By Barry Eberling
Thursday, August 11, 2005
FAIRFIELD - Solano County will have vernal pool critical habitat after all, causing a county supervisor to wonder if the designation could someday make it harder for Travis Air Force Base to expand.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday released its revised vernal pool critical habitat areas for California and Oregon. The original 2003 designations had no acres in Solano County. The revision, done because of a court order, designates 13,415 acres.
Travis Air Force Base itself is not designated as critical habitat. But land near Travis Air Force Base on three sides did get the designation, according to an agency map. It was unclear from the map how close to base borders the critical habitat comes.
Part of Suisun Marsh, including Potrero Hills Landfill, is also designated. So are small pieces of habitat, such as along Cordelia Road near Nelson Hill.
Proponents of critical habitat say the designation can help protect the rare creatures and plants that live in vernal pools. Opponents say habitat designation increases costs for development while not necessarily helping endangered species.
What gains and costs might come from the Solano County vernal pool habitat listing were unclear Thursday afternoon.
For example, it was unclear what vernal pool critical habitat designation might mean if Travis Air Force Base someday wants to build a runway and support facilities beyond its existing borders. But Supervisor Mike Reagan expressed concern.
Reagan's office on Thursday began exploring the effects of the designations. Reagan is also concerned the designation might hamper Highway 12 widening.
Vernal pool habitat in Fairfield's growth area near Clay Bank Road was left out of the designation. The agency excluded this land for economic reasons related to lost development opportunities.
But a vernal pool hotbed along Highway 113 in the remote east county is also not designated. No development is contemplated there.
Fish and Wildlife could have included more land in the designation. Solano County had been proposed to have 67,961 acres.
The agency deleted much of this land for economic reasons. An economic study showed critical habitat designation in the county could cost $87 million over 20 years.
Vernal pools are clay-lined pools that fill with rainwater. They are home to such rare species as the vernal pool fairy shrimp and Contra Costa goldfield flower.
Fish and Wildlife officials downplay the effects of critical habitat designation. Rare plants, birds, insects and animals are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act, regardless of whether they are found in or outside of critical habitat, agency officials said.
Critical habitat designation doesn't create a preserve. It can lead to more consultations with agency officials before development can go forward.
"Our feeling is critical habitat in reality, on the ground, doesn't do that much for the species, especially considering the cost of it for us, going through the process, the mapping, the surveying, the staff time," Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jim Nickles said a month ago.
But some environmental groups disagree that the extra protection has little effect. The Butte Environmental Council, California Native Plant Society and Defenders of Wildlife sued Fish and Wildlife, forcing the agency to reconsider its previous exclusions.
The vernal pool critical habitat designations take effect Sept. 12.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
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