Alameda Creek Alliance Announces Apperson Quarry Conservation Plan

by Jeff Miller

June 3, 2009 -- In May, the Alameda Creek Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity announced a historic conservation agreement signed for the Apperson Ridge and Sunol Valley quarries. The agreement signed in December 2008 with Oliver de Silva, Inc. will dramatically change the Apperson Quarry project, provide substantial mitigations for wildlife, protect and enhance endangered species habitat, provide millions of dollars for fish-passage projects and restoration of Alameda Creek, secure habitat enhancements for tule elk, and address greenhouse gas emissions.
 
The conservation agreement proposes changes to both quarry operations that, if approved by regulators, would dramatically reduce impacts on biological resources at Apperson Ridge. Operations at Apperson Ridge would be deferred until 2030 or until the quarrying stops at the Sunol Quarry site - whichever comes later. Processing plants to produce asphalt and concrete would be moved from Apperson Ridge to the Sunol Quarry site, which is already impacted by quarrying and doesn't contain habitat for special-status species. Material from Apperson Ridge would be transported for processing using a conveyor system rather than the approved haul road, reducing grading, traffic, and noise disturbance associated with the access road.
 
The major mitigations in the agreement are:
•     Replacement of habitat lost due to the quarry's footprint and infrastructure through purchase and/or permanent protection of similar habitats on private land, at a replacement ratio of 3:1 and with a minimum parcel or parcels consisting of 600 acres protected;
•     Robust mitigation for any loss of breeding habitat for several focal species at a 4:1 replacement ratio;
•     Initiating an "incidental take" permit process, using a federal habitat conservation plan with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
•     Adoption of a comprehensive tule elk mitigation and monitoring plan, including $250,000 of initial funding and up to $250,000 annually when mining begins at Apperson Ridge to help establish a tule elk reserve in northern California and for enhancement and protection of elk habitat;
•     Up to $3 million in funding for several major fish-passage projects to help restore steelhead trout to Alameda Creek;
•     Re-vegetation of stream banks and restoration of more natural stream function to enhance habitat quality adjacent to the Sunol Quarry;
•     Financial support for a Sunol Valley Restoration Plan to stabilize and restore the Sunol Valley reach of Alameda Creek;
•     Reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions of the Apperson Quarry project and purchase of approved offsets for 100 percent of emissions; and
•     Funding to conservation groups for efforts to protect wildlife and wild areas in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
 
Read more about the agreement and the conservation plans on the ACA web page.
 
Read the East Bay Express and Livermore Independent articles about the conservation plan.