAE32010 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Tyrannidae - Contopus cooperi Animals - Birds Empidonax traillii extimus southwestern willow flycatcher ABPAE33043 Endangered Endangered - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped Animals - Birds - Tyrannidae - Empidonax traillii extimus Animals - Fish Cyprinodon macularius desert pupfish AFCNB02060 Endangered Endangered - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Fish - Cyprinodontidae - Cyprinodon macularius Animals - Insects Oliarces clara cheeseweed owlfly (cheeseweed moth lacewing) IINEU04010 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped Animals - Insects - Ithonidae - Oliarces clara Animals - Insects Macrobaenetes valgum Coachella giant sand treader cricket IIORT22020 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Insects - Rhaphidophoridae - Macrobaenetes valgum Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05032 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax pallidus Animals - Mammals Dipodomys merriami collinus Earthquake Merriam's kangaroo rat AMAFD03144 None None - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Dipodomys merriami collinus Animals - Mammals Perognathus longimembris bangsi Palm Springs pocket mouse AMAFD01043 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Perognathus longimembris bangsi Animals - Mammals Neotoma lepida intermedia San Diego desert woodrat AMAFF08041 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Muridae - Neotoma lepida intermedia Animals - Mammals Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel AMAFB05161 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Sciuridae - Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus Animals - Mammals Lasiurus xanthinus western yellow bat AMACC05070 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Vespertilionidae - Lasiurus xanthinus Page 2 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Animals - Reptiles Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard ARACF12040 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Phrynosoma mcallii Animals - Reptiles Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe- toed lizard ARACF15010 Threatened Endangered - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Uma inornata Animals - Reptiles Crotalus ruber red-diamond rattlesnake ARADE02090 None None SSC - 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Viperidae - Crotalus ruber Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311673 Myoma Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Vascular Xylorhiza cognata Mecca-aster PDASTA1010 None None - 1B.2 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Asteraceae - Xylorhiza cognata Plants - Vascular Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha PDBOR0A0M0 None None - 4.3 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha costata Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge PDEUP0D010 None None - 2B.2 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce abramsiana Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce arizonica Arizona spurge PDEUP0D060 None None - 2B.3 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce arizonica Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce platysperma flat-seeded spurge PDEUP0D1X0 None None - 1B.2 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce platysperma Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk- vetch PDFAB0FB95 None None - 4.3 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Plants - Vascular Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk- vetch PDFAB0FB97 Endangered None - 1B.2 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Plants - Vascular Astragalus tricarinatus triple-ribbed milk-vetch PDFAB0F920 Endangered None - 1B.2 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus tricarinatus Plants - Vascular Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii southwestern spiny rush PMJUN01051 None None - 4.2 3311673 Myoma Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Juncaceae - Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii Plants - Vascular Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena PDNYC010P1 None None - 1B.1 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Nyctaginaceae - Abronia villosa var. aurita Plants - Vascular Eremothera boothii ssp. boothii Booth's evening- primrose PDONA03052 None None - 2B.3 3311673 Myoma Mapped Plants - Vascular - Onagraceae - Eremothera boothii ssp. boothii Page 3 of 3IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Glossary Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Plant List 9 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116G3 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Abronia villosa var. aurita chaparral sand- verbena Nyctaginaceae annual herb 1B.1 S2 G5T3T4 Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego milk-vetch Fabaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G5T4T5 Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae Coachella Valley milk-vetch Fabaceae annual / perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G5T1 Astragalus tricarinatus triple-ribbed milk- vetch Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G1 Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge Euphorbiaceae annual herb 2B.2 S2 G4 Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G4G5 Eremothera boothii ssp. boothii Booth's evening- primrose Onagraceae annual herb 2B.3 S2 G5T4 Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii southwestern spiny rush Juncaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 4.2 S3.2 G5T5 Xylorhiza cognata Mecca-aster Asteraceae perennial herb 1B.2 S2 G2 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 14 July 2014]. © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 1CNPS Inventory Results 7/14/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116G3:1 CNDDB Quad Species List 29 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Birds Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle ABNKC22010 None None FP , WL - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Aquila chrysaetos Animals - Birds Falco mexicanus prairie falcon ABNKD06090 None None WL - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Falconidae - Falco mexicanus Animals - Birds Athene cunicularia burrowing owl ABNSB10010 None None SSC - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Strigidae - Athene cunicularia Animals - Birds Polioptila melanura black-tailed gnatcatcher ABPBJ08030 None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Birds - Sylviidae - Polioptila melanura Animals - Birds Empidonax traillii extimus southwestern willow flycatcher ABPAE33043 Endangered Endangered - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Birds - Tyrannidae - Empidonax traillii extimus Animals - Fish Cyprinodon macularius desert pupfish AFCNB02060 Endangered Endangered - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Fish - Cyprinodontidae - Cyprinodon macularius Animals - Insects Oliarces clara cheeseweed owlfly (cheeseweed moth lacewing) IINEU04010 None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Insects - Ithonidae - Oliarces clara Animals - Insects Macrobaenetes valgum Coachella giant sand treader cricket IIORT22020 None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Insects - Rhaphidophoridae - Macrobaenetes valgum Animals - Mammals Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Peninsular bighorn sheep DPS AMALE04012 Endangered Threatened FP - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Bovidae - Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05032 None None SSC - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax pallidus Animals - Mammals Neotoma albigula venusta Colorado Valley woodrat AMAFF08031 None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Mammals - Muridae - Neotoma albigula venusta Animals - Mammals Lasiurus xanthinus western yellow bat AMACC05070 None None SSC - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Mammals - Vespertilionidae - Lasiurus xanthinus Animals - Reptiles Charina trivirgata rosy boa ARADA01020 None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Boidae - Charina trivirgata Animals - Reptiles Phrynosoma mcallii flat-tailed horned lizard ARACF12040 None None SSC - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Phrynosoma mcallii Animals - Reptiles Uma inornata Coachella Valley fringe- toed lizard ARACF15010 Threatened Endangered - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Uma inornata Animals - Reptiles Gopherus agassizii desert tortoise ARAAF01012 Threatened Threatened - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Testudinidae - Gopherus agassizii Page 1 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Animals - Reptiles Crotalus ruber red-diamond rattlesnake ARADE02090 None None SSC - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Viperidae - Crotalus ruber Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Vascular Matelea parvifolia spear-leaf matelea PDASC0A0J0 None None - 2B.3 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Apocynaceae - Matelea parvifolia Plants - Vascular Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha PDBOR0A180 None None - 4.3 3311664 Rancho Mirage Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha holoptera Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge PDEUP0D010 None None - 2B.2 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce abramsiana Plants - Vascular Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis PDEUP080L0 None None - 2B.2 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped and Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Ditaxis claryana Plants - Vascular Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina PDFAB2F031 None None - 1B.3 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii Plants - Vascular Senna covesii Cove's cassia PDFAB491X0 None None - 2B.2 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Senna covesii Plants - Vascular Ayenia compacta California ayenia PDSTE01020 None None - 2B.3 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Malvaceae - Ayenia compacta Plants - Vascular Mimulus diffusus Palomar monkeyflower PDSCR1B0Z0 None None - 4.3 3311664 Rancho Mirage Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Phrymaceae - Mimulus diffusus Plants - Vascular Stemodia durantifolia purple stemodia PDSCR1U010 None None - 2B.1 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Plantaginaceae - Stemodia durantifolia Plants - Vascular Chorizanthe leptotheca Peninsular spineflower PDPGN040D0 None None - 4.2 3311664 Rancho Mirage Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Chorizanthe leptotheca Plants - Vascular Selaginella eremophila desert spike- moss PPSEL010G0 None None - 2B.2 3311664 Rancho Mirage Mapped Plants - Vascular - Selaginellaceae - Selaginella eremophila Page 2 of 2IMAPS Print Preview 7/14/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Glossary Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Plant List 11 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116F4 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Ayenia compacta California ayenia Malvaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S3? G4 Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge Euphorbiaceae annual herb 2B.2 S2 G4 Chorizanthe leptotheca Peninsular spineflower Polygonaceae annual herb 4.2 S3.2 G4 Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3? G3G4 Ditaxis claryana glandular ditaxis Euphorbiaceae perennial herb 2B.2 S1 G4G5 Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2? G2G3T1T2 Matelea parvifolia spearleaf Apocynaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S2.2 G5? Mimulus diffusus Palomar monkeyflower Phrymaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G4Q Pseudorontium cyathiferum Deep Canyon snapdragon Plantaginaceae annual herb 2B.3 S1 G4? Senna covesii Coves' cassia Fabaceae perennial herb 2B.2 S3 G5? Thysanocarpus rigidus rigid fringepod Brassicaceae annual herb 1B.2 S1S2 G1G2 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 14 July 2014]. © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 1CNPS Inventory Results 7/14/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116F4:1 CNDDB Quad Species List 50 records. Element Type Scientific Name Common Name Element Code Federal Status State Status CDFW Status CA Rare Plant Rank Quad Code Quad Name Data Status Taxonomic Sort Animals - Amphibians Batrachoseps major aridus desert slender salamander AAAAD02042 Endangered Endangered - - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Amphibians - Plethodontidae - Batrachoseps major aridus Animals - Birds Accipiter cooperii Cooper's hawk ABNKC12040 None None WL - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Accipiter cooperii Animals - Birds Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle ABNKC22010 None None FP , WL - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Accipitridae - Aquila chrysaetos Animals - Birds Spizella atrogularis black- chinned sparrow ABPBX94070 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Emberizidae - Spizella atrogularis Animals - Birds Toxostoma lecontei Le Conte's thrasher ABPBK06100 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Mimidae - Toxostoma lecontei Animals - Birds Picoides nuttallii Nuttall's woodpecker ABNYF07020 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Picidae - Picoides nuttallii Animals - Birds Polioptila melanura black-tailed gnatcatcher ABPBJ08030 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Animals - Birds - Sylviidae - Polioptila melanura Animals - Birds Vireo vicinior gray vireo ABPBW01140 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Birds - Vireonidae - Vireo vicinior Animals - Mammals Ovis canadensis nelsoni desert bighorn sheep AMALE04013 None None FP - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Bovidae - Ovis canadensis nelsoni Animals - Mammals Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Peninsular bighorn sheep DPS AMALE04012 Endangered Threatened FP - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Bovidae - Ovis canadensis nelsoni pop. 2 Animals - Mammals Chaetodipus fallax pallidus pallid San Diego pocket mouse AMAFD05032 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Chaetodipus fallax pallidus Animals - Mammals Dipodomys merriami collinus Earthquake Merriam's kangaroo rat AMAFD03144 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Dipodomys merriami collinus Animals - Mammals Perognathus longimembris bangsi Palm Springs pocket mouse AMAFD01043 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Perognathus longimembris bangsi Animals - Mammals Perognathus longimembris brevinasus Los Angeles pocket mouse AMAFD01041 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Animals - Mammals - Heteromyidae - Perognathus longimembris brevinasus Animals - Mammals Neotoma albigula venusta Colorado Valley woodrat AMAFF08031 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Animals - Mammals - Muridae - Neotoma albigula venusta Page 1 of 4IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Animals - Reptiles Anniella pulchra pulchra silvery legless lizard ARACC01012 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Anniellidae - Anniella pulchra pulchra Animals - Reptiles Charina trivirgata rosy boa ARADA01020 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Boidae - Charina trivirgata Animals - Reptiles Salvadora hexalepis virgultea coast patch- nosed snake ARADB30033 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Colubridae - Salvadora hexalepis virgultea Animals - Reptiles Phrynosoma blainvillii coast horned lizard ARACF12100 None None SSC - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Phrynosomatidae - Phrynosoma blainvillii Animals - Reptiles Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri coastal whiptail ARACJ02143 None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Animals - Reptiles - Teiidae - Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri Community - Terrestrial Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland CTT62300CA None None - - 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Community - Terrestrial - Desert Fan Palm Oasis Woodland Plants - Vascular Matelea parvifolia spear-leaf matelea PDASC0A0J0 None None - 2B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Apocynaceae - Matelea parvifolia Plants - Vascular Chaenactis parishii Parish's chaenactis PDAST200D0 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Asteraceae - Chaenactis parishii Plants - Vascular Dieteria canescens var. ziegleri Ziegler's aster PDAST640B2 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Asteraceae - Dieteria canescens var. ziegleri Plants - Vascular Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha beautiful hulsea PDAST4Z074 None None - 4.2 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Asteraceae - Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha Plants - Vascular Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha PDBOR0A180 None None - 4.3 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Boraginaceae - Cryptantha holoptera Plants - Vascular Caulanthus simulans Payson's jewelflower PDBRA0M0H0 None None - 4.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Brassicaceae - Caulanthus simulans Plants - Vascular Draba saxosa Southern California rock draba PDBRA110Q2 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Brassicaceae - Draba saxosa Plants - Vascular Streptanthus campestris southern jewelflower PDBRA2G0B0 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Brassicaceae - Streptanthus campestris Plants - Vascular Thysanocarpus rigidus rigid fringepod PDBRA2Q070 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Brassicaceae - Thysanocarpus rigidus Plants - Vascular Sedum niveum Davidson's stonecrop PDCRA0A0R0 None None - 4.2 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Crassulaceae - Sedum niveum Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge PDEUP0D010 None None - 2B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce abramsiana Page 2 of 4IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plants - Vascular Chamaesyce revoluta revolute spurge PDEUP0D230 None None - 4.3 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Euphorbiaceae - Chamaesyce revoluta Plants - Vascular Acmispon haydonii pygmy lotus PDFAB2A0H0 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Acmispon haydonii Plants - Vascular Astragalus bicristatus crested milk- vetch PDFAB0F1A0 None None - 4.3 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus bicristatus Plants - Vascular Astragalus leucolobus Big Bear Valley woollypod PDFAB0F4T0 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Astragalus leucolobus Plants - Vascular Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina PDFAB2F031 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii Plants - Vascular Senna covesii Cove's cassia PDFAB491X0 None None - 2B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Fabaceae - Senna covesii Plants - Vascular Calochortus palmeri var. munzii San Jacinto mariposa-lily PMLIL0D121 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped and Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Liliaceae - Calochortus palmeri var. munzii Plants - Vascular Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Palmer's mariposa-lily PMLIL0D122 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Liliaceae - Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Plants - Vascular Lilium parryi lemon lily PMLIL1A0J0 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Liliaceae - Lilium parryi Plants - Vascular Ayenia compacta California ayenia PDSTE01020 None None - 2B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Malvaceae - Ayenia compacta Plants - Vascular Penstemon californicus California beardtongue PDSCR1L110 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Plantaginaceae - Penstemon californicus Plants - Vascular Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon PDPLM090J3 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polemoniaceae - Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Plants - Vascular Saltugilia latimeri Latimer's woodland- gilia PDPLM0H010 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polemoniaceae - Saltugilia latimeri Plants - Vascular Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca white- bracted spineflower PDPGN040Z1 None None - 1B.2 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca Plants - Vascular Sidotheca emarginata white- margined oxytheca PDPGN0J030 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Polygonaceae - Sidotheca emarginata Plants - Vascular Delphinium parishii ssp. subglobosum Colorado Desert larkspur PDRAN0B1A3 None None - 4.3 3311654 Toro Peak Unprocessed Plants - Vascular - Ranunculaceae - Delphinium parishii ssp. subglobosum Plants - Vascular Galium angustifolium ssp. jacinticum San Jacinto Mountains bedstraw PDRUB0N04C None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Rubiaceae - Galium angustifolium ssp. jacinticum Page 3 of 4IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plants - Vascular Heuchera hirsutissima shaggy- haired alumroot PDSAX0E0J0 None None - 1B.3 3311654 Toro Peak Mapped Plants - Vascular - Saxifragaceae - Heuchera hirsutissima Page 4 of 4IMAPS Print Preview 7/15/2014https://map.dfg.ca.gov/bios/printTablePreview.html Plant List 31 matches found. Click on scientific name for details Search Criteria Found in Quad 33116E4 Scientific Name Common Name Family Lifeform Rare Plant Rank State Rank Global Rank Acmispon haydonii pygmy lotus Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2 G3 Astragalus bicristatus crested milk-vetch Fabaceae perennial herb 4.3 S3.3 G3 Astragalus leucolobus Big Bear Valley woollypod Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.2 S2 G2 Ayenia compacta California ayenia Malvaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S3? G4 Brodiaea filifolia thread-leaved brodiaea Themidaceae perennial bulbiferous herb 1B.1 S1 G1 Calochortus palmeri var. munzii San Jacinto mariposa lily Liliaceae perennial bulbiferous herb 1B.2 S1 G2T1 Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Palmer's mariposa lily Liliaceae perennial bulbiferous herb 1B.2 S3? G3T3? Caulanthus simulans Payson's jewel-flower Brassicaceae annual herb 4.2 S3.2 G3 Chaenactis parishii Parish's chaenactis Asteraceae perennial herb 1B.3 S3 G3G4 Chamaesyce abramsiana Abrams' spurge Euphorbiaceae annual herb 2B.2 S2 G4 Chamaesyce revoluta revolute spurge Euphorbiaceae annual herb 4.3 S3.3 G5 Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca white-bracted spineflower Polygonaceae annual herb 1B.2 S3 G4T3 Cryptantha holoptera winged cryptantha Boraginaceae annual herb 4.3 S3? G3G4 Delphinium parishii ssp. subglobosum Colorado Desert larkspur Ranunculaceae perennial herb 4.3 S3.2 G4T3 Dieteria canescens var. ziegleri Ziegler's aster Asteraceae perennial herb 1B.2 S1 G5T1 Draba saxosa Southern California rock draba Brassicaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2S3 G2G3 Galium angustifolium ssp. jacinticum San Jacinto Mountains bedstraw Rubiaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2S3 G5T2T3 Heuchera hirsutissima shaggy-haired alumroot Saxifragaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 1B.3 S3 G3 Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha beautiful hulsea Asteraceae perennial herb 4.2 S3.2 G5T3 Leptosiphon floribundus ssp. hallii Santa Rosa Mountains leptosiphon Polemoniaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S1 G4T1 Lilium parryi lemon lily Liliaceae perennial bulbiferous herb 1B.2 S3 G3 Page 1 of 2CNPS Inventory Results 7/15/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116E4:1 Search the Inventory Simple Search Advanced Search Glossary Information About the Inventory About the Rare Plant Program CNPS Home Page About CNPS Join CNPS Contributors The Calflora Database The California Lichen Society Linanthus maculatus Little San Bernardino Mtns. linanthus Polemoniaceae annual herb 1B.2 S2 G2 Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii California marina Fabaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2? G2G3T1T2 Matelea parvifolia spearleaf Apocynaceae perennial herb 2B.3 S2.2 G5? Penstemon californicus California beardtongue Plantaginaceae perennial herb 1B.2 S2 G3? Saltugilia latimeri Latimer's woodland-gilia Polemoniaceae annual herb 1B.2 S2.2 G2 Sedum niveum Davidson's stonecrop Crassulaceae perennial rhizomatous herb 4.2 S3.2 G3 Senna covesii Coves' cassia Fabaceae perennial herb 2B.2 S3 G5? Sidotheca emarginata white-margined oxytheca Polygonaceae annual herb 1B.3 S2.3 G2 Streptanthus campestris southern jewel-flower Brassicaceae perennial herb 1B.3 S2.3 G2 Thysanocarpus rigidus rigid fringepod Brassicaceae annual herb 1B.2 S1S2 G1G2 Suggested Citation CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 15 July 2014]. © Copyright 2010-2014 California Native Plant Society. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 2CNPS Inventory Results 7/15/2014http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/result.html?adv=t&quad=33116E4:1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 1 of 9 Version 1.4 This resource list is to be used for planning purposes only — it is not an official species list. Endangered Species Act species list information for your project is available online and listed below for the following FWS Field Offices: Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office 2177 SALK AVENUE - SUITE 250 CARLSBAD, CA 92008 (760) 431-9440 http://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/ Project Name: Palm Desert U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 2 of 9 Version 1.4 Project Location Map: Project Counties: Riverside, CA U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 3 of 9 Version 1.4 Geographic coordinates (Open Geospatial Consortium Well-Known Text, NAD83): MULTIPOLYGON (((-116.3867435 33.8040699, -116.3339575 33.7727503, -116.3315848 33.7727902, -116.3037991 33.7728581, -116.3037898 33.7730017, -116.3011972 33.7760644, -116.3011937 33.7761436, -116.3010932 33.7761422, -116.300962 33.7873863, -116.3011186 33.7962221, -116.2992388 33.7962405, -116.2992745 33.7974009, -116.2987766 33.7974041, -116.2987887 33.7981922, -116.2854974 33.7982322, -116.2854345 33.7947073, -116.2832527 33.7947098, -116.2833384 33.7729104, -116.2863237 33.7729026, -116.286408 33.7583584, -116.2912998 33.7583131, -116.2917359 33.7583388, -116.2950739 33.7571369, -116.2660576 33.745589, -116.264734 33.7437877, -116.2684598 33.7437464, -116.2684548 33.7435005, -116.2671551 33.7373483, -116.2673859 33.7365024, -116.275267 33.7364751, -116.2754021 33.7342907, -116.2753789 33.7291944, -116.2862893 33.7291207, -116.2862964 33.7346331, -116.2875316 33.734618, -116.2875263 33.7364319, -116.2946363 33.7363449, -116.3023033 33.7370253, -116.3023059 33.7381319, -116.3038583 33.7381247, -116.3038802 33.7289979, -116.3300729 33.7289483, -116.3300642 33.7435802, -116.3475475 33.7434846, -116.3475482 33.7288965, -116.3606738 33.7288585, -116.360677 33.7159965, -116.3601036 33.7160149, -116.3600245 33.7159633, -116.3600105 33.7158689, -116.3571075 33.715879, -116.3571048 33.7160102, -116.3570453 33.7160658, -116.3564735 33.7160778, -116.3564805 33.7147126, -116.3565312 33.7147417, -116.356867 33.714742, -116.3568665 33.7142736, -116.3610103 33.7142617, -116.3609977 33.7129948, -116.3649875 33.7129793, -116.3649942 33.7132067, -116.3650551 33.7129511, -116.3652361 33.7125414, -116.3653802 33.7124928, -116.3654885 33.7122162, -116.3731892 33.7116551, -116.3736644 33.7116541, -116.3735334 33.6707329, -116.356243 33.6706635, -116.3472628 33.6706723, -116.3471828 33.5981812, -116.3195831 33.5981753, -116.3195099 33.5907918, -116.3196042 33.5837404, -116.3368264 33.5837263, -116.3713584 33.583554, -116.4148929 33.5837561, -116.4148705 33.598069, -116.4254694 33.5980529, -116.4254316 33.6270785, -116.4428167 33.6270707, -116.4428234 33.6416042, -116.4428893 33.6561362, -116.4428227 33.6633451, -116.4428424 33.6706563, -116.4428029 33.6850287, -116.4428985 33.7141124, -116.4081353 33.7141719, -116.4082782 33.7215325, -116.4081601 33.7286257, -116.4081606 33.7331129, -116.4071902 33.7331122, -116.4065571 33.73343, -116.4056321 33.7322019, -116.3955745 33.7324971, -116.3955841 33.7342054, -116.3912344 33.7342353, -116.3907749 33.7725466, -116.388198 33.7725545, -116.3881619 33.7907369, -116.3881779 33.8018727, -116.3968575 33.8018038, -116.396895 33.8100863, -116.3867435 33.8040699))) Project Type: ** Other ** U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 4 of 9 Version 1.4 Endangered Species Act Species List (USFWS Endangered Species Program). There are a total of 10 threatened or endangered species on your species list. Species on this list should be considered in an effects analysis for your project and could include species that exist in another geographic area. For example, certain fishes may appear on the species list because a project could cause downstream effects on the species. Critical habitats listed under the Has Critical Habitat column may or may not lie within your project area. See the Critical habitats within your project area section below for critical habitat that lies within your project area. Please contact the designated FWS office if you have questions. Species that should be considered in an effects analysis for your project: Amphibians Status Has Critical Habitat Contact Desert Slender salamander (Batrachoseps aridus) Population: Entire Endangered species info Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Birds Least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) Population: Entire Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Southwestern Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) Population: Entire Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Fishes Desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) Population: Entire Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Flowering Plants Coachella Valley milk-vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae) Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Triple-Ribbed milk-vetch (Astragalus tricarinatus) Endangered species info Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Insects U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 5 of 9 Version 1.4 Casey's June Beetle (Dinacoma caseyi) Population: Entire Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Mammals Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) Population: Peninsular CA pop. Endangered species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Reptiles Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed lizard (Uma inornata) Population: Entire Threatened species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Population: U.S.A., except in Sonoran Desert Threatened species info Final designated critical habitat Carlsbad Fish And Wildlife Office Critical habitats within your project area: (View all critical habitats within your project area on one map) The following critical habitats lie fully or partially within your project area. Mammals Critical Habitat Type Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) Population: Peninsular CA pop. Final designated critical habitat Reptiles Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed lizard (Uma inornata) Population: Entire Final designated critical habitat FWS National Wildlife Refuges (USFWS National Wildlife Refuges Program). There is 1 refuge in your refuge list U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 6 of 9 Version 1.4 Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge (760) 348-5278 C/O SONNY BONO SALTON SEA NWR COMPLEX 906 WEST SINCLAIR ROAD CALIPATRIA, CA92233 refuge profile FWS Migratory Birds (USFWS Migratory Bird Program). The protection of birds is regulated by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA). Any activity, intentional or unintentional, resulting in take of migratory birds, including eagles, is prohibited unless otherwise permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (50 C.F.R. Sec. 10.12 and 16 U.S.C. Sec. 668(a)). The MBTA has no provision for allowing take of migratory birds that may be unintentionally killed or injured by otherwise lawful activities. For more information regarding these Acts see http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsandPolicies.html. All project proponents are responsible for complying with the appropriate regulations protecting birds when planning and developing a project. To meet these conservation obligations, proponents should identify potential or existing project-related impacts to migratory birds and their habitat and develop and implement conservation measures that avoid, minimize, or compensate for these impacts. The Service's Birds of Conservation Concern (2008) report identifies species, subspecies, and populations of all migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become listed under the Endangered Species Act as amended (16 U.S.C 1531 et seq.). For information about Birds of Conservation Concern, go to http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/Management/BCC.html. Migratory birds of concern that may be affected by your project: There are 13 birds on your Migratory birds of concern list. The Division of Migratory Bird Management is in the process of populating migratory bird data with an estimated completion date of August 1, 2014; therefore, the list below may not include all the migratory birds of concern in your project area at this time. While this information is being populated, please contact the Field Office for information about migratory birds in your project area. Species Name Bird of Conservation Concern (BCC) Species Profile Seasonal Occurrence in Project Area Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei) Yes species info Breeding Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) Yes species info Breeding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 7 of 9 Version 1.4 Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) Yes species info Year-round Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope) Yes species info Breeding Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) Yes species info Breeding Gray vireo (Vireo vicinior) Yes species info Breeding Lawrence's Goldfinch (Carduelis lawrencei) Yes species info Year-round Le Conte's thrasher (toxostoma lecontei) Yes species info Breeding Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) Yes species info Breeding, Year-round Mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) Yes species info Wintering Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) Yes species info Year-round Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) Yes species info Year-round Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Yes species info Migrating NWI Wetlands (USFWS National Wetlands Inventory). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency that provides information on the extent and status of wetlands in the U.S., via the National Wetlands Inventory Program (NWI). In addition to impacts to wetlands within your immediate project area, wetlands outside of your project area may need to be considered in any evaluation of project impacts, due to the hydrologic nature of wetlands (for example, project activities may affect local hydrology within, and outside of, your immediate project area). It may be helpful to refer to the USFWS National Wetland Inventory website. The designated FWS office can also assist you. Impacts to wetlands and other aquatic habitats from your project may be subject to regulation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, or other State/Federal Statutes. Project Proponents should discuss the relationship of these requirements to their project with the Regulatory Program of the appropriate U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 8 of 9 Version 1.4 Data Limitations, Exclusions and Precautions The Service's objective of mapping wetlands and deepwater habitats is to produce reconnaissance level information on the location, type and size of these resources. The maps are prepared from the analysis of high altitude imagery. Wetlands are identified based on vegetation, visible hydrology and geography. A margin of error is inherent in the use of imagery; thus, detailed on-the-ground inspection of any particular site may result in revision of the wetland boundaries or classification established through image analysis. The accuracy of image interpretation depends on the quality of the imagery, the experience of the image analysts, the amount and quality of the collateral data and the amount of ground truth verification work conducted. Metadata should be consulted to determine the date of the source imagery used and any mapping problems. Wetlands or other mapped features may have changed since the date of the imagery and/or field work. There may be occasional differences in polygon boundaries or classifications between the information depicted on the map and the actual conditions on site. Exclusions - Certain wetland habitats are excluded from the National mapping program because of the limitations of aerial imagery as the primary data source used to detect wetlands. These habitats include seagrasses or submerged aquatic vegetation that are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones of estuaries and nearshore coastal waters. Some deepwater reef communities (coral or tuberficid worm reefs) have also been excluded from the inventory. These habitats, because of their depth, go undetected by aerial imagery. Precautions - Federal, state, and local regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over wetlands may define and describe wetlands in a different manner than that used in this inventory. There is no attempt, in either the design or products of this inventory, to define the limits of proprietary jurisdiction of any Federal, state, or local government or to establish the geographical scope of the regulatory programs of government agencies. Persons intending to engage in activities involving modifications within or adjacent to wetland areas should seek the advice of appropriate federal, state, or local agencies concerning specified agency regulatory programs and proprietary jurisdictions that may affect such activities. The following wetland types intersect your project area in one or more locations: Wetland Types NWI Classification Code Total Acres Freshwater Emergent Wetland PEMCx 1.2033 Freshwater Emergent Wetland PEMFx 3.1405 Freshwater Emergent Wetland PEMC 1.1566 Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland PSSA 0.4392 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources List 07/15/2014 Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPAC)Page 9 of 9 Version 1.4 Freshwater Pond PUBHx 130.2483 Freshwater Pond PUBF 0.1967 Freshwater Pond PUBFh 1.1116 Other PUSAh 4.589 Other PUSCx 0.5025 DRA F T DRAFT TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT